Page 3 - Dream 2047 Aug 2021

ENTERING INTO THE 75th YEAR OF INDIAN INDEPENDENCE Jayant Sahasrabudhe
Independence
aware that the British attack was not the only or the first attack on our country. There had been many attacks earlier. But there was a fundamental difference between the British and the other attacks. There are generally three main reasons for the invasion policies: one, the quest for power, second, to impose one’s sect or cult and the third one is to achieve economic gain. When we consider British onslaught in this light, new factors emerge. Prior to the British, the attackers came with their armies, and by evoking fear they looted our country. India was a rich and prosperous country not only in terms of economic aspects, but it had also carved a niche in the field of science and knowledge. The world was drawn towards India. Even people from Europe, whenever desired to know something new or acquire wealth, looked at India. This is the reason why many countries from Europe tried to invent the sea routes to India. Columbus also set out to find India, but instead, on 12 October 1492, he reached a continent we now call America. Then, finally in 1498, Vasco de Gama from Portugal reached Kerala’s Calicut (now Kozhikode).
British came to India in 1610, which was the beginning of seventeenth century, and they came mainly as traders. Around that time ‘East India Company’ was established in England so that the trade ties could be established with the Eastern countries. The company's representatives also reached India. They had interest on China too, but India was their first priority. Besides British, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and German had also their presence in India. They had the competition over the sea routes from India to their countries and all of them wanted to dominate the routes and gain control over them.
Movement and Science
There is a general perception in our country that our freedom struggle was mainly political and economic, and there were also social aspects associated with it. But very few are aware that there was a freedom movement going on in the arena of science too, and the scientists played an important role in it. Even the people working in this field have very little information about this. Today, while starting to celebrate the 75th year of our Independence, we should try to inform people about the contribution of science in the freedom struggle.
The word independence generally means ‘liberation’, which is called ‘Azadi’ in Urdu. In our country we didn’t call it ‘Freedom Movemen’; instead, we used the phrase ‘Independence Movement’ or ‘Swatantrata Sangram’ or ‘Swadhinta Sangram’. The special element in it is the sense of ‘swa’ or self. We are
august 2021 / dream 2047
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