Independence Day

4th July, Fremont, California

While I am observing roza today to express solidarity with my Muslim brethren, I cannot forget that 4th July is also Independence Day in America.

On this day the American Declaration of Independence was signed, which stated those immortal words " We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ".

 I am a great admirer of the American War of Independence ( 1775-1781 ), and of its leaders, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, etc. They were truly giants.

 If only we had had such a militant War of Independence against British rule under the leadership of Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Surya Sen ( Masterda ), Ashfaqulla, Ram Prasad Bismil, Khudiram Bose, Rajguru, Sukhdev, etc instead of that farcical drama called 'satyagrah' under that traitor Gandhi, India would not be in the miserable plight in which it finds itself today

 Long live the great American people ! Long live the great American War of Independence ! Long live George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, John Adams, etc

Real Independence Day

Today is India's Independence Day, and I send my greetings to all on this occasion.

But on 15.8.1947 India achieved only political independence, not economic independence. About 80% of our people are still poor, lacking basic necessities of a decent life. This is no independence for them.

Real independence will come when the Indian masses are prosperous, enjoying a high standard of living, when poverty, unemployment, lack of healthcare, good education, etc and social evils like the caste system, discrimination against women, etc are abolished, when true secularism is established, and when India gets its rightful place in the comity of nations.

That will be the day of our real Independence. I will almost certainly not be alive to see that day ( as I am already an old man of 68), but many of you young people will. But let me warn you. To achieve it will require about 20 or more years of tremendous struggle by the masses led by the patriotic, modern minded section of India, a struggle in which colossal sacrifices will have to be made.

But when that day comes I will be watching it with great happiness from the other world, weeping for those who will have fallen in this struggle ( and their numbers will be staggering), and marvelling at the stupendous achievement of the Indian masses led by their patriotic, modern minded leaders.