A humble advice to the Rajya Sabha

O wonderful news ! The Rajya Sabha ( the upper House of the Indian Parliament ) has passed a resolution condemning me !

But of course that is not enough. I must also be punished for what I said about that fake who is called the Father of the Indian Nation, and that agent of the Japanese fascists. A mere censure is no punishment.

So some of them wanted to strip me of the perks and facilities I have as a retired Supreme Court Judge. But then again that will require amendment of the rules, because after all I am indeed a retired Supreme Court Judge.

 May I make a humble.suggestion to the Hon'ble Members of the House ( because evidently they have run out of ideas ). Just pass a resolution that immediately on my return to India I will be arrested and hanged, drawn and quartered.without any trial. Na rahe baans na baje baansuri !

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rajya-Sabha-condemns-Markandey-Katju-for-his-remarks-against-Gandhi-Subhash/articleshow/46527363.cms

Here is the ' Father ' of your nation

The following extract is from the 1941 reprint of  Nehru's autobiography, pages 72 and 490 and it reveal's Gandhi's feudal mindset. Does such a man, who constantly injected religion into politics, and thereby furthered the British policy of divide and rule, deserve to be called the Father of the Nation ?

" Gandhiji, indeed, was continually laying stress on the religious and spiritual side of the movement. His religion was not dogmatic, but it did mean a definitely religious outlook of life, and the whole movement was strongly influenced by this and took on a revivalist character so far as the masses were concerned...I used to be troubled sometimes at the growth of this religious element in our politics, both on the Hindu and the Muslim side. I did not like it at all...

Even Gandhiji's phrases sometimes jarred upon me--such as his frequent references to Rama Rajya as a golden age which was to return. But I was powerless to intervene, and I consoled myself with the thought that Gandhiji used the words because they were well known and understood by the masses. He had an amazing knack of reaching the heart of the people.....

During my tour in the earthquake areas (in Bihar), or just before going there, I read with a great shock Gandhiji's statement to the effect that the earthquake had been a punishment for the sin of untouchability. This was a staggering remark. And if the earthquake was divine punishment for sin, how are we to discover for which sin we are being punished? for alas! we have many sins to atone for...the British government might call the calamity a divine punishment for civil obedience, for, as a matter of fact, North Bihar, which suffered most from the earthquake, took a leading part in the freedom movement."

                         Here is what our great Father of our nation talks of Cow Protection

" The Cow is a poem of pity. One reads pity in the gentle animal. She is the mother to millions of Indian mankind. Protection of the cow means protection of the whole dumb creation of God. The ancient seer, whoever he was, began with the cow. The appeal of the lower order of creation is all the more forcible because it is speechless." ( Young India, 6-10-1921, p. 36)

  " The cow is the purest type of sub-human life. She pleads before us on behalf of the whole of the sub-human species for justice to it at the hands of man, the first among all that lives. She seems to speak to us through her eyes: 'you are not appointed over us to kill us and eat our flesh or otherwise ill-treat us, but to be our friend and guardian ". (YI, 26-6-1924, p. 214)

" I worship it and I shall defend its worship against the whole world " (YI, 1-1-1925, p. 8)

 " Mother cow is in many ways better than the mother who gave us birth. Our mother gives us milk for a couple of years and then expects us to serve her when we grow up. Mother cow expects from us nothing but grass and grain. Our mother often falls ill and expects service from us. Mother cow rarely falls ill. Here is an unbroken record of service which does not end with her death. Our mother, when she dies, means expenses of burial or cremation. Mother cow is as useful dead as when she is alive. We can make use of every part of her body-her flesh, her bones, her intestines, her horns and her skin. Well, I say this not to disparage the mother who gives us birth, but in order to show you the substantial reasons for my worshipping the cow. " (Harijan, 15-9-1940, p. 281)

" The central fact of Hinduism is cow protection. Cow protection to me is one of the most wonderful phenomena in human evolution. It takes the human being beyond this species. The cow to me means the entire sub-human world. Man through the cow is enjoined to realize his identity with all that lives. Why the cow was selected for apotheosis is obvious to me. The cow was in India the best companion. She was the giver of plenty. Not only did she give milk, but she also made agriculture possible….....

Cow protection is the gift of Hinduism to the world. And Hinduism will live so ling as there are Hindus to protect the cow…… Hindus will be judged not by their TILAKS, not by the correct chanting of MANTRAS, not by their pilgrimages, not by their most punctilious observances of caste rules, but their ability to protect the cow " (YI, 6-10-1921, p. 36)

" I would not kill a human being for protection a cow, as I will not kill a cow for saving a human life, be it ever so precious "(YI, 18-5-1921, p. 156)

 " My religion teaches me that I should by personal conduct instill into the minds of those who might hold different views, the conviction that cow-killing is a sin and that, therefore, it ought to be abandoned "

(YI, 29-1-1925, p. 38)

 " Cow slaughter can never be stopped by law. Knowledge, education, and the spirit of kindliness towards her alone can put and end to it. It will not be possible to save those animals that are a burden on the land or, perhaps, even man if he is a burden " (H, 15-9-1946, p. 310)

" My ambition is no less than to see the principle of cow protection established throughout the world. But that requires that I should set my own house thoroughly in order first " (YI, 29-1-1925, p. 38)

These are only some of the stupid, feudal ideas this ' Father of our nation had.

' Netaji ' Subhas Chandra Bose
If ' Netaji ' was not a Japanese agent, why did he surrender when the Japanese surrendered ? He should have carried on a guerilla war against the British.
 If the Japanese had been victorious against the British do you seriously think they would have granted independence to India ? No, they would have made India a Japanese colony, and ruthlessly exploited and looted it.
In fact Bose was being used by the Japanese, and they would have bumped him off the moment his utility for them was over. He was no doubt a brave and personally honest man, but he had become an agent of Japanese fascism

The Real Father of the Indian Nation

 ' Mahatma ' Gandhi is called the father of the Indian nation. But , as I have pointed out in my previous post, Gandhi in fact did great harm to India, and he has wrongly been called the Father of the nation.

 The real Father of the Indian nation was the great Mughal Emperor Akbar ( 1542-1605 ). What we Indians are today is largely because of the solid foundation laid by Akbar. Because of Akbar, we are Indians, not just Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis etc.

  And yet the tragedy is that many Hindus call Akbar a Muslim, while many Muslims call him a Hindu ( because he observed many Hindu festivals and ceremonies ), which proves my point that 90% Hindus and 90% Muslims in India are fools. The truth is that while being a Sunni Muslim, Akbar was a true Indian.

  Akbar saw that India was a country of great diversity ( see my article ' What is India ? ' on my blog justicekatju.blogspot.in and the website kgfindia.com ). Hence the only way to keep India united was by giving equal respect to all communities and sects. It was because of this realization that Akbar adopted the wise policy of Suleh-e-Kul, that is, Universal Toleration of all Religions.

 In this respect, Akbar was far ahead of his times, and far ahead of even Europeans who were at that time massacring each other in the name of religion, Catholics massacring Protestants e.g. the St. Bartholomew Day massacre in 1572 by Catholics of the minority Protestant community ( called Huguenots ) in France, the massacre of Protestants by the Spanish Duke of Alba in Holland, the burning at the stake ( auto de fe ) of heretics during the Inquisition, etc, the subsequent massacre of Catholics in Ireland by Cromwell, and the mutual massacre of Catholics and Protestants in the Thirty Year War  in Germany ( 1618-1648 ) as well as the killing of Jews by Christians throughout Europe ( culminating in the Holocaust in the Second World War, 1939-1945 ).

 In my judgment in  the Supreme Court in Hinsa Virodhak Sangh vs.Mirzapur Moti Koresh Jamaat, 2011 ( see online ) I observed :

"  The architect of modern India was the great Mughal Emperor Akbar who gave equal respect to people of all communities and appointed them to the highest offices on their merits irrespective of their religion, caste, etc.

The Emperor Akbar held discussions with scholars of all religions and gave respect not only to Muslim scholars, but also to Hindus, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, etc. Those who came to his court were given respect and the Emperor heard their views, sometimes alone, and sometimes in the Ibadatkhana (Hall of Worship), where people of all religions assembled and discussed their views in a tolerant spirit.

The Emperor declared his policy of Suleh-e-Kul, which meant universal tolerance of all religions and communities. He abolished Jeziya in 1564 and the pilgrim tax in 1563 on Hindus and permitted his Hindu wife to continue to practise her own religion even after their marriage. This is evident from the Jodha Bai Palace in Fatehpur Sikri which is built on Hindu architectural pattern.

In 1578, the Parsi theologian Dastur Meherji Rana was invited to the Emperor 's court and he had detailed discussions with Emperor Akbar and acquainted him about the Parsi religion. Similarly, the Jesuit Priests Father Antonio Monserrate, Father Rodolfo Acquaviva and Father Francisco Enriques etc. also came to the Emperor 's court on his request and acquainted him about the Christian religion. The Emperor also became acquainted with Sikhism and came into contact with Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das (see`The Mughal Empire by R.C. Majumdar).

Thus, as stated in the Cambridge History of India (Vol.IV The Mughal Period) Emperor Akbar conceived the idea of becoming the father of all his subjects, rather than the leader of only the Muslims, and he was far ahead of his times. As mentioned by Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru in `The Discovery of India , " Akbar 's success is astonishing, for he created a sense of oneness among the diverse elements of India ".

In 1582, the Emperor invited and received a Jain delegation consisting of Hiravijaya Suri, Bhanuchandra Upadhyaya and Vijayasena Suri. Jainism, with its doctrine of non-violence, made a profound impression on him and influenced his personal life. He curtailed his food and drink and ultimately abstained from flesh diet altogether for several months in the year. He renounced hunting which was his favourite pastime, restricted the practice of fishing and released prisoners and caged birds. Slaughter of animals was prohibited on certain days and ultimately in 1587 for about half the days in the year.

Akbar 's contact with Jains began as early as 1568, when Padma Sunder who belonged to the Nagpuri Tapagaccha was honoured by him.

As mentioned in Dr. Ishwari Prasad 's `The Mughal Empire' , the Jains had a great influence on the Emperor. A disputation was held in Akbar s court between the Jain monks Buddhisagar of Tapgaccha and Suddha Kirti of Khartargaccha on the subject of Jain religious ceremony called Pansadha in which the winner was given the title Jagatguru by Akbar.

Having heard of the virtues and learning of Hir Vijaya Suri in 1582 the Emperor sent an invitation to him through the Mughal Viceroy at Ahmedabad. Suri accepted it in the interests of his religion. He was offered money by the Viceroy to defray the expenses of the journey but he refused. The delegation consisting of Hir Vijaya Suri, Bhanu Chandra Upadhyaya and Vijaya Sen Suri started on their journey and walked on foot to Fatehpur Sikri and were received with great honour befitting imperial guests.

 Hir Vijaya Suri had discussions with Abul Fazl. He propounded the doctrine of Karma and an impersonal God. When he was introduced to the Emperor he defended true religion and told him that the foundation of faith should be daya (compassion) and that God is one though he is differently named by different faiths.

The Emperor received instruction in Dharma from Suri who explained the Jain doctrines to him. He discussed the existence of God and the qualities of a true Guru and recommended non-killing (Ahinsa). The Emperor was persuaded to forbid the slaughter of animals for six months in Gujarat and to abolish the confiscation of the property of deceased persons, the Sujija Tax (Jeziya) and a Sulka (possibly a tax on pilgrims) and to free caged birds and prisoners. He stayed for four years at Akbar' s court and left for Gujarat in 1586. He imparted a knowledge of Jainism to Akbar and obtained various concessions to his religion. The Emperor is said to have taken a vow to refrain from hunting and expressed a desire to leave off meat- eating for ever as it had become repulsive.

When Suri was leaving for Ahmedabad,the Emperor presented to him Padma Sundar scriptures which were preserved in his palace. He offered them to Suri as a gift and he was pressed by the Emperor to accept them. The killing of animals was forbidden for certain days.

Emperor Akbar was a propagator of Suleh-i-Kul (universal toleration) at a time when Europeans 

were indulging in religious massacres e.g. the St. Bartholomew Day massacre in 1572 of Protestants, (called Huguenots) in France by the Catholics, the burning at the stake of Protestants by Queen Mary of England, the massacre by the Duke of Alva of millions of people for their resistance to Rome and the burning at the stake of Jews during the Spanish Inquisition. We may also mention the subsequent massacre of the Catholics in Ireland by Cromwell, and the mutual massacre of Catholics and Protestants in Germany during the thirty year war from 1618 to 1648 in which the population of Germany was reduced from 18 million to 12 million. Thus, Emperor Akbar was far ahead of even the Europeans of his times.

Emperor Akbar himself abstained from eating meat on Fridays and Sundays and on some other days, as has been mentioned in the Ain-I-Akbari by Abul Fazl.

It was because of the wise policy of toleration of the Great Emperor Akbar that the Mughal empire lasted for so long, and hence the same wise policy of toleration alone can keep our country together despite so much diversity. ".

 The tragedy is that the 90% fools and idiots living in India today do not even know who is the real Father of their Nation !

 It is said that Gandhi gave us Independence in 1947. This is totally false. In fact by diverting the genuine revolutionary independence struggle against the British in India ( see my previous post ) to harmless and nonsensical channels like n' Satyagrah ' Gandhi was ensuring that India should not become independent.

 Why then did the British leave ? Surely it was not because of the dramas Gandhi was doing ( fasting, salt march, etc ). Does anyone give up an Empire because of this ?

 No, it was because Germany attacked England in the Second World War and considerably weakened it ( in fact Germany would probably have conquered England if America had not helped it ) that England, realizing that she could not continue holding on to India politically, withdrew. So it is not Gandhi who gave us Independence but Adolf Hitler ( though of course that was not his intention )

Gandhi---A British Agent

This post is bound to draw a lot of flak at me, but that does not matter as I am not a popularity seeker  I have often said things knowing that initially that will make me very unpopular, and I will be vilified and denounced by many. Nevertheless I say such things.as I believe they must be said in my country's interest.

I submit that Gandhi was objectively a British agent who did great harm to India.

 These are my reasons for saying this :

1. India has tremendous diversity, so many religions, castes, races, languages, etc ( see my article ' What is India ?' ). Realizing this the British policy was of divide and rule ( see online ' History in the Service of Imperialism ' , which is a speech delivered by Prof. B.N. Pande in the Rajya Sabha ).

 By constantly injecting religion into politics continuously for several decades, Gandhi furthered the British policy of divide and rule.

 If we read Gandhi's public speeches and writings ( e.g. in his newspapers 'Young India', ' Harijan ', etc ) we find that ever since Gandhi came to India from South Africa in 1915 or so till his death in 1948, in almost every speech or article he would emphasize Hindu religious ideas e.g. Ramrajya, Go Raksha ( cow protection ), brahmacharya ( celibacy ), varnashram dharma ( caste system ), etc ( see Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi ).

 Thus Gandhi wrote in ' Young India ' on 10.6.1921 " I am a Sanatani Hindu. I believe in the varnashram dharma. I believe in protection of the cow ". In his public meetings the Hindu bhajan ' Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram ' would be loudly sung.

 Now Indians are a religious people, and they were even more religious in the first half of the 20th century. A sadhu or swamiji may preach such ideas to his followers in his ashram, but when they are preached day in and day out by a political leader, what effect will these speeches and writings have on an orthodox Muslim mind ? It would surely drive him towards a Muslim organization like the Muslim League, and so it did. Was this not serving the British policy of divide and rule ? By constantly injecting religion into politics for several decades, was Gandhi not objectively acting as a British agent ?

2. In India a revolutionary movement against British rule had started in the early 20th century under the Anushilan Samiti, Jugantar, and revolutionaries like Surya Sen, Ramprasad Bismil ( who wrote the song ' Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai ), Chandrashekhar Azad, Ashfaqulla, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, etc ( who were all hanged by the British ). Gandhi successfully diverted  the freedom struggle from this revolutionary direction to a harmless nonsensical channel called Satyagrah. This also served British interests.

3. Gandhi's economic ideas were thoroughly reactionary. He advocated self sufficient village communities, though everybody knows that these communities were totally casteist and in the grip of landlords and money lenders..Gandhi was against industrialization, and preached handspinning by charkha and other such reactionary nonsense. Similarly, his ' trusteeship ' theory was all nonsense, and an act of deceiving the people

 Some people praise Gandhi's bravery in going to Noakhali, etc to douse the communal violence at the time of Partition. But the question is why did he help setting the house on fire in the first place by preaching religious ideas in public political meetings for several decades, which were bound to divide the Indian people on religious lines? First you set the house on fire, and then you do the drama of trying to douse the flames.

Feudal Filth

I regard all comments supporting or approving of burqa or hijab, and even comments that women should have a choice of wearing it or not,  and comments supporting oral talaq, as anti-Indian feudal filth and stinking and nauseating garbage, which has to be removed from my facebook page.
 So please be sure that the moment such comment is posted it will be deleted and you will be blocked, as has already been done in a large number of cases.
 Why don't such people go to some other facebook page where you will be more comfortable. ? After all, no one invited you here.

Wearing burqa or hijab

This is in continuation of my previous post.

 Islam had spread from Spain to Indonesia in the past. Why ? It was because of its great message of equality, it was a great leveller.

 It is wrong to say that all people who became Muslims were forcibly converted at the point of the sword. Only 5% or so may have become Muslims in that manner. 95% people became Muslims voluntarily, because they got social emancipation.

 For instance, in India the caste system at one stage was so rigid and inhuman that many dalits and other oppressed and downtrodden communities voluntarily became Muslims, because in Islam they were treated as human beings, whereas in Hinduism they were treated like dogs or worse.

In the stories of the great Bengali writer Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyaya we see how inhuman the caste system had become in Bengal, and that is why 60% Bengalis became Muslims voluntarily. In his novel Palli Samaj ( also known as Gramin Samaj ) we see how Muslims had much more brotherhood and mutual help as compared to Hindus. In Manusmriti we see how terribly lower castes were treated.in Hindu society. So the early Muslim invaders were often treated as liberators rather than as oppressors by the local people.

 But what is the position today ? Many Muslims ( not all )  approve of the barbaric custom of Muslim women wearing the hijab or burqa, and also approve of the custom of oral talaq allowed to Muslim men.These barbarians have perverted Islam from being a great liberating force, to an enslaving force.

Some of them say that Muslim women should have the choice of wearing the hijab or not. This is like saying that Hindu women should have the right to commit sati or not. The truth is that many Muslim women have to wear the hijab or burqa because of social and customary pressure, and these pressures can be as powerful, if not more, than physical force. So this is a specious argument.

Everyone who knows my credentials and background is aware that I have always raised my voice against oppression and atrocities on Muslims, Christians, dalits and others. So to accuse me of being anti Muslim is stupid and false.  Some of my best friends are Muslims. But I will speak out against backward, oppressive and feudal practices and customs, whether among Hindus, Muslims, or any community fearlessly. I have often condemned backward customs among Hindus e.g. the caste system ( see my blog on the caste system on justicekatju.blogspot.in ).

I have blocked those who supported or approved of burqa in their comments on my previous post. I have also blocked those who said that Muslim women should be given a choice whether to wear burqa or not, because, as I have said above, this is really a specious argument.

So those who differ from me in this respect will not be tolerated on my facebook page. You can go to some other page where you will be more comfortable. And yes, I am dictatorial in this respect. I believe that too much democracy, in the sense of giving freedom to feudal minded idiots to air their views, is also bad..

Womens' Emancipation

This is a progressive step for complete Womens' Emancipation ( see my blog ' On Womens Emancipation ' on justicekatju.blogspot.in ), and I welcome it.

The idiots who want to keep Muslim women backward and under a burqa deserve to be condemned as feudal relics. Feudal thinking and feudal customs like burqa have to be combated by all patriotic , modern minded people of all communities, and rooted out totally if India is to progress.

 Muslim youth, particularly, should openly come out and condemn burqa and oral talaq, which keep the whole Muslim community in India ( and Pakistan and Bangladesh ) backward

We must follow the example of the great Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in this connection and ruthlessly strike down all backward customs and practices.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dont-let-them-kill-your-dreams-says-india-only-woman-muslim-pilot/article1-1323961.aspx.

Organization of Patriots

Many people commented on my recent post on facebook in which I said that none of the present political parties in India have genuine love for the country, or have scientific ideas for solving India's massive problems. Many persons said that I should join some political party or form my own party.

I believe that all the present political parties in India are beyond redemption, and so there is no question of my joining any party.

 As regards forming a political party is concerned and contesting elections, this is the surest way of becoming corrupt.  I have still some element of shame left in me, so no thank you very much.

  But yes, it may be a good idea to form a body or organization of patriots, for generating and spreading patriotic and scientific public opinion, and combating elements which are anti-Indian e.g. casteism, communalism and superstitions.

 For this, however, certain things must be made clear :

1. This patriotic body must never contest elections, because the moment it does so it will become corrupt, since elections require a huge amount of money, and one has to appeal to or cater to casteism, communalism, etc, the very feudal forces patriots must combat.

2. There must be no compromise regarding the unity and integrity of India.

3. The organization will strongly oppose those who wish to divide our people on the basis of religion, caste, race, region or language.

4. Since the very purpose of the organization is to take India forward, it must strongly combat elements of feudalism still existing in our society, e.g. casteism, communalism, and supersitions.

5. The object of the organization must be to help India become a modern, highly industrialized, highly prosperous country, with its citizens enjoying a high standard of living, and abolition of poverty, unemployment, hunger, malnutrition, lack of healthcare and good education, etc.

6. The body must normally not accept money donations from anyone, because then charges of embezzlement of this money are bound to arise. However, since the object of this body will be to spread patriotic ideas a small amount of money may be required, as it may be impossible to perform this function without it. However, strict accounts must be maintained even of this small amount.

7. The membership should not be open to every Tom, Dick and Harry, but only to genuinely patriotic, modern minded people. For this purpose strict scrutiny is essential before admitting anyone. Let the body be a very small group of dedicated persons, rather than a mob of unscientific and unpatriotic riff raff.
 
What should be the name of this organization will have to be thought of.

To the Indian Patriots

Many of you patriots will get weary in the long struggle to make India a modern, highly industrialized and highly prosperous country, and start asking why should you fight for your country, when you are getting no personal benefit, and in fact often suffer personal harm or loss. It is indeed a very arduous path you have chosen, often giving up riches and comforts which you could otherwise have obtained.

 The answer is given in shlokas 35 to 38 of Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita.

When Arjuna becomes despondent on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, and puts down his bow, Lord Krishna explains to him why he should fight :

भयाद् रणाद् उपरतम मंस्यन्ते त्वाम महारथाः

येषां च त्वम बहुमतो भूत्वा यास्यसि लाघवम्

" Bhayaad ranaad uparatam mansyante tvam maharathah

  Yeshaam cha tvam bahumato bhootva yaasyasi laaghavam "

i.e.

" Out of fear you have run away from battle, you are only a small man---this is what the great generals who had earlier thought highly of you will now believe "

अवाच्य वादांश्च बहून् वदिष्यन्ति तव आहिताः

निन्दन्तः तव सामर्थ्यं ततो दुख्तराम नु किम ?

" Avaachya vaadansh cha bahoon vadishyanti tav aahitah

  Nindantah tav saamarthyam tato dukhtaram nu kim ? "

i.e.

"  Unmentionable things will be said about you, and many will vilify you for your cowardice. What could be more painful than that ? "

हतो वा प्राप्स्यसि स्वर्गं जित्वा वा भोक्ष्यसे महीम

तस्मात् उत्तिष्ठ कौन्तेय युद्धाय  कृत निश्चयः

"  Hato va praapsyasi svargam jitva va bhokshyase maheem

   Tasmaat uttishtha Kaunteya yuddhaaya kritnishchaya "

i.e.

"  If killed, you will attain heaven, if victorious, you will enjoy the world

  So get up with determination and fight "

सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ

ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं  पापं  अवाप्स्यसि

" Sukhdukhey samey kritva laabhalaabhau jayajayau

  Tato yuddhaaya yujyasva naivam paapam avaapsyasi "

i.e.

" Fight without thinking of personal happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat. Thereby you will never incur sin "

These words remind one of Thomas Paine's ' Commonsense  ' and ' The American Crisis ', which gave great encouragement to American patriots in the American War of Independence ( 1775-1781 )