10-15-2006, 08:20 AM
Cripps mission was sabotaged to begin with, by folks like Viceroy Linlithgow (not sure how much role Churchill himself played and they say he changed post Attlee's involvement, but that is another discussion). India was still sending material and money anyways, it did not stop, did it? India did, per Linlithgow himself. After the failure of Cripps mission, of course, Indians were frustrated, but it demonstrated that the British desire for talks was merely to gain time and to impress upon its allies of its resolve to break the deadlock, as Winston Churchill observed both in the War Cabinet. The Indians again felt betrayed etc etc, and then decided they will have nothing to do with any British largesse etc. The Indian elites in politics and freedom fights, were now disillusioned with their fancy of being British slavelets in the dominion, HAD to call for "Quit India" movement. During these times, I am sure any politician could have yelled "Do or Die" and India would have risen, just the same. Nothing special about Gandhi.
The Congress indeed had not anticipated any action from the government, but swoop the British did in arresting INC leaders. In fact, Gandhi contemplated launching a mass struggle only after a week or two. He later remarked "I have definitely contemplated an interval between the passing of the Congress Resolution and the starting of the struggle. I do not know if what I contemplate doing according to my wont can be in any way described as being in the nature of negotiation but a letter will certainly go to the Viceroy, not as an ultimatum but as an earnest pleading for avoidance of a conflict. If there is a favourable response, then my letter can be the basis for negotiation."
Satyagraha as Gandhi practiced it is bunch of ideas from Henry David Theoreau and Tolstoy that has been Indianized with some sanskrit sounding names. There is no satya in it, nor rightful aagraham in this philosophy. Let alone Dharma. It is wayward thinking of an individual who imposed his beliefs on an innocent nation and people and got them slaughtered, a nation divided and Hinduness crushed. Satyagraha was only powerful to bring the hindus down to their knees with Gandhis blackmailing, it did not bring anyone down.
In 1944 itself, with Allied victory in sight, British started looking at Indian problem. With Lord Wavell, who was directed to be more imaginative in the solution, and then that lead to Simla conference to 1945 (post gandhi - jinnah meet, and gandhi who in principle agreed with soverign state of pakistan but NOT two nation theory and thus failed), to partition. Anyway all the known Lords, Viceroys and etc were all antagonistic towards hindus, as they thought, rightfully so, only Hindus opposed British.
Anyways, said all that, I am waiting for the new research with an open mind - British killing Gandhi, and HMS taking the blame for it, etc.
Rajesh, let's move couple of these posts to the right thread. We, indeed have strayed.
Hey Ram!