08-26-2005, 01:40 PM
IMO, the govt is hesitant to launch an all out celebration of the 150th anniversary precisely because of the commie gadfly's who have been brought to the front page just b'cos they had a lucky spin last general election.(My home state gave them 19/20 this time instead of the usual 7 or 8, so there!). Hardly a day goes buy without the Hindu devoting half its front page for something related to Commie news/views or propaganda. The rest of the media ain't any better.........
In such a situation, a govt sponsored celebration can provide the commies a pretext for "opposing and correcting the Govt's drift into hindu nationalism/jingoism". Lots of soundbytes, moral high-ground to be gained this way. Arjun Singh maybe "acceptable" to the commies, but a closer look at the "detoxification" will shaow that the GOI ain't exactly bending over.....appointees of the NCERT, Yash Pal (who had serious run ins with the commies very recently), the rather cosmetic detoxification in the NCERT books show a not so bleak picture, yet.
Moreover, this can be used by the commie historiographers to vilify other leaders of the rising who have mythical status in Indian minds. What they say has an element of truth too.... Nana Saheb in all probablity did an Ambiorix on the Brits who entrusted him to protect their carriage train. His role in the Kanpur massacre is also an issue...... Rani of Jhansi may have been more courageous than Hugh Rose's entire army, but the efficacy, strategy of the Indian side wasn't exactly brilliant. The Indian forces attacked all out, missionary style, central thrust only to be flanked by Rose's Camel Cavalry and picked off. The Lucknow residency was defended by a miniscule force aginst waves of Indan sepoys and native armies. The same hing repeated everywhere........ Only Tantia Topi's strategy was of any match to the professional Brits.
Moreover, the revolt had a very discernable element of the Barelvi Jihad (since 1831), the Wahabbi underground, machinations of Awadh royalty. A victory of the revolt would have made things very worse...in hindsight. Look how the speoys blindly herded themselves to Delhi and supported the (symbolic) restoration of the Muslim Mughal empire....that last emperor was whiling away his days writing Sher-o-Shayaris. No points for guessing which powers wanted the return of Mughalstan.
It was moreover a restorative and backward looking uprising. A return to the worn out, endlessly scheming, warring and very feudal political apparatus that had no place in the modern ages.
In the light of these issues, the rather unpleasant truths/interpretations, the ubiquitious presence of the DDM oiseules, the spinmasters, the Islamists, the Commie dominance in History, their power n the present political scene ..... an all out celebration might backfire. Remember that the commies etc have the power to turn this to their advantage, just look at Ziya Us Salam's barely concealed bigotry in his review of period films in todays Hindu...........and think of what happens when the likes of Jha, Thapar,Habib,Narayan charge into the fray 24/7.
A little bit of subtlety and little control over the celebrations would be prudent IMO.
In such a situation, a govt sponsored celebration can provide the commies a pretext for "opposing and correcting the Govt's drift into hindu nationalism/jingoism". Lots of soundbytes, moral high-ground to be gained this way. Arjun Singh maybe "acceptable" to the commies, but a closer look at the "detoxification" will shaow that the GOI ain't exactly bending over.....appointees of the NCERT, Yash Pal (who had serious run ins with the commies very recently), the rather cosmetic detoxification in the NCERT books show a not so bleak picture, yet.
Moreover, this can be used by the commie historiographers to vilify other leaders of the rising who have mythical status in Indian minds. What they say has an element of truth too.... Nana Saheb in all probablity did an Ambiorix on the Brits who entrusted him to protect their carriage train. His role in the Kanpur massacre is also an issue...... Rani of Jhansi may have been more courageous than Hugh Rose's entire army, but the efficacy, strategy of the Indian side wasn't exactly brilliant. The Indian forces attacked all out, missionary style, central thrust only to be flanked by Rose's Camel Cavalry and picked off. The Lucknow residency was defended by a miniscule force aginst waves of Indan sepoys and native armies. The same hing repeated everywhere........ Only Tantia Topi's strategy was of any match to the professional Brits.
Moreover, the revolt had a very discernable element of the Barelvi Jihad (since 1831), the Wahabbi underground, machinations of Awadh royalty. A victory of the revolt would have made things very worse...in hindsight. Look how the speoys blindly herded themselves to Delhi and supported the (symbolic) restoration of the Muslim Mughal empire....that last emperor was whiling away his days writing Sher-o-Shayaris. No points for guessing which powers wanted the return of Mughalstan.
It was moreover a restorative and backward looking uprising. A return to the worn out, endlessly scheming, warring and very feudal political apparatus that had no place in the modern ages.
In the light of these issues, the rather unpleasant truths/interpretations, the ubiquitious presence of the DDM oiseules, the spinmasters, the Islamists, the Commie dominance in History, their power n the present political scene ..... an all out celebration might backfire. Remember that the commies etc have the power to turn this to their advantage, just look at Ziya Us Salam's barely concealed bigotry in his review of period films in todays Hindu...........and think of what happens when the likes of Jha, Thapar,Habib,Narayan charge into the fray 24/7.
A little bit of subtlety and little control over the celebrations would be prudent IMO.