Great Speeches

100 Best Pre- Independence Speeches – 1870 – 1947 - compiled an edited by H D Sharma, Pp- 478, Harper-Collins Publishers India Ltd., 7/16 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi, 110002, ISBN 81-7223-324-8 India achieved Independence in 1947 after the enslavement of British Government for 250 years. India’s Independence was the beginning of a new social and political order as it set the ball rolling for the independence of other countries as British Crown could not afford to keep other countries in bondage after that. During the last 60 years of Independence volumes and volumes have been written about India and Indian history. There have been controversies also about the history of India as the written history is always considered as the subjective or as it suits to the power of the day. Till 1947 history was what British historians or their followers presented. There were contrary views also by some groups because they interpreted the events differently. But it is refreshing to see and read the events as they happened without any bias or prejudice. H D Sharma has done this by compiling the 100 Best Pre- Independence Speeches (1870 – 1947). It is a volume of 478 pages containing speeches of all the Indians, British and other leaders who mattered during that period.. Here we find all the antagonist and protagonist, conformist and non-conformists, leaders and followers, conventionalists and rebels, rivals and supporters, opponents and favorable, separatists and unifiers and what not. There are the persons who are no more on the world stage now but they were the prime movers of world stage at that time. Certain names may be unfamiliar to the new generation of today but they are alive through their thoughts in this book. One can gauge the whole history of hundred years – yes hundred years from 1857 to 1947, in this book. How many people, I dare ask, not only from the younger generation but from older generation also, know Pandit Ajudhianath. He thundered on 26th December 1888 in Allahabad as chairman of the reception committee of Congress session-“Our strength has been tried, our firmness has been tested and our loyalty in unquestionable. What else, is then, required for our success? One thing and only one thing is required….to reach the ears and attract the eyes of the people in England.” Role of Communists in the freedom struggle is hotly debated in Independent India. Rightist parties are more vocal on this issue. M N Roy was a radical humanist of recent past yet I am sure new generation might not be aware of him to the extent. While addressing the Second Congress of the Cominterm (Third International) he gave his interpretation of freedom struggle, “Foreign imperialism, imposed pm the eastern people, presented them from developing socially and economically side by side with their fellows in Europe and America. (P-150) General Dyers much hated name in Indian struggle and new research are being done to establish his lineage yet he is known as creator of Jallianwala bagh tragedy in India. But every English person was not General Dyer. There were British people who had sympathy with the cause of Indian freedom.

One of them was Sir William Wedderburn, who served India as ICS officer and later was British Parliamentarian. He came to India after his retirement to attend the session of Congress and support India’s struggle. While addressing the congress session in Bombay on 26th December 1889 he uttered, “… … … We need not lose hope; for the spirit of the ages is on our side. The forces of the new democracy are in favour of national aspirations and wherever meeting of working men are addressed, they are found to be willing, and eager, that justice should be done to India. (P-30) Generally M A Jinnah is attributed as the person to prepare ground for a separate country on the basis of religion. But while going through this book we find the speech of Sir Aga Khan, considered the head of Muslim community in the world. He addressed a gathering as head of Muslim delegation in Simla on 1st October 1906 in which he declared, “it can not be denied that we Mohammedans are a distinct community with additional interests of our own which are not shared by other communities and which have hitherto suffered from the fact that they have not been adequately represented.” (p74) On this Dr. B R Ambedkar said, “…This document (the address) has great importance and significance in the history of India.” “It is a great pleasure and privilege for me to address so many rulers, diwans and representatives of states of India in the historic chamber of princes. It is my first and last occasion that I have the privilege of addressing you as Crown representatives……” (P402) These were the opening words of Lord Mountabatten, the last Viceroy of British India and first Governor General designate of Independent India to the heads of 565 princely states. They had their fates hanging in balance after India gets independence or country is partitioned. This was one of the major problems which needed some permanent solution. Lord Mountbatten took it upon himself to call a meeting of all of them and address them on 25th July 1947 in New Delhi in a congenial atmosphere. The volume contains speeches of great freedom fighters of United India like Keshab Chandra Sen, Sir Pherozeshah M Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, Dadabhoy Naoroji, M G Ranade, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Romesh Dutt, Gokhale, Tilak, C R Das Radhakrishnan, Lala Lajpat Rai, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sardar Patel, Pandit Nehru, Moti Lal Nehru, Maulana Azad, Mahatma Gandhi, M A Ansari; thinkers like Dr. BR Ambedkar Rasbihari Bose, V D Savarkar, R N Tagore, W C Bonnerjee; great supporters like Sister Nivedita, Madam Bhikaji Cama, C F Andrews, Annie Besant; revolutionary like S P Mookerjee, Subhash Bose; Intellectuals like Radha Kumud Mukherjee, M N Roy, V S Srinivas Sastri Ramanand Chatterjee, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan; religious leaders like Aurobindo, Swami Vivekanand. People like Mohd. Iqbal, M A Jinnah, started as freedom fighters but later on changed their views formed the separatist groups. There are people representing the Crown like the then Prime Minister Clement Attlee, Stanley Baldwin, former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, head of Cripps Mission Sir Stafford Cripps, Lord Irwin, Lord Linlithgo, John Morley, Lord Pethwick-Lawrence, Lord Wavell, and many more.

The volume is valuable not only for the students of history and India’s freedom struggle but also for the research workers who want to gauge into the thought process of that period. Though published in 1998, it has everlasting importance. The editor and the publishers deserve kudos for bringing such a treasurer of information.