Eminent historians swallowed lakhs of rupees of taxpayer money and produced nothing for the freedom struggle project of ICHR.
Here is Sagari Chhabra who recounts a golden chapter in the struggle journeying across the continent.
Kudos to Sagari Chhabra for the labor of love rendered with such loving care and historic authenticity. The nation of Bharatam Janam salutes the INA heroes of the freedom struggle.
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
REMEMBERING THE FORGOTTEN
Sunday, 19 July 2015 | Mandira Ghosh
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In Search of freedom
Author: Sagari Chhabra
Publisher: HarperCollins, Rs499
This book questions why the freedom fighters of INA’s Rani of Jhansi Regiment are not recognised. The author shows extraordinary courage by journeying across India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Burma, and interviewing these fighters, says Mandira Ghosh
Demonstrating extraordinary courage matching those of the ranis of INA, the author of this book, Sagari Chhabra, who is also an activist, a poet and filmmaker, brilliantly narrates forgotten Indian history, contributions and heroic acts made by ordinary people doing extraordinary acts of courage. She also demonstrates extraordinary courage by journeying across India, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Burma, and interviewing men and women of the INA — the forgotten freedom fighters of India. She has also presented accounts of the Gandhians as well as revolutionary women parallel and re-recorded Indian history.
This is a rare book with rare accounts of the bravehearts of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment who opened their hearts to the author and who had given details of what inspired Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to form the regiment.
In Search of Freedom is an account of how the story of India’s independence marginalises people who do not ‘officially’ belong to independent India. The author questions the Indian Government and all of us as to why the contributions made by them — their courage, patriotism, humanism — went unrecognised by our Government.
Chhabra has penned her narrative very carefully. Simultaneously, the past and present come alive in her accounts. She picks ups the motifs of freedom and confinement, liberation and imprisonment. Unknown facts and details of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Vinoba Bhave, Captain Laxmi Sehgal, and modern icons of freedom and liberation like Aung San Suu Kyi has made the book interesting and gripping. She even discusses Bahadur Shah Zafar as the symbol of tragic consequence in Indian history.
This is not an ordinary book. There are accounts which can change individuals. This transformation must have taken several decades and not only her but the readers find themselves transformed. She looked at Medha Patkar’s body as a willing site of pain and deprivation to evoke both recognition and response to the trauma faced by thousands of people, mainly tribals. Looking at the plight of the adivasis she asks, “For whom is this development?” and then she decides to leave for Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Burma to find the surviving freedom fighters.
Rani Janaky gives the inspiring account of Netaji and remarks to the author, “I don’t think the Indian Government gave due recognition to the INA”. She goes on to say, “Because of Netaji, not only India but the whole of South-east Asia got freedom.”
Accounts of Pratima Sen, second-in-command in the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, Parul Bhattacharya and Momota Mehta whom the author had met with are extremely engaging.
Her mention of freedom fighters as discarded is appropriate and something must be done for them before it is too late. But where will these icons of freedom be? Only commerce rules now. Let us pay our tribute and homage to the existing real heroes and heroines of freedom.
The author’s search for personal freedom also takes her to different countries where she creates and records chronicles of the many quiet acts of courage that don’t feature in history textbooks.
She asks significant questions that need to be answered: Why did these freedom fighters whom she met in her course of journey remain silent? Why were they not recognised and honoured? Why did they not receive even the paltry pension that is the due of freedom fighters? Personal and political, historical and contemporary, the book is an invaluable account of India’s unknown and unacknowledged freedom fighters, of what it meant to fight for the independence of the country and yet remain largely in oblivion.
The book also talks not only of the contemporary situation in India but also of Southeast Asia. Chhabra once again demonstrates extraordinary courage by reporting the condition in Myanmar. She gives a detailed account of the Mandalay jail in Burma. Her comparison to Burma as Sita — beautiful and vulnerable and in dire need to get rescued — is most appropriate. But who will bell the cat? Who can rescue her? The beautiful poem ‘The Speaking Flower’ on Aung San Suu Kyi makes an interesting reading amidst violence. The realisation of Buddha being within us is calming. Serenity comes to the author as we are also transcended.
The word freedom is an enigma. It provides joy or a sense of great fulfillment that can’t be described. In her quest for freedom, the author travelled from her own country to others, and found and discovered the nuances and meanings of the term freedom, and not liberation. In her quest for freedom, she has discovered the agents of freedom of her nation whereas she identifies herself with the motifs of liberation. Also in her search, she has made a commendable act by revealing her sensitive heart, the heart of a poet. Some anecdotes, in the chapters ‘Sushila Nayar and Gandhi’, ‘Arrival in Malaysia’, ‘A Narrow Escape’, ‘Voyaging on Irrawady’ etc are gripping and very interesting. For all lovers of freedom, the book is must read. It is not easy for a woman to invade history.
The reviewer is a poet and author