Happy 4th of July Independence Day!
Nothing pleases human beings more than living in a free country and feeling free. It reminds me of Ghadarite (Founder- President) Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna’s words to Pt. Nehru, as the first Prime Minister of Independent India. When the Desh Bhagat delegation met him in Delhi and congratulated him, Baba Bhakna said something like this “ Pt. Ji you are talking about rejoicing the freedom of India; we are talking about the freedom of Indians”!
When a nation has raised itself to liberty and has finally broken through the shackles of subjugation and slavery, it calls for celebration. Liberty does not come without a price. Patriots have paid for liberty and freedom with their lives, with toil, blood, sweat and tears.
Touching upon the spirit and inspiration that ties them together in a unique relationship, let us briefly revisit The Declaration of American Independence on this day:
The Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, announced that the 13 American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regard themselves as independent states and are no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they now formed a new nation—the United States of America.
Abraham Lincoln many years later, not only reaffirmed this declaration in his famous Gettysburg Address of 1863, he made it the centerpiece of his policies. Since then, it has become a major statement on human rights, particularly its second sentence that became the spirit that inspired the modern world: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
This was a declaration not too far removed from the ideals of the Ghadar Party fighting for the Independence of India considering, it was greatly motivated and driven by the American Independence. While we fully celebrate, appreciate and participate in the Independence Day celebrations of our adopted country America, I wish the Ghadrites had won the day in our home country India and had made a similar declaration in 1947 that said: “The war with Great Britain is over. Indian Provinces regard themselves as independent states and are no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they now formed a new nation—the United States of India,” meaning there would be no Pakistan, Bangla Desh, Kashmir a disputed territory or the noise for Khalistan!
Happy 4th of July Independence Day Everybody!
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