[Reuters]

Published date: 14th Aug 1997

14 August 1997

Reuters News

English

(c) 1997 Reuters Limited

NEW DELHI, Aug 15 (Reuter) – India’s leaders gathered in their parliament’s majestic Central Hall on Thursday night to relive their nation’s “tryst with destiny” a half-century ago.

The vast domed chamber, its thick warm air stirred ineffectually by ancient fans, was packed with lawmakers and the steep visitors’ galleries were crowded with the world’s envoys.

The sandstone-tiled courtyard outside was festooned with garlands of marigold flowers and the plaintive not of the shehnai, a reed instrument, walled from loudspeakers as the midnight hour approached.

The historic ceremony was punctuated by patriotic hymns sung by classical musician Bhimsen Joshi and Lata Mangeshkar, a playback singer who usually lends her voice to actresses in the country’s prolific Hindi film industry.

Inside the same chamber, as midnight struck on August 14-15 1947, the leaders of the vast subcontinent had taken power from their British rulers in a solemn and peaceful ceremony.

“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, n wholly or in full measure, but very substantially,” the new nation’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru said on that night.

“At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom,” Nehru said In a speech replayed as the clock moved to Friday in the hot, humid hall.

Silence gripped the assembly as the frail voice of Nehru’s mentor Mahatma Gandhi, who led India’s campaign for freedom, crackled from the loudspeakers.

“Were it not for our servile attitude and selfishness leading to inner conflicts, would the British power, however great, have been able to dominate, subjugate and humiliate us for so many years? Now that we are enlightened, we have realised our goal, they cannot alter it,” Gandhi said in a May 13, 1947 speech.

But there was loud thumping of desks as the lawmakers listened to a speech by Subhas Chandra Bose, a charismatic politician who led the rebel Indian National Army in an alliance with the Japanese until he was killed in mysterious circumstances in 1945.

Brace up without delay to sacrifice yourselves with united strength, peace and non-violence,” said Bose, called “Netaji” or leader by his countrymen. “Brace up unitedly now to break the shackles of subjugation. India can no longer remain servile, nor can any power force it to remain so.”

The solemnity was relieved by right wing Hindu lawmaker Nitish Bhardwaj who was clad in a colourful tunic woven in the saffron, white and green of the Indian flag. Bhardwaj was elected to parliament last year chiefly because of a popular role he played in a televised mythology serial.

Minutes before midnight two trumpeters in a balcony heralded the entrance of President K.R. Narayanan.

A military band struck up the national anthem as Narayanan stood flanked by six turbaned bodyguards with India’s tricolour flag hanging from their lances. Near Narayanan was speaker P.A. Sangma of the Indian Parliament’s lower house or Lok Sabha and Betty Boothroyd, the speaker of Britain’s House of Commons.

I am painfully aware of the deterioration that has taken place in our country and in our society in recent times,” Narayanan told the silent lawmakers.

Sheer opportunism and value-less power-politics have taken over the place of principles and idealism that had been the hallmark of our social and political life … corruption is corroding the vitals of our politics and our society.”

(c) Returns Limited 1997