Nice to read the comments made on my earlier blog.
https://nidhiramblers.blogspot.com/2026/06/independent-india-period-1947-to-1975.html
N N Sachitanand's comment, tells us that people did not know how "British" India was being divided by the Brits.
NNS was six years old! Amazing he remembers that his father moved out of West Gujarat based on rumours and gut feeling. Good to know the maharaja of Jaipur was kind to the refugees from Sindh. He was proactive and took steps to control the situation created by the division.
"We were in Patan in Western Gujarat at that time. News of the Partition riots had already trickled in. Fearing that Western Gujarat may go to Pakistan , my parents made a hasty exit by train to Jaipur. I was 6 then.
In Jaipur I still recall the Hindu refugees from Sindh who were given accomodation in a camp put up by the Maharaja's government. The fear on their faces was palpable.
The Jaipur maharaja, Man Singh, did an excellent job of getting the state forces to parade the city and quell any incipient riots".
A pleasant surprise was that Srikanth (S K Ramaswamy) called me to talk about my blog. We did have a long chat. He responded to my request to share his comments. We have the Pune connection and importantly it is our Bangkok connection!
"Hi Uncle, nice talking to you. A quick chat with Gemini, gave me the below input which we spoke about.....I recall this in my readings of Indian history but the right words matters!
While I did share the context, here are the exact words of Dr. BR Ambedkar. Will be in touch..... SKR
In his historic final address to the Constituent Assembly on **November 25, 1949**—often referred to as the "Grammar of Anarchy" speech—Dr. B.R. Ambedkar spoke directly about the immense responsibility that came with independence.
He explicitly warned the nation that Indians could no longer point fingers at colonial rulers to excuse their own internal shortcomings. His exact words on this specific point were:
"Independence is no doubt a matter of joy. But let us not forget that this independence has thrown on us great responsibilities.
*By independence, we have lost the excuse of blaming the British for anything going wrong. If hereafter things go wrong, we will have nobody to blame except ourselves.*
# The Broader Context of His Warning
Dr. Ambedkar used this premise to deliver three vital warnings to safeguard India’s newborn democracy, emphasizing that a Constitution is only as good as the people running it:
**Abandon "The Grammar of Anarchy":** He argued that while unconstitutional methods like civil disobedience, non-cooperation, and *satyagraha* were justified under British rule when constitutional paths were blocked, they no longer had a place in a free democracy. Keeping them alive, he warned, is nothing but the "grammar of anarchy."
***Beware of Hero-Worship (*Bhakti*):** Citing the philosopher John Stuart Mill, he cautioned Indians not to lay their liberties at the feet of even the greatest leaders. He noted that while *Bhakti* (devotion) might be a path to salvation in religion, in politics, it is a "sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship."
* **Establish Social Democracy:** He stressed that political democracy (the right to vote) means nothing if India fails to achieve social democracy—which he defined as a way of life recognizing liberty, equality, and fraternity. He famously noted that on January 26, 1950, India was entering a "life of contradictions," possessing equality in politics but deep inequality in social and economic life.
Incase you have seen 'Freedom at Midnight' it brings forth all that happened pre-Independence very well.....the entire Bengal tragedy is there.
I read the book about 20 years or so back and as I recall the series on Sony Liv has captured the book very well. If you have not seen it, please do lookup on Sony Liv.
Cheers, SKR"
A good time to remind us about the need for a deep introspection! Especially for those who are straying from the right path! Selfish motives have a way of pushing the country into a chaos.
Raghunath has said my blog is a true rambler. Let me go back to my memories!
Post independance day celebrations, my life was all about schools. Completed my Lower Secondary in Kannada Medium. Joined an English Medium high school. The main criteria was to join a school closest to home. I preferred to walk, rarely used my bicycle!
English was still popular as the medium of instruction. It opened better opportunities and was a must for getting into professional colleges! English as a language has somehow stayed with us! You can hate what the brits did! Why hate their language? It does apply to other languages too!
I remember that when I joined the high school, I had chosen art as the elective subject! No clue why! May be I had heard from seniors that the maths teacher was a pain!
On the first day of school, I was asked to meet the head master! When I walked in, he came to the point straight away! He said in kannada, 'I see you have chosen arts. You are the only student to do that. We can't afford to run a separate class only for you! Why don't try another school?'
It was no brainer as a few of my friends had joined the school with me. I replied that I would switch to science!
Fast forward to the day I had an interview at the Government Engineering college. I had often been told that it was important to study hard as the number of seats availalble in professional colleges were limited. I understood why it was tough to get into professional colleges. There were not many colleges those days. I also had a shock of a different kind.
The principal knew our family well, I do not know if my father had spoken to him. I was however surprised to hear him request the interviewing commitee to kindly select me! While I was not a topper, I had hoped to just make it.
Then I heard the chairman of the committee 'We could have considered, but he is a Brahmin!'
I did not know that as a Brahmin only 4% of us were eligible for a seat!
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