Very honest statement by RC Nigam ji. MK Gandhi did not bring any "freedom" to India. Rather it was the efforts of revolutionaries, Indian National Army, revolts taking place in armed forces, coupled with crippling effect of 1st and 2nd world wars brought "transfer of power" not any "freedom" to Indian people. Rather it was a transfer of power to beneifit the greatest boot lickers of the Britisher rulers. Power transfered from White Sahibs to Brown Sahibs as said by Bhagat Singh, everything else remained same.
Throughout the freedom struggle our leaders protested against the Arms Act of 1878, demanding for every Indian citizen the right to keep and bear arms. For example in Nagpur around 1923 or 1924 there was a Satyagraha movement against the prevailing Arms Act. This movement attracted Satyagrahis from all over India, it went on for six months and the Indian National Congress put its seal of approval on this Satyagraha movement against the Arms Act.
The very first draft bill of rights for all Indians was a part of the Nehru Report of 1928, it was prepared by a committee of the All Parties Conference chaired by Motilal Nehru with Jawaharlal Nehru acting as secretary. Along with other basic rights to be enjoyed by every Indian citizen, was also the right to keep and bear arms.
The Indian National Congress in it's historic 1931 Resolution on Fundamental Rights passed at Karachi stated “This Congress is of opinion that to enable the masses to appreciate what Swaraj as conceived by the Congress will mean to them, it is desirable to state the position of the Congress in a manner easily understood by them...” “...The Congress, therefore, declares that any constitution...” please note these words - any constitution, “...which may be agreed to on its behalf, should provide or enable the Swaraj Government to provide for the following...” and various fundamental rights are enumerated, among which was also this one-- “Every citizen has the right to keep and bear arms in accordance with regulations and reservations made in that behalf.”
Just think what went wrong with the promises of these very politicians when they became rulers from slaves? Did they repeal the arms act as promised? No rather replaced with another similar hideous arms act which cleverly hides the fact that arms are a Fundamental Right and Human right of citizens under Articles 19 and 21 of Constitution of India.
There is no point in blaming politicians. It is "we the people of India" who are to be squarely blamed because we do not understand the importance of the most basic fundamental and human right that allows all other rights to exist at all. American people were smart enough to recognise this fact, the moment British passed orders to surrender their guns. Americans understood immediately that it is an assualt on their freedom and started American War of Independence. How many Indians were able to understand this fact when they were asked to surrender their arms to the British rule? It is not the Gods that failed but it is the people of this country failed to recognise the basic truths. How many Indians understand this basic difference between freedom and slavery?
The usual road to slavery is that first they take away your guns, then they take away your property, then last of all they tell you to shut up and say you are enjoying it. -- James A. Donald
