Thursday, June 27, 2002

We Indians

Now that Dr.Kalam is in the news, I was re-reading his article. Though to some extent, more towards the later part, I understand, admire and identify with his visions, I was intrigued by his statements on vision of freedom. He says for 3000 years we have not conquered any other country. Who is this 'we'?

India, as this one entity is relatively modern. And there have been many wars - conquests, plunders, amongst the various empires, kingdoms of this region. It is rather simplistic and wrong to say these kingdoms didn't have any wars except for those inflicted upon them by 'outsiders'.

Even if we decide, for our convenience to consider this 'we' as the modern india, and deem the wars of kingdoms within - internal rife, there have been empires like those of Ashoka and Rajendra Chola whose boundaries have included modern day Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Ceylon etc. 'We' have grabbed their land, possibly their culture and we have propagated, if not enforce, our ways of live on them.

1857 is another story.

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