This presentation questions? Can replacing the man behind the desk make the same system glorious. An evaluation of what India/ Hindustan got missed in the last 75 years. What could have been gained and what we failed to achieve. The presentation speaks about the "Continuity of the Colonial System."

1. Hemant Goswami
Lost Opportunities
@ India75
What Next ?
HEMANT GOSWAMI

2. Hemant Goswami
Hindustan Lost from the “Stroke of
Midnight” of August 14/15th 1947
Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when
we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very
substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps,
India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but
rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age
ends, and when the soul of a nation, long supressed, finds utterance. It is
fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the
service of Inida and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.
At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless
centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her
failures. Through …………..

3. Hemant Goswami
What Happened at “Red Fort” on
15th of August 1947
(Mountbatten’s Account - Viceroy's personal report no. 17. dated 16th
August, 1947)
67. At 6 p.m. the great event of the day was to take place - the
salutation of the new Dominion flag. This programme had
originally included a ceremonial lowering of the Union
Jack: but when I discussed this with Nehru he entirely
agreed that this was a day they wanted everybody
to be happy, and if the lowering of the Union Jack
in any way offended British susceptibilities, he
would certainly see that it did not take place, the
more so as the Union Jack would still be flown on a dozen
days a year in the Dominion.
70. Nehru fought his way to the coach and climbed in to tell us that our
daughter Pamela was safe. George Abell (my late Private Secretary)
described how Nehru came to their rescue when they were
overwhelmed by the crowd, fighting like a maniac, striking people right
and left and eventually taking the topee off a man who annoyed him
particularly and smashing it over his head.
(Added by me: This is for Mahatma Gandhi’s Non Violence on Day 1)
71. Major General Rajendra Singh, the Delhi Area Commander; Nehru
and I had a hurried consultation and we decided that the only
thing to do was to hoist the flag and fire the salute
and give up all other idea of the programme. This
was done amid scenes of the most fantastic rejoicing, and as the flag
broke a brilliant rainbow appeared in the sky which was taken by the
whole crowd as a good omen. (I had never noticed how closely a rainbow
could resemble the new Dominion flag of saffron, white and green).
72. Meanwhile danger of a large scale accident was becoming so great
that we decided that the only thing to do was to try and move the coach
on through the crowd and draw the crowd with us. For this reason I
invited Nehru to stay in the coach which he did, sitting like a schoolboy
on the front hood above the seats. Meanwhile refugees who had fainted
or had been almost crushed under the wheels were pulled on board and
we ended with four Indian ladies with their children, the Polish wife of a
British officer and an Indian press man who crawled up behind.

4. Hemant Goswami
Transfer of Power of 1947
 True Independence & Freedom?
 What was Transferred? Power?
 What was changed after 15th August 1947? Reforms?
 What had happened since the 11th Century – More so after the 15th
Century?
 Democracy!
 Parliament!
 And What?
 Why we wanted Independence? Do we remember?
 Indian Amnesia!

5. “
”
Hemant Goswami
Adoption of the
SAME SYSTEM
SYSTEM OF CONTINUITY
Q: Can replacing the man behind the desk make the
same system glorious

6. “
”
Hemant Goswami
Adoption of the
SAME SYSTEM
SYSTEM OF CONTINUITY
Q: The East India System – Is this what we wanted?
Army / IAS/ IPS/ Police/ Judiciary / Law / Rules

9. INDIA
OFFICE

10. Hemant Goswami
India Office Records
The records (Available at http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/.../india-office...) reproduce the
statement of the "Secretary of States for Commonwealth" in "House of Lords" which mentions as
follows;
"............The India Office Library is one of the greatest oriental libraries in the world. It contains
some 280,000 printed books, and a wealth of other material; including a great collection of
Manuscripts in English and in oriental languages. Its scope is not confined to India and Pakistan;
it extends also to the literatures, histories, and cultures of many other Eastern countries,
including, for example, Burma, Thailand, Malaya, Ceylon, Tibet, Nepal, Persia, and Arabia. It has
always been readily accessible to scholars and research workers from all over the world. In the
view of Her Majesty's Governmentthe detailed administration of, or access to, the Library ...............
the right course is that the Library should remain intact and in this country. But we would, of
course, readily consider any suggestions that the Governments of India and Pakistan may wish to
make to us as regards .................... As regards the historical records, that is to say the archives of
the East India Company and the India Office, which are now in the custody of the Commonwealth
Relations Office, I am glad to be able to assure the noble Lord that Her Majesty's present
Government adhere to the statement made in this House on July 23, 1947 by the noble Lord, the
Earl of Listowel, who was then Secretary of State for India, to the effect that it was the
Government's intention to retain those records in this country. ............."
[This Country = England]
The library is now in England - http://www.bl.uk/.../indiaofficerecords/indiaofficehub.html AND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Office_Records

11. Even in 1955 (i.e. even
after 8 years from
Independence), the
Indian Government
failed to negotiate even
to keep the Books/
Files/ Records in the
Library of the "India
Office" within India; for
which they had the
opportunity. It appears
that no-one even
bothered to think about
it.

12. “
”
Hemant Goswami
What all HINDUSTAN
missed in post-British
India?
System – Governance
Army / IAS/ IPS/ Police/ JUDICIARY / Law / Rules
SYSTEM OF CONTINUITY

13. All Excerpts from
“Imperial Gazetteer of
India, vol. 4”

14. “
”
Hemant Goswami
What all HINDUSTAN
missed in post-British
India?
System of Education – Narrative
SYSTEM OF CONTINUITY

17. “
”
Hemant Goswami
What all HINDUSTAN
missed in post-British
India?
System of Education
Convent System Vs. Gurukul
SYSTEM OF CONTINUITY

18. When Only Christians Could be
Graduates
It was only in 1871, for the first time, that OXFORD/ CAMBRIDGE
University allowed graduation degree without the necessary condition of
"Membership of Church." From the beginnings of the Church of England
as the established church, until 1871, membership of the church was a
requirement to receive BA/MA degree from the University.
(Annexing relevant excerpts from the amending UK legislation here-under)
------ University Tests Act 1871 ------
1871 CHAPTER 26 34 and 35 Vict
An Act to alter the law respecting Religious Tests in the Universities of Oxford,
Cambridge, and Durham, and in the Halls and Colleges of those Universities.
Section 3: Persons taking lay academical degrees or holding lay academical or
collegiate offices not to be required to subscribe any formulary of faith, &c.

20. “
”
Hemant Goswami
What all HINDUSTAN
missed in post-British
India?
Our Language – Has it been Reclaimed?
SYSTEM OF CONTINUITY

21. “
”
Hemant Goswami
What all HINDUSTAN
missed in post-British
India?
System – Control & Taxation
SYSTEM OF CONTINUITY

26. “
”
Hemant Goswami
What all HINDUSTAN
missed in post-British
India?
Business / Trade - IPR & Indian Trades,
International Treaties
SYSTEM OF CONTINUITY

29. “
”
Hemant Goswami
What all HINDUSTAN
missed in post-British
India?
Newspapers, Media & Global Narrative
SYSTEM OF CONTINUITY

30. “
”
Hemant Goswami
What all HINDUSTAN
missed in post-British
India?
System of Continuity OR Chaos ?
SYSTEM OF CONTINUITY

31. “
”
Hemant Goswami
Democracy or Legacy of
Disputes & Division?
India cut into 3/ 4 & 5 – The process
continues …….
WE LOST THE HINDUSTAN IN THE PROCESS – BETRAYED BY OUR OWN

32. Hemant Goswami
What's in
sight?
Way ahead
from here?
Is there
any?
Order of
Reforms
• Language
• Education
System
• Democrati
c
Structure
• Judiciary

33. Hemant Goswami
How?
AT LEAST START ………..