British rulers left India not due to satyagraha but after they saw arms in people's hands: Bihar Guv
Panaji, Dec 20: Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Friday said British rulers left India not because of 'satyagraha', but when they saw arms in native people's hands and realised that they can go to any extent.
Referring to the Portuguese inquisition of Goa, he said it is time a true perspective about history is brought to light without being afraid of anyone.
Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) had set up a narrative that you are born to be slaves and the then government also supported it, Arlekar alleged without naming the Congress-led dispensations.
He was speaking at the "A Brief History of Freedom Struggle in North East of India (1498 to 1947)" book authored by Anandita Singh.
In his half-an-hour-long speech, Arlekar, who hails from Goa, said, "What is Goa inquisition? What is that exactly? If we try to bring it out, then some people in Goa get upset. They feel pain."
"Are we not supposed to tell what your roots are? Some people get upset if we try to tell them from where you belong to, where are your roots. Why should it be?" he said.
We have to speak out without being afraid of anyone, he added.
"Those who invaded us can never be ours. That is why it is necessary to bring out our perspective," he said.
Arlekar, a former Goa legislative assembly speaker, said if people from places like Guwahati are here telling us their history, why don't Goans write the true history of the land.
"The invaders tried to create a narrative. The Indian freedom movement was not without arms. They did not leave India because of 'satyagraha'. But when they saw arms in our hands and they realised that we can go to any extent, then they decided to leave the country," the Bihar governor added.
Arlekar appealed that we should go through the speeches of MPs in the British Parliament during that time, which clearly speaks about the armed struggle.
"They (MPs) have not just mentioned about satyagraha, but were also mentioning about the armed struggle which made Britishers realise that it is time they should leave India," he said.
Satyagraha was a method of peaceful resistance used by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule.
Referring to the Indian history written in books, Arlekar said that the ICHR has set up a narrative that you are born to be slaves.
"Unfortunately, the then government (of the Congress) also supported their narrative. This was a very sad part of the beginning of our Independence," he said.
Arlekar said, "We are being told that Indians are very bad in upkeep of historical evidence. That is not true."
"Our evidence was destroyed by you people. But still we have evidence. We should make it a basis and there is a need to bring out the true history of Goa. In the days to come, the true history of Goa would be revealed," he added.
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China confirms its support to Pakistan during four-day conflict with India
Beijing (PTI): China, for the first time, has confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India last year, official media reports here said.
China's state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.
Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day war last May, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, quoting CCTV.
Pakistan's air force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by an AVIC subsidiary.
"At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” Zhang said.
What drove his team was the "desire to do an even better job with on site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”, Zhang told CCTV.
“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” he said.
