Bharat Ek Khoj—The Discovery of India
A Production of Doordarshan, the Government of India’s Public Service Broadcaster
Episode 52: Do or Die

With Om Puri as Nigam, Ravi Jhankal as Superintendent of Police, Pankaj Berry as Ramanand, Devendra Malhotra as Chitto Pandey, Maqsoom Ali as Paras, Irshad Hashmi as Agyat Baba, Sohaila KapurLimaye as janki Devi, and John Holyer as British Officer I. Playback by Karsan Sangathia. Script consultants are Prof. Bipan Chandra, Dr. Radhey Sham Sharma, and Parasnath Mishra and the script is by Atul Tiwari.

The scene opens with Nehru being taken to the Ahmadnagar Fort jail. The time is September 1939 and World War II is about to begin. The Congress has laid down a dual policy in regard to the War. There is opposition to Fascism, Nazism and Japanese militarism, but also an emphasis on freedom for India. Nehru reiterates that only a free India could take proper part in such warfare.

The scene swiftly switches to 7th August, 1942 in Mumbai where the AllIndia Congress Committee considered and debated in public, what has since come to be known as the ‘Quit India Resolution’. The resolution was finally passed late in the evening of 8th August 1942. A few hours later, in the early morning of 9th, a large number of leaders were arrested all over the country. The songanddance sequence shows how the German ‘fiends’ are coming and the British ‘canines’ are about to flee with tails curled under their legs!

In a nerve—centre of popular resistance, Ballia, discussions are on among minor leaders on arrangements for Gandhi’s impending visit to nearby Banaras and making the nonviolence movement a success, when news arrives of Gandhi’s arrest on 9th August. There is immense public resentment expressed through the call of Ballia ‘Bandh’. Gandhi is removed to an unknown destination and the populace resolve to ‘Do or Die’ against this miscarriage of justice, in a nonviolent manner, by holding a strike in Ballia. The police are flabbergasted as the number of people in the procession far outnumber the available bullets! Defying the power of the Establishment, people sing: Vijayee Vishwa Tiranga Pyara… Barricades are put up to obstruct rail lines. Every compartment carries Congressflags and the slogan ’Vande Mataram’ rends the air. The local English ADM negotiates with jailed massleader, Radhamohun Singh with an offer of freedom, provided, they pacify the Ballia crowds. The brave response is: Today Ballia is burning, tomorrow England will!

The situation worsens and the authorities concede that the Ballia is out of control and the jailgates are thrown open to free political prisoners.

Nehru summarises that after prominent leaders were suddenly removed, no one seemed to know what should be done. Protests were spontaneous, and reactions were extraordinarily widespread both in towns and villages. It was remarkable how British authority ceased to function over many areas, both rural and urban. This happened in Bihar and Bengal, and the whole district of Ballia, had to be ‘reconquered’.

Nehru is released from the mountain prison of Almora on 15 June 1945, and walks out to the jubilant crowd sloganeering lustily: Mahatma Gandhi Zindabad! Karenge Ya Marenge!


Producer Doordarshan
Language Hindi

Credits

Uploaded by Public.Resource.Org
Based on Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, The Discovery of India
With Roshan Seth as Jawaharlal Nehru
Om Puri as the Narrator
Produced and Directed by Shyam Benegal
Chief Assistant Director was Mandeep Kakkar
Executive Producer Raj Plus
Script by Shama Zaldi and Sunil Shanbag
A production of Doordarshan