I start this review with my usual line… As usual, the tile of my review says it all. Yes, I am talking about the famous FREEDOM AT MIDNIGHT by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. This is a book that has got rave reviews and tremendous fame across the world, a book which supposedly celebrates the phenomenon that is India.
It is also a book which bloody tough to review. I have been trying for well over a month to put together a passage on this book, to no avail. It is only now, when I am halfway through the second reading of this book – which I will not call a masterpiece – that I am some inspiration to what to pen…
I shall pen this review in 2 parts: Part – I dealing with the period uptill October, 1947 and Part - II dealing with the period from November - December 1947 – 28th February 1948 plus the conclusion of the 2 reviews.
PATKATHA
The book purports to be about how we become Independent, in which endeavour it fails magnificently. Instead, it is all about 2 “heroes” – : Mr. Louise Mountbatten {??!}[I’ll be damned if I call any person LORD!] and Mahatma Gandhi
It also, inexplicably, wavers all about the place – covering Hinduism {???: in a book on our freedom struggle??!}, the habits of the Maharajas{??!}[Why are their some 40+ pages penned in a book on an Independence struggle??!]
The net effort is an extremely disjointed and disappointing effort that comes across as a work of crass writing. Why do I say so? Read on. Confused by my meandering writing so far? Good, cause that exactly how I felt in the first reading. So, read on to clarify your thoughts about my review!
WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT THE BOOK {THE FIRST PART}
First of all, it reveals aspects of Indian history that you didn’t know existed, namely:
#The personality, charisma and magic of Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
#Direct Action Day in August 1946, which, for obvious reasons, is not common knowledge. What was the Action Day? Read the book! I want you to experience the same emotions that I did.
#The Indian Independence Act, 1947. Surprised? Read the book to find more!
#The British compulsions leading to our Independence
#The importance of the maharajas in the Indepedence equation, and the british policy relating to them
#The communal situation as it existed in 1947 It also reveals an interesting point of view in relation to Hindu – Muslim relations I
#t reveals the events leading upto the riots of 1947, and exactly how they came about, their causes and effects. It tells facts not known.
#The book also reveals a lot about the lifestyle of the English opressors in India. The author doesn’t regard them as opressors, btw. That’s my take. Hey, maybe I am wrong: who am I to question the famous duo? Maybe Independence was the worst thing to happen to us!
#It reveals a lot of the politico-legal situation in Pre-Indepedence India
#It details the governance of the Britishers
#It details the life of the Maharajas of India. Problem is, too much space has been given to this: an entire chapter, no less!
#It gives a fascinating, blow-by-blow account of the period from June 1947 leading upto Independence day
#It gives an idea of why we have succeeded as a nation, and why our enemy Pakistan did not. That, to my mind, is one of the biggest take-aways of the book
#It gives a fascinating close-up look at the personalities of the day: which no history book will reveal
THE TWO HEROES OF THE BOOK
The book is all about Mr. and Mrs. Mountbatten till the period upto September - October 1947. The book starts with the events leading upto the appointment of Mr. Mountbatten to the post of Viceroy of British India, and goes on to detail his role in the Independence of our country. As you go through the pages, you find it tells a tale of Independence through the eyes of Mr. Louise Mountbatten. This isn’t such a bad thing, as gives a perspective which has not been revealed to us through our history books. You get to know a lot of events – small and big – as a result of this. It reveals the hidden part of history, like the personalities, the events not mentioned in history books as they were deemed unsuitable etc. {More later}
The second Hero is our very own Mahatma Gandhi, who, like most westerners, is eulogized. Throughout the book, the sceptre of Mahatma Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi looms large over every page, every paragraph. Read the book… you will understand the Man Mahatma Gandhi much better. But that is a review in itself, one which I intend to look at in part – II of the review.
THE PROBLEMS
The book has attempted to do too much too soon is the way I shall put it. A few observations should clarify the point:
This is a book about India – and yet, more than 75% of the reference works are by western authors. That includes books about Hinduism – note that point: a book about India which uses, as a reference, books by western authors about its religions!!!
The partisan and biased outlook of the authors, which is quite evident in the book. This is surpassed only by their supreme ignorance about our culture, as was evident when I read the passages relating to the Hindu religion.
The book details a lot of “facts” and facts {if you my point} about Hinduism. No problem with that – but when this runs into pages and pages, you begin to wonder what the heck does this have to do with the basic story? For example, an entire page has been devoted to the "call of nature" style of Indians!!! What is the relevance of that to the topic? And, for the record, the style described therein is, well, obviously archaic and limited to a particular sect. But, the author makes it sound as if every hindu is the same. The passages on our religion are so obviously naïve and western in their tone, that they set me on the track of the references used. Mostly western books by western authors – in a book about India, written in India! Similarly, the whole chapter about the Maharajas is completely out of place in the book. Yes, they were important to the equation – but not their bedroom habits – in detail!
The book comes across as a second – rate effort because of these digressions from the main theme. In doing so, the authors have attempted to play upto the misconceptions regarding India, and make the book more “masaledar”. The whole episodes relating to Hinduism and Maharajas etc could have been curtailed.
The book also downplays the roles of all the other Indian players, like Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, and making them sound like pawns running after Mountbatten. Yes, his role must have been vital – no doubt about that. But not to the extent stated.
"The British left with a debt of xxxxxxxxx pounds from a nation that they were supposed to have exploited".... a line that tells volumes about the attitudes of the authors
These are not surprising, as you will read in the next edition of the review…