Describe an Important Historical Event in Your Country Cue Card

What happened?

One of the most important historical events of my country India is the Freedom Struggle against the colonial powers. India has been grappled with by external forces since the advent of the Mughal Empire. But the country came under the prospects of colonialism since the advent of the European powers. India has been the major producer and exporter of Cotton and has been the trade route to major colonial powers. Being the cotton producer, different colonial powers came to trade with India. This included the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French, and the major power, the British Empire. The British East India Company came to trade with India but their interests diverted to establish colonies in India. The destructive policies of the British East India Company raised outrage among the local people, sepoys, and the local rulers. This led to the Sepoy Mutiny also known as the First War of Independence. This mutiny shackled the power of Britishers.

Who were the most important people involved?

Later some of the prominent political leaders and social reformers emerged in the country. These prominent leaders include Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Motilal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawahar Lal Nehru, B R Ambedkar, and Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi brought a paradigm shift in the freedom struggle of India. His Policy of Satyagraha and non-violence emerged as the new hope among the masses. Different mass movements have been organised by Gandhi in the form of the Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, Dandi March to name some. The Congress Party being the representative of the masses showed cooperation and participation in these movements. Later the Mountbatten Plan put forth by the British Parliament was taken into consideration and India got Independence from the colonial rule of the Britishers. With the partition of India into India and Pakistan catering to the demands of the Muslims, India got Independence on 15 August 1947. The Freedom Struggle of India was the most significant historical movement of the country.

What happened?

The black population of the country has been discriminated against to its height and was devoid of their rights. They even struggled for the basic rights of shelter and work. The situation got worse and even worse. The Black People were charged with different kinds of atrocities and there was no means for the black to fight for their rights. The early period in South Africa during the time of colonialism saw the prominence of slavery in the country. It ins Africa, where the black people were charged with slavery and different atrocities.

Who were the important people involved?

Though slavery ended long ago the marks of racism were still dark and strong. But the prominence of racism received a big jolt in the general elections of 1994 where the Black race in South Africa received their voting rights. Before the election of 1994, no black was allowed to vote in the political structure of the country. But the general election of April 27, 1994, changed the course of history and the black race was allowed to vote in society. The major leader that appeared against the stigma of racism was Nelson Mandela who was chosen as the President during the general elections of 1994. Nelson Mandela was the first black man in the country to be chosen as the President of South Africa. This General election saw the participation of a huge mass in society. This election brought a new change in society and put an end to racism in South Africa. The black population in the country began to be recognized and were awarded their rights in society.

What happened?

Before the 1971 period, the people of East Pakistan faced discrimination at the hands of the political elites of West Pakistan. East Pakistan became a medium of political-economic exploitation at the hands of West Pakistan. The economy of East Pakistan was devastated due to the continuous exploitation by the people of West Pakistan. Not only this, the people of East Pakistan enjoyed fewer political rights as compared to the people of West Pakistan. There came a time when things went beyond the tolerance level.

Who were the important people involved?

The turning point in the events came when the military junta of Pakistan refused the power handover to east Pakistan. This happened even after the elections proved to be in favour of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. The severe war broke out in 1971 known as the Liberation War of 1971. Erstwhile East Pakistan saw the support of India and the war and eventually, the nonviolent movement sought the liberation of East Pakistan from West Pakistan. The Liberation War of 1971 saw the independence of East Pakistan and the emergence of the new country Bangladesh. Some of the prominent leaders that became the face of the movement were Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Major Ziaur Rahman, Syed Nazrul Islam, Taj Uddin Ahmed, etc.