The start of almost two centuries of British rule in India can be said to be at the out come of the Battle of Plassey (Palashi near  Calcutta) in 1757, in which the British force under Robert Clive defeated the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daula. The army of Siraj-ud-Daula of more than 50,000 with sufficient artilleries were defeated by the 3,000 forces of British in this battle on 23rd June 1757. The British lured  Mir Jaffar and other captains of  Siraj-ud-Daula with the offer of ruling Bengal  and they kept out of the fight in the last minute and ensured the victory of British. Thus it was through treachery that the British started their rule in India. It was through treachery again that they annexed  the kingdoms one after another.

The British used treachery, bribery and all kinds of heinous crimes to annex kingdoms one after another and fully succeeded in it, bringing almost all parts of the country within its fold. But what is more condemnable was the role played by many who became traitors to their own country like Mir Jaffar. Whether it is the defeat of Pazhassi Raja or that of other kings who fought the British, there were traitors all along to side with the British for small gains. This is a bitter lesson to be learnt from the past.

While it was the British East India Company which started the conquest of India through  more than two and half centuries back, the imperialists led by the US are trying to subjugate the third world countries including India through the international financial institutions of World Bank, WTO and IMF and also through the bilateral military alliances and agreement. Of course, Mir Jaffars and Jayachandras will be there.

India lost its freedom through the attacks and conquests by Alexander, Genghis Khan, Moghuls and others and last by the British. It was through the sacrifices of thousands of people and  sustained struggles that India got Independence on 15th August 1947.

It is the duty of one and all Indians to ensure the freedom of the country and to ensure that the slogans raised at the time of the independence struggle for a better lot to the people  are put in to action and the democratic functioning maintained. And the Mir Jaffars and Jayachandras should be isolated and dealt with.