On August 15, 2007, a public meeting was organized in Mumbai to mark the 60 th anniversary of formal independence and to discuss who gained and who lost in 1947. Lok Raj Sangathan and the Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Smruti Samiti jointly organized the meeting

The meeting was organized in Ambedkar Bhavan in the Worli BDD chawls, in the heart of the old working class districts of Mumbai. Prior to the meeting, a joint statement was produced and widely distributed amongst workers and youth by the organizers of the meeting. The statement explained how the transfer of power of 1947 betrayed the aspirations of the Indian people for sovereignty and called upon the people to actively participate in the public meeting on the 15th August.

The main presentation was made by Girish from Lok Raj Sangathan who elaborated on the nature of the transfer of power. The innumerable rebellions in all parts of India had convinced the British colonial administration that it was no longer possible to rule over India by force of arms alone. They wanted to protect their interest by affecting a transfer of power without social change. This is what was done. They gradually handed over power to the bourgeois classes who had prospered in the colonial regime and who were found to be worthy of British trust in safeguarding their interests. Thus, the transfer of power in 1947, accompanied by the partition and communal bloodbath, preserved the colonial institutions and structure built for exploitation of human and natural wealth of India. The experience of the past 60 years bears out this truth and no matter which government rules, the exploitation and oppression keeps on increasing.

Following this presentation there was a lively round table discussion in which the participants elaborated on key issues in the presentation. A participant pointed to the revolutionary situation that prevailed in the world in 1947 and the role of the Indian ruling class in this situation. The Indian ruling class plated an important role in disorienting, diverting and crushing the anti imperialist movement for national and social liberation that was raging in India. They assisted world imperialism in diverting and putting down the flames of national liberation in Asia, Africa and Latin America. A speaker elaborated about the revolts that were taking place in Maharashtra. Further on he pointed out that just as the British ruling class had a plan for transfer of power, the Indian ruling class also had the Bombay plan worked out before independence, according to which they planned to set up public sector, and they also had the plan to privatize this when it served the ruling class.. Participants elaborated upon the anti people character of the state organs such as the police and administration. The state organs were instruments for the suppression of the people by the big bourgeoisie. Another participant pointed that the forces interested in empowering the people have the responsibility of placing an alternative before the people. A teacher pointed out that the presentation establishes several things like the Indian people have a brilliant history of fighting against exploitation and oppression, that there have been two streams in Indian history, one which compromised with the colonialists and the other that uncompromisingly opposed the colonialists.

Workers, women, youth and student activists participated vigorously in the discussion. They put forth different examples to establish the colonial legacy that blocks India’s way forward, as well as reiterated the thoroughly anti people character of the Indian ruling class. This class has to be removed from state power, and the rule of the people established in its place, so that society will run in the interests of the toiling people — this was the conclusion of the discussion. All participants pledged to spread this message far and near.

Activists of many organizations — Aagaz, Kamgar Ekta Chalwal, Indian Airport Employees Union, Kashtakari Yuvak Sanghathana, Nakshatra, Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Parivartan Sanskrutik Manch, Prerna Sanghathana, RADA, Samvaad, Vimantal Parisar Rahiwasi Ekta Sangh — participated actively in the meeting.

Many spirited and revolutionary songs were sung by the youth.