Wednesday 17 August 2011

Proud to be Indian?- YES!

India's 64th Independence Day- Ah...here comes another holiday, contemplate most of us. This year left me thinking a lot about Independence and the freedom it gave us. I could see status updates in Twitter and Facebook mocking us as Banana Republic, some seriously putting forth arguments for strong Lok Pal Bill and some questioning what freedom implies to us. Team Anna is fighting for a Lok Pal Bill that includes the PM and the Judiciary and i just can't infer if this is for good or otherwise. What ever, 64 years of Independence and what has freedom given us? A country that shines- look at the number of billionaires...astounding. What about the poor and the down trodden? They still hang on to dear life, surviving on meagre pay and with hopes in the eroding system. Who cares, anyway? The metros are bursting to seams with people, bulging with traffic snarls, congestion and pollution where the rat race is the filthiest one can witness. They say it is "Survival of the fittest", a free for all where there are no steadfast rules and no righteousness. All is fair if we survive. That's it. 

India's map, courtesy Wikipedia- areas marked light green not in Indian control


 Ironically, the issue of Kashmir still remains under dispute between Pakistan and us- now China is happily in the fray. We have lost control of 2/3 of that state and are we bothered? Nah! The US CIA publishes a map marking West Kashmir as part of Pakistan and North East Kashmir as disputed with China, we just are too busy with our soaps to even notice it! Independence Day starts at 9.00 am with a march past of children, flag hoisting, few sweets and cutely pinned up flags. Then comes the "INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL MOVIES" on all satellite channels- starting from Avatar ( Ah! the freedom message movie;)) to Munna Bhaai. By afternoon the pin ups end up in the garbage bins, by evening the hotels, restaurants, bars and pubs have brisk bijinez and the day ends with a brawl and a hearty snore for many of us. Again next day we start honking our horns, spitting our paan everywhere and pissing at every vantage point! Ahhhhh...the freedom to piss at any place you like- that is reallllllll freedom, ain't it?

This year, i happened to be in India after almost three years for Independence Day and was shocked to see the rituals remained the same. It was an extended holiday clubbed with Saturday and Sunday and people made the most of it by thronging picnic spots. I must count myself lucky- i accompanied my little ones to their school for the Independence Day celebrations. Memories from a distant past of my school days, where i hated standing for parade in the hot sun came flooding. As the function progressed with tiny toddlers marching and my little ones participated in a tableu as soldiers i was impressed...The little ones that were supposed to be dead started scratching the ground, bored, obviously! Gandhiji did not like being seen semi- nude in public and he was wailing...Another little one was pointing the gun towards himself and firing! Watching the entire tableu was total Fun with a capital F! 

Scratching the floor- bored!
Look at the kid in the centre- " I point my gun only at ME!!"  
Mummy...i want my shirt...hmmmmm...

There is light at the end of the tunnel, right? The little ones- the Young India! Change is what we are looking forward now- a change for the good, a change that can illuminate the lives of millions in dark. An economic growth that embraces both industrialistaion and agriculture, adequate rural infrastructure development and above all a corruption free nation. Whether Team Anna achieves the Corruption Free India goal or loses the battle to black monied politicos, there is still hope for all of us- we have a new generation of energetic children- our future. Let us inculcate proper values in them and we shall see India really SHINE, in a few decades, perhaps...

11 comments:

  1. hmm...our Country has given us alot...the sense og belonging to someone...is more then any wealth in this world...

    So be happy...there is no country in this world who is perfect....

    Be happy...at least we have freedom.

    Enjoy.

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  2. A nicely written piece expressing anguish at the current state of things but pinning great hope on the young children to turn the country into a better one.The role of parents and teachers is crucial for this turnround.

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  3. Awww the kid pictures is sooooo cute!!
    I am proud of our colorful nation India. Nothing can beat the pride i got for it.
    Critics it with microscopes to find faults and they never r able to c the gud things.

    Lovely post!

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  4. hi nive nice one....india today is a bunch of contridictions. we hv given too much space to fringe level ppl, reactionaries, regionalists. separtists etc..what we need is radical changes and i prefer a controlled democracy just in the model of singapore. i havent heard any country which gives separtists a platform to preach and we give hurriyat sooooo much liberty that they conduct seminars in the indian capital for seceding from india.they also meet pak foriegn minster. if at all MEA hv guts they must arrange the meeting of boloch leaders and MQM leaders with sm krishna...r we doing it??
    a cross border terrorism shud be answered in the same language. then srilankan problem...bitten by china phobia we r supporting US. IS IT RIGHT POLICY?
    youth energy hv not been channalised properly...inspite of all this i luv my motherland and my best wishes to all on this indepenceday. nive, a small correction...this is 65th independence day.

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  5. proper values in little ones.. needs to be highlighted... with everyone so careless about spitting and pissing and throwing garbage on road, one can assume its a long way ahead.. All i care is I need to take a step and educate my kid, be a role model to him. I dont care how many people do it.. but someday my kid might influence a couple of kids to the right way..and that is my win, India's win eventually

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  6. @ Thinking- Yes, we have to be happy with the FREEDOM we enjoy everyday:)

    @ KP- only time can tell if the teachers and young ones can turn the tables around.

    @ Redhanded- Yes, equally proud to be an Indian!

    @ Ramnath- Youth energy is just not channelised properly, true. And we give too much of a space for Hurriyat and Sangh Parivar to preach their secession ideologies...

    @ Hema- Welcome to my blog. Yes, the path is steep, long and winding, but there is still hope, like you say:)

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  7. Thanks Cloudnine for believing that there is still hope. For making my day which has gone by till now trying to tell my friends and colleagues that there is a merit in believing that this country and people deserve better, that it is our obligation to think beyond what I ate in lunch and how much salary got credited to my account at the end of the day. If you cannot stand up and be the crusader at least stop making fun and ridiculing those who have chosen to step out and stand up for their believes. So what if you do not agree to their viewpoint. How many of us have guts to do more than just speak and crib.
    Thank you for a positive post.

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  8. Indeed India is independent, and India has problems too, within ourselves, with an outrageously notorious neighbour, rather two. And hope is all we have, in future youth, but then, every adult of today was also a child once and the problems aren't new. Children imbibe what they see around, I am quite unsure.

    Nice read.


    Cheers,
    Blasphemous Aesthete

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  9. there is hope...there is always hope...
    i do not buy that we are the perfect country...we are good...but not great yet...there is miles to go...it's upto us...

    great post

    Cheers!
    SUB

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  10. I agree with you cloud Nine.. If we do that we can shine at least in future years...

    Someone is Special

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  11. Well, India as a country is still looking for her identity. We have the extreme rich and the awfully poor. the present generation cares two hoots for freedom because none of us actually can imagine a time when there was none. A bundle of contradictions.. kindling nothing short of despair in my mind- yet I would not like to live anywhere else in the world. Let us give ourselves time... the labour pains have just begun

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