India turns 70 this monday. What's so much about this? How do we perceive this day? How do we define it? Certainly thinking deep it's difficult to answer. I remember one of my teachers saying 'Its the day when the British handed over their empire to the people of India'. Is this the only definition? Definitely a lot depends on ones attitude. 'Attitude determines the altitude'. I won't go to those utopian concepts of are we really independent or things like that. I know in a country where political parties and religions define colours it's not easy.
For students it's a day when you go to school hoists the tricolour ,hears the principal's address. I have been hearing it for quite long how many of it have made us to rethink something we have done previously. Sorry to say any speech which doesn't do this is worth the worthless. To students talking of facts that happened 70 years ago is not on the right note. They are bound to learn it someday or the other. Take any mishap in our country root cause is the lack of love for our country. I refused to use the word patriotism because this word has been frequently identified by many in the pseudo sense. How many speeches have instilled patriotism in us? I had come across an incident where a 6th grade student was asked not to take part in a dance by her parents during their annual day simply because she belonged to a non-hindu religion and the song for the dance was on lord Ganesha. How disastrous and narrow minded! (Both of the parents are well educated, worth mentioning). I mentioned this because what use is education when you can't decipher your own religion and preach it. What use is education when you can't find how showing off your own religion didn't help in your forefathers existence in the past. What use is education when you don't find Indians rather than followers of a religion with your own eyes. I had heard from a 4th standard student who cheered for Australia during India vs Aussie cricket match. I asked him why? He said every now and then his father used to blame our country every time a mishap occurred to him or reading of the same in the newspaper. Just like ,you get stuck on the road due to a dharna by some political party and he utters this happens only in this country, I'm fed up here. 'Why should I support a country my father hates? Genuine question indeed. That was a blow on my head. For many people not supporting the Indian cricket team might not find it too grave. It's on a smaller canvas but for a 4th grade student it's definitely on a large canvas. These parents and children have been caught in a vicious cycle who pass this on to the future. But what is going wrong? The problem is the same thing attitude, the way you perceive this nation, we have bad roads in our country because people like them rule who do not respect the needs of the people (A country is it's citizens), we have people spreading violence in our country and we fail to stop them because people like them think the country owes a lot to us than we to the country, we have people boycotting our national anthem in schools because people like them find themselves branded religion wise rather than belonging to India. India in our country is mistaken by many as being the government of India, India is it's people (I repeat).
I came across a letter written by an IITian Abhinav Das on Maj Gen G D Bakshi's address in a program at IIT M. His letter was against Bakshi's points against Pakistan. I just want to ask him how does this bother you when the people in Pakistan talk ill of our country when they try to tear our country apart, who will you send a letter to then or where were you when these occurred? You empathise for a country which does not show any kind of respect for us. The problem with Abhinav might be the same explained earlier, Parenting. When children are not guidlined properly they will be taken use of by anti social thoughts, they start talking ill of their own country. How does it feel when a son questions his mother on her credibility? The same is the case when people don't find the soul of India then leave alone the concept of mother India. But let me ask why didn't our leading journalists report the 2nd half of the story where a large number of people took his talk to heart and even silenced Abhinav 's protest during his talk?
I'm sure taking a survey of how many proud Indians are there in our country adults, most of the people belonging to the complement of this set would belong to the working class. Naturally they are the ones who get affected daily. And all mishaps are blamed on the country. It's still the same attitude problem they are due to people like you and me. We have chosen our government, may be you might have voted against them but still the majority opinion that they rule. Yes you really have the right to blame the government but growing hatred for the country is too grave an issue than many of us think. This attitude problem makes you speak bad of your own country. You might receive ears of many who may even applaud to hear do this but remember you are destroying a generation. Patriotism is what an athlete feels when he is competing for his country, what a Jawan feels when he us fighting for the country. Look back 15 years from now and point out something you have done to make India a better place. It might be even too small a thing like planting a tree. And then take something you have done against your country like evading taxes or something of the same sort. And check out whether this balances. India is the final tally on the balance sheet of deeds of its people.
We mock Indian athletes participating in the Olympics. Let me ask when is the last time you have motivated a classmate who plays a sport well to take it up as a career. I come from Kerala who have been champions in the national school athletic meet for the past 18 or 19 years but how of those have reached the Olympics. The reason is simply because they participate in an event earn a medal get a government and they don't even turn back to it. The reluctance to hard work for the nation they want everything in their comfort zones. This definitely has to change.
Now this Independence day what is so special? We have reached the 70 mark surely somethings have to change. At least how we see the Independence day. It's a day which we must celebrate more than what we do in the New Year's eve or any other day. I think all firms including private firms have to do something in order to memorise it. What we consistently manage to do is nothing and keep doubting our Army keep saying our country is not developing, we are underdeveloped. Actually that is the typical underdeveloped mentality. The only person who had the righteous approach to this (in my knowledge) was and is Dr.Kalam. He was an engineer, he never said asked why does India doesn't have a silicon to electronic board manufacturing factory? But being a engineering student I'm fed up hearing these from my teachers. He knew that wasn't the right way he urged the youth to indulge in more research programmes to enable our country do these. He had never even complained on the government he felt people had to change for a better government, that is the best way to do it.
In my place (I don't know whether it's there in other parts of India as well) there are special prayers in churches in Independence day which are attended by all. I just said this to someone and his first response was it is an attempt by Christians to ascertain their importance in our country's Independence. This is typical underdeveloped mentality. Most people consider India's secularist approach as its greatest weakness. That needs to be actually India's greatest strength. India used to be known as Hindustan in history, because Hinduism was more on a subtle note then, were people from other religions also had a place it was more of a lifestyle than a religion. And what happens now is that we fail to appreciate good deeds because we are biased even in our thoughts by religion and politics.
Therefore this Independence let's take some resolution in at least the way in which we picturise our country, our national flag, our compassion to fellow Indians and the deeds to our country because it's now well within our range imagine a foreigner pointing out these, we should not allow our heads to lie low when this happens we must counter it with love for our country.
Saare Jahan se accha Hindustan hamara
For students it's a day when you go to school hoists the tricolour ,hears the principal's address. I have been hearing it for quite long how many of it have made us to rethink something we have done previously. Sorry to say any speech which doesn't do this is worth the worthless. To students talking of facts that happened 70 years ago is not on the right note. They are bound to learn it someday or the other. Take any mishap in our country root cause is the lack of love for our country. I refused to use the word patriotism because this word has been frequently identified by many in the pseudo sense. How many speeches have instilled patriotism in us? I had come across an incident where a 6th grade student was asked not to take part in a dance by her parents during their annual day simply because she belonged to a non-hindu religion and the song for the dance was on lord Ganesha. How disastrous and narrow minded! (Both of the parents are well educated, worth mentioning). I mentioned this because what use is education when you can't decipher your own religion and preach it. What use is education when you can't find how showing off your own religion didn't help in your forefathers existence in the past. What use is education when you don't find Indians rather than followers of a religion with your own eyes. I had heard from a 4th standard student who cheered for Australia during India vs Aussie cricket match. I asked him why? He said every now and then his father used to blame our country every time a mishap occurred to him or reading of the same in the newspaper. Just like ,you get stuck on the road due to a dharna by some political party and he utters this happens only in this country, I'm fed up here. 'Why should I support a country my father hates? Genuine question indeed. That was a blow on my head. For many people not supporting the Indian cricket team might not find it too grave. It's on a smaller canvas but for a 4th grade student it's definitely on a large canvas. These parents and children have been caught in a vicious cycle who pass this on to the future. But what is going wrong? The problem is the same thing attitude, the way you perceive this nation, we have bad roads in our country because people like them rule who do not respect the needs of the people (A country is it's citizens), we have people spreading violence in our country and we fail to stop them because people like them think the country owes a lot to us than we to the country, we have people boycotting our national anthem in schools because people like them find themselves branded religion wise rather than belonging to India. India in our country is mistaken by many as being the government of India, India is it's people (I repeat).
I came across a letter written by an IITian Abhinav Das on Maj Gen G D Bakshi's address in a program at IIT M. His letter was against Bakshi's points against Pakistan. I just want to ask him how does this bother you when the people in Pakistan talk ill of our country when they try to tear our country apart, who will you send a letter to then or where were you when these occurred? You empathise for a country which does not show any kind of respect for us. The problem with Abhinav might be the same explained earlier, Parenting. When children are not guidlined properly they will be taken use of by anti social thoughts, they start talking ill of their own country. How does it feel when a son questions his mother on her credibility? The same is the case when people don't find the soul of India then leave alone the concept of mother India. But let me ask why didn't our leading journalists report the 2nd half of the story where a large number of people took his talk to heart and even silenced Abhinav 's protest during his talk?
I'm sure taking a survey of how many proud Indians are there in our country adults, most of the people belonging to the complement of this set would belong to the working class. Naturally they are the ones who get affected daily. And all mishaps are blamed on the country. It's still the same attitude problem they are due to people like you and me. We have chosen our government, may be you might have voted against them but still the majority opinion that they rule. Yes you really have the right to blame the government but growing hatred for the country is too grave an issue than many of us think. This attitude problem makes you speak bad of your own country. You might receive ears of many who may even applaud to hear do this but remember you are destroying a generation. Patriotism is what an athlete feels when he is competing for his country, what a Jawan feels when he us fighting for the country. Look back 15 years from now and point out something you have done to make India a better place. It might be even too small a thing like planting a tree. And then take something you have done against your country like evading taxes or something of the same sort. And check out whether this balances. India is the final tally on the balance sheet of deeds of its people.
We mock Indian athletes participating in the Olympics. Let me ask when is the last time you have motivated a classmate who plays a sport well to take it up as a career. I come from Kerala who have been champions in the national school athletic meet for the past 18 or 19 years but how of those have reached the Olympics. The reason is simply because they participate in an event earn a medal get a government and they don't even turn back to it. The reluctance to hard work for the nation they want everything in their comfort zones. This definitely has to change.
Now this Independence day what is so special? We have reached the 70 mark surely somethings have to change. At least how we see the Independence day. It's a day which we must celebrate more than what we do in the New Year's eve or any other day. I think all firms including private firms have to do something in order to memorise it. What we consistently manage to do is nothing and keep doubting our Army keep saying our country is not developing, we are underdeveloped. Actually that is the typical underdeveloped mentality. The only person who had the righteous approach to this (in my knowledge) was and is Dr.Kalam. He was an engineer, he never said asked why does India doesn't have a silicon to electronic board manufacturing factory? But being a engineering student I'm fed up hearing these from my teachers. He knew that wasn't the right way he urged the youth to indulge in more research programmes to enable our country do these. He had never even complained on the government he felt people had to change for a better government, that is the best way to do it.
In my place (I don't know whether it's there in other parts of India as well) there are special prayers in churches in Independence day which are attended by all. I just said this to someone and his first response was it is an attempt by Christians to ascertain their importance in our country's Independence. This is typical underdeveloped mentality. Most people consider India's secularist approach as its greatest weakness. That needs to be actually India's greatest strength. India used to be known as Hindustan in history, because Hinduism was more on a subtle note then, were people from other religions also had a place it was more of a lifestyle than a religion. And what happens now is that we fail to appreciate good deeds because we are biased even in our thoughts by religion and politics.
Therefore this Independence let's take some resolution in at least the way in which we picturise our country, our national flag, our compassion to fellow Indians and the deeds to our country because it's now well within our range imagine a foreigner pointing out these, we should not allow our heads to lie low when this happens we must counter it with love for our country.
Saare Jahan se accha Hindustan hamara
JAI HIND...
Tailpiece: You may consider this as a plea from an Indian rather than weighing my eligibility. I say this because we live around people who take educational qualification in account for people representation!!
Tailpiece: You may consider this as a plea from an Indian rather than weighing my eligibility. I say this because we live around people who take educational qualification in account for people representation!!
