India, My Country, My Pride

August 15th, 2008 | by Santosh n

Sixty one independent years have rolled by and on the threshold of the sixty second year!! 

 

Is the spirit of freedom waning??  

 

The ecstatic Indians of yore who went berserk as Pandit Nehru delivered the maiden independent punch lines “ …as the world sleeps, India awakes to the spirit of freedom….” are a dormant lot today, either basking in their heavenly abode or leading nondescript lives.  

Is the spirit of freedom waning??  

 

Having had the good fortune of being born in independent India, many of us may be unable to perceive the pleasures of a free nation or the ill effects due to the lack of freedom!!  Just as the Ambani offspring (third generation) would never be able to comprehend the joys of wealth or the ordeal of living hand to mouth!! 

 

The struggle for independence is well scripted in the annals of history. The selfless endeavor of the activists and an extremely motivating leadership led to the withdrawal of the white men. 

 

On the fifteenth of every August a feeble attempt is made to relive those moments by way of hoisting the flag, playing patriotic songs and telecasting movies. Sadly none of this whatsoever succeeds to elicit the essence of freedom for the generation of the times. 

 

Is it any different from mother’s day or father’s day??  The Valentine’s Day is more vibrant………..  

 

The spirit of freedom is indeed waning!!! 

 

The spirit of independence needs to be kept alive and the patriotic fervor burning in the minds of the youth. A nation is not defined merely by geographical parameters but by a mindset that works in harmony and towards a common goal. 

 

Abhinav Bindra, the sole individual gold medalist in our one hundred and eight years of Olympic history had silently raised the bar of sports in India. Silently, b’coz he was considered an underdog in the midst of all time greats like Rajyavardhan Rathore and Anjali Bhagwat.  

 

However skepticism underplays such achievement with “what good is one gold medal for a country that has a hundred crore plus population??” haven’t we heard that before?? 

 

As a nation we have to learn to rejoice at every little accomplishment yet strive for higher laurels. 

A major chunk of the alumni from the nation’s premium engineering institution – the IIT eventually leaves the country for good. They settle down to serve their American or European master in return for an astronomical pay packet. They imbibe the western way of life and talks about India in derogatory terms. While the Indian administration has the potential to impart subsidized teaching of world class, India lacks the infrastructure that has the capability to harness and apply the knowledge. 

 

The desire to serve one’s own country should far exceed the lure for money and quality of life. 

The opening up of the economy, during the regime of the present PM as the finance minister, drew a lot of flak from many quarters. “India is making way for the establishment of a second East India Company” the skeptics cried from rooftops. “The rupee will crumble down” wailed another.  

 

The truth has finally emerged as a pleasant surprise to Indians in particular and the world at large. All the wild speculation and rhetoric were put to rest.  

Reportedly, India has the world’s twelfth largest economy at market exchange rates and the fourth largest in purchasing power. Economic reforms have transformed it into the second fastest growing large economy second only to China.  

Prakash Karat, while justifying his party’s opposition to liberalization said in a TV interview lately, that it has just helped produce billionaire’s among Indians. Period.  

 

What a foolish comment from a senior statesman!! 

 

While debating on vital issues that could influence the fortunes of a nation, leaders should rise above party politics and petty prejudice and speak after carefully considering the merits.  Men and women at the helm, should conduct themselves with dignity and win over the reverence of the youth and not be mocked at, for their imprudent utterances.  

Independence was the first milestone in the amalgamation of a nation… a pluralistic, multilingual, multiethnic society.  The spirit of independence needs to be escalated and the patriotic fervor ignited on a continuous basis so that India can forge ahead, traverse many more milestones with ease and success. 

 

Jai Hind!!!