THE ART OF BEING REPUBLIC

(Nitisha Thakwani)

Many of us still consider 26th January a mere holiday. Folks, put your hands on your heart and ask yourself did you regret that 26^th January was a Sunday? Even the CM of Delhi considers the republic Day celebrations for some 200 VVIPs. Why do we systematically try to under carpet the fact that people in rural areas still collect in large numbers to get a glimpse of these celebrations in their tin sized televisions.

This time, I had the privilege to witness the Republic day Parade live. During the course of the celebration, I was virtually transported to the period of 1950’s. I lived each and every moment and was gripped by the feeling of patriotism. People of all age groups, ostensibly from humble background wearing smiles on their face, walked tirelessly just to witness this two hour celebrations. They possessed indomitable spirits.

Finally the much awaited celebrations began. It seemed as if I was watching the parade with my brothers and sisters. All the unknown faces around me seemed to be my long lost family! Even a toddler stood in rapt attention during the national anthem. People thoroughly cheered and seemed to motivate the participants. It was a great event indeed.

Friends as our country is heading towards a bleak future, thanks to the policymakers, everything is still not wrong. I spotted a spark today among the people at the Republic day celebrations. A unique sense of bonding prevailed among them. A desire to change the politics was what I sensed. Arnab Goswami, editor in chief of Times Now has rightly said ‘The loopholes in the existing system are so big that even a truck can pass through it.’ A desire to repair these loopholes was what the public seemed to achieve. Such was the mood today. The policymakers are systematically playing with the mood of the public, in order to retain power. They are indulging in vote bank politics. An ’aam aadmi’ would be quite apprehensive to be governed by ‘self confessed anarchists’.

Seeing this feeling of frustration and despair in the people, I would like to appeal to the people of India that we all should rise above from the boundaries of caste, religion, region, gender etc. And join hands for better India in the future. I would like to quote Shah Rukh Khan’s epic dialogue from Chak de! India ‘mujhe naa kisi state ka naam sunai deta hai naa kisi region ka, sirf ek naam sunai deta hai I-N-D-I-A’. This is the feeling which we need to evoke in ourselves only then we can go from strength to strength. As an optimist citizen of this country, I feel that a ray of hope lies at the end of tunnel. When winter has come, spring cannot be far off.’

(The writer is the blogger's friend who watched the Republic Day Parade live, edited by the blogger itself)