‘Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time
comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very
substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India
will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in
history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when
the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.’
Jawaharlal Nehru’s these words on the
midnight, 14th August, 1947, gave new life to a country Hindustan, Bharat, India etc. It was a ‘sone ki chidiya’ but that day it became
an ‘azad panchi’. The speech urged
Indians to take a pledge to serve their motherland. All Indians took it. The
same pledge is taken by the younger generation when Independence Day is celebrated
in Schools. The pledge is taken in schools to invoke a sense of patriotism
which led to India’s struggle for freedom. It is the same patriotic feeling
which one has in heart when he does something for the country. The very same
feeling which comes when an Indian team sings the national anthem before a
match be it hockey or cricket, or when some Indian athlete has won a gold at
some games.
On this 68th Independence Day,
I wonder if we still have that patriotic feeling. Or is it case of us having
that feeling but not doing anything to do this for country? Or do we just have
very small phases of that feeling which fades as quickly as it comes? Why do
some of us want to leave this country at the first opportunity? The same
country which has given us everything, now no longer appeals to us.
We study in one of the finest colleges in
the country, use all its services to become what we are today, A skillful
professional and then what do we do? We go to Uncle Sam and serve its people.
We do this while being fully aware of that fact, that nothing, absolutely
nothing can beat the homeland. We might even struggle to get the top posts in
offices which we might deserve.
I, like any other ordinary young man,
takes immense pride whenever India shines on the world map. Be it winning in
sports or reaching to the outer space, the feeling is mutual. Even with all the
problems we face as a country, we all still call ourselves as a ‘PROUD INDIAN’.
But, the same Indian in me is often very
disappointed and hopeless about India’s growth. I am sure every fellow Indian
has this feeling. What is the reason for such feeling? Or rather the better
question is who is responsible for this feeling? We all might blame the
government for corruption and growth related issues. True, the government
deserves all the flak for it, but have we ever wondered about our role in the
society?
On 15th August, 1947, we
gained freedom from the British Empire but there are still few evils which we
need to get rid of if we are to become a superpower in the years ahead. There
are quite a few of them. Corruption, crime, women safety, poverty are the most
common ones. But what is the solution for this? There can be many solutions to
this and will definitely take time. But the bigger question is ‘How can I serve my country better every day?’,
‘How can India be a better place every day?’ Because a nation develops only when ordinary people like us
contribute. Not everything can be left upon Government or armed forces, there
has to be some conscious effort from within.
All this might seem a very tedious or
difficult task from the outset, but it’s very simple.
Let’s all take a pledge this Independence
day, that we shall contribute towards the country in every bit possible. We
shall keep our city and towns clean, not encourage corruption, and should never
try and disintegrate the country in any form. Moreover, we shall abandon the
thought of leaving the country. No country is perfect; its citizens make it
perfect. Indians shall strive to make India a better country.
Also, this Independence day, let’s
celebrate the colorful world of India. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Gujarat to
Arunachal Pradesh, every state has a different colour to itself. Bhangra,
Bharatnatyam, Bihu, Kathakali, Garba, Lavani, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Oddissi etc.
all contribute equally to make India ‘India’. The 29 states together make
India. Even the national anthem has ‘Punjab, Sindhu, Gujarat, Maratha, Dravid, Utkal, Banga’ clearly mentioning that
they are an integral part of India. We shouldn’t be a Punjabi, Gujarati,
Bihari, Tamil, Marathi etc. only, we have to be an INDIAN first.
We are not just Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus,
Christians who’ll fight for a different nation for our communities. We as
Indians should always set an example for the world that only in India culture
diversity like this can exist. A diversity which brings us together in our bad
times when we live for each other, just like the soldiers do at the border. And
if anyone tries to disintegrate the nation, we all stand up against that
individual.
With this, I now fold my hands and greet
you the way Indians are known to all over the world. Namaste. JAI HIND. Bharat Mata Ki JAI.
