Republic day morning: We the people

Yes, the date is upon us again. It is that time of the year again, when we all fell patriotic, this time even more as it came on a Monday. There will be loud speakers, there will be parades and in general all acts of patriotism will be on display, and the day will pass. Is this the only way (and time) that we show patriotism, though a lot of people will say yes, I clearly have reasons to believe otherwise?

I’ll start with a basic question, are we more patriotic than we were let’s say 5 years ago. I think so and it’s not just based on my gut feeling. No matter if you agree with the mandate or not, you do realize that the mere act of participation (even in areas like J & K) is a symbol that a country is rapidly waking up from its slumber. Of course we still want a good job as a priority and country comes only after that, still fortunately it’s not far behind. There is a collective inspiration to do something for your motherland, and that’s a positive sign for each and every one of us.

Secondly, if history teaches us anything, it’s that the respect is earned, not given. Of course we are no longer called snake charmers, but was there ever more appreciation for India as a global leader in politics(people might quote NAM , but we all know what a load of bull was that). But we can feel it now, can’t we? We are going in a positive direction, the whole world is expecting our opinion in challenging issues (and no, I am not talking about the IT).

When there is something positive on the horizon, what do we need to do to sustain it? Unfortunately, we Indians (much like Liverpool fans), have always been too contempt with what we had, a glorious past, yes, but are we doing anything to create a new future? A very wise man once said “Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past “. So the need of the hour is to control the present. Once we have the present under control, we are the master of our own destiny.

So I, as a responsible son of India, have two things to ask of you. First is to impart education to others and yourself. Luckily we are one of those countries where you can challenge everything and still live to see another day. They say that “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two makes four. If that is granted, all else follows“ so go ahead ask question, give opinions, argue. And in the end arrive at a conclusion about how you help your country.

The second is a tricky one, but is more important. You might be following Hinduism or islam or Christianity, you might follow BJP or AAP or even Congress, you might be living in a suburb in Maharashtra or you might be dwelling from north east, you might eat chicken or you maybe an orthodox Brahman, the need for the hour is to become an Indian first. The day we are all Indians above everything, will be the day that we will truly be best everywhere.

An American president has come to visit us this time, so I would like to quote something an other American president once said "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" Well I guess it’s not proper to mention Americans everywhere, but they have always worked hard to achieve the “great American dream”, it’s time we proceed to fulfill our own “great Indian dream”.

Jai Hind.