I was
overjoyed when a colleague reminded me that Independence Day is just a couple
of days away. Pardon me for my brazen honesty; but at the first instance, the
joy was not because of ‘Independence Day’. It was rather for
that extra holiday
I would get from Office without seeking dozen permissions. Yes, I admit that’s
what it has apparently reduced to when it comes to a national event like
Independence Day, Republic Day or Gandhi Jayanti; A bonus holiday from office
and school. And believe you me, the delight literally transforms into annoyance
and curses for the godforsaken calendar if one of these national events falls
on a Sunday and we miss on the fateful public holiday.
Please don’t
hate me for my above confession. But I am dead sure that there are hoards of
other people like me who wait for the Independence Day for that one extra
holiday more than anything and everything else. But does that mean I don’t love
my country or any less proud of it than any self proclaimed patriot? The answer
is a BIG NO. I dearly love my country and I am
extremely proud of it. For every
time I here Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram on TV, a strange sense of pride
flushes through my veins. For every time I see the air force planes screech
through the clouds I feel so proud of the men guarding us and the heart fills
with thousand prayers for them and for my country. For every time I cross India
Gate, I remember what lies in the history of my country and how thankful we are
to the men who snatched our independence from the hands of foreign rulers. I am
sure most of us are like that. Too oblivious towards the country affairs in our
daily lives, but deep inside have immense love and sense of pride for the
country.
Sadly,like
any other nation, my country too has grave issues that needs resolution;
matters that needs to be tackled and questions that needs to be addressed. Every
time I say SAARE JAHAN SE ACHCHA HINDUSTAN HUMARA, I falter. Because I know there
are gruesome issues in my country that tarnishes its image and pulls me back
from calling it Saare Jahan Se acha (the best in the world). I have no
intension bring the dark side of my country to spotlight. But, I really hope
there were answers to these unanswered questions:-
Why the ugly
truth of Female Feticide exists in my country of 330 million gods. We keep
worshiping god in form of cow, rat, owl, dog and
countless other things while
killing unborn girl child who are ironically worshipped as Goddess Durga. I
don’t know what to conclude. Do we see a girl as goddess in our country or a
mere object of slaughter?
- “Hind Desh
ke niwasi sabhi jana ek hai”! Really?? So why are we compartmentalized on basis
of color, caste, creed, economic status etc. etc? Within a radius of ten meters
we
can compartmentalize our fellow countrymen as ‘chinki’ by their eyes and
attire, ‘Madrasi’ by their color (oblivious to the fact that Madras is a state
in South India and not the whole of South India) and ‘Bihari’ by their quaint
accent. My latest discovery was a
shocking surprise. We are also divided on the basis of our eternal forms- Dev
Gana, Rakshas Gana, Manushya Gana.
Interesting!
- Mahatma
Gandhi said- “If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the
other also”. Alas! He did not mention how many slaps we got to invite before
giving it back right across their face. So, is it
Bapus’ lesson of non-
violence that’s pulling our government back from retaliating to the unfriendly
deeds of our neighboring nation? Sitting safest at the heart of the country, I
can still feel the terror. I wonder how this independence would feel to my
fellow countrymen with terror always lingering around.
- It takes at least 12 +3+2 years of academic toil to
be a manager in a
company of my country. However, it takes no minimum
qualification to be a manager of this country.
- I am a politician’s wife? I am well qualified to run
my country.
- I may be a famous illiterate dacoit. But how does
that hold me back from taking the reins of my country in my hand?
- I am a hit bollywood star and that fits me
absolutely well in this job of managing the country.
- I proclaim
to embrace all religion. “Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai; Aapas mein hai bhai bhai”
is what I learnt in school. But a Sikh - Isai love marriage is enough to
instigate honor killing. An argument on Mandir- Masjid can turn a city into
ashes. I am confused again. Is it the people we are killing in the name of
religion or is it the religion we are trying to kill?
And what does all this
killing and bloodshed proclaim about the sanctity of our own religion? I wish
humanity was the only religion alive in my free nation.
- We are a
nation highly sensitive to Gender Issues. I can give heart whelming speeches on
how to treat a woman as an equal and respecting her is my utmost moral duty.
But in deep dark alleys, I leave no stone unturned to grope and feel my way
around. Hats off to this scornful respect!
My poor country is challenged with numerous problems.A handful listed above. We crib
quite often regarding the political situation of our country, the roads, infrastructure,
corruption, socio-economic status and dozen other things. And when we are sick
of complaining, we discard the matter by a one liner- ‘ye India hai bhai; yahaa
kuch theek nai ho sakta’. But bhai sahib, why don’t you do something about it?
Or at least don’t do stuff which makes it complain worthy.
How can we
expect the roads to be clean when all our banana peels, chips packets biscuit
wrappers are flung on to roads.
How do we
expect our lanes to smell when the men take so much pride and pleasure in
peeing on roads? Sadly, here it is illegal to kiss in public but not to piss in
public.
We never
forget to curse our politicians for being corrupt. But we also never forget to
bribe babus in Government offices just to squeeze an easy way out. We never
hesitate to bribe the authorities to get in the best of schools and colleges.
Sometimes it’s called cigarette ka dabba, other times mithai and many other
times simply donation.
The XYZ
fellow is tagged and separated as SC ST by wise men like me; and then when that
XYZ fellow’s son gets admission in best of college on quota, I curse the
government for dividing the society and not treating all as equals.
So, my
country is what I make of it and if I make it complain worthy, I have no right
to complain.
This independence day let us put our mind over the matter and do
that wee bit for our dear country. Let us make a small contribution. Something
as trivial as not littering around, not wasting milk on stones blinded by our
illogical faith; rather give it to the poor child starving just outside the
temple, be a human before being a Hindu or a Muslim, choosing an honest and
litterate management team for the country, not disrespect women by addressing them as ‘chinki,
chikni or chamiya, stop pestering the foreigners and do not let our country
down, not killing an unborn soul, stop feeding babus in offices with mithai or cigarette
ka dabba. And if all this appears too big a contribution, then there is this
least contribution you may wish to make for your country, DO NOT PISS on the
roads.
HAVE A HAPPY
INDEPENDENCE DAY :-)