HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY- THE 68TH YEAR OF FREEDOM

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 :-)