62.

I sit in the year 2009, trying to envision what it must have felt like in the year 1947 on this very day, the 15^th of August. 15^th August, a day etched in the mind of every citizen of India as the day when the country was freed from the shackles of Imperialism and Colonization. This day is always reminisced by me as the day when as a child, I used to paint the tricolor on paper and staple it to a straw and flutter it around my house. It is hard to visualize as to how the turn of events took place leading to our Independence. I have read about the whole freedom struggle in my school textbooks and seen movies and clippings of it all. Sitting in a free country, a progressive nation, a nuclear power, the largest democracy, I and many of my generation might just forget the amount of patriotism, devotion, loyalty, courage and heroism it took to bring our country at this stage.

The Independence was not a ‘sigh of relief’ and a source of immense joy for all Indians in the year 1947. The moment of pride was drowned in the colour of red. Partition was inevitable but the consequences that followed, it is better left unsaid. The task of rebuilding a nation looted ruthlessly over the centuries was an uphill task. I cannot help but mention that the politicians of that era were true visionaries and worked with a feeling so pure to see the country stand upon its feet on the path of prosperity. They had a clear conscience and wanted to provide all citizens- rich and poor the same opportunity for development.

India has progressed, it sure has. I was watching a TV programme yesterday in which Shekhar Kapoor (Director) mentioned that India is still resting on the three pillars of ‘Kisan’, ‘Jawan’ and ‘Mazdoor’. It is to an extent true. How ever progressive the country has become, we all should be indebted to the farmers and the defense forces. However, a lot needs to be done. What the world is seeing is one side of a coin - the Super Power and developed India with the Ambanis’, Mittals’ and Tatas’. Unfortunately this Shining India is not even a mere 0.1% of the real India. It sounds cliché but majority of the people are still BPL. Problems of drinking water, education, infrastructure, basic amenities are still manifested even in urban cities lest rural towns and villages.

On a much optimistic note, on this day, I do look forward to see India grow. India may be called ‘developing’ presently but even the West knows the latent potency and power this second-largest populated country holds. We have the brains, the skill and the resources. We just need to bring in more transparency and do away with corruption (I guess I am hoping for too much!).

Even today, the feeling of patriotism is embedded in the hearts of all. Whenever I hear ‘Aye mere watan ke logon’ by Lata Mangeshkar, my eyes dwell up with moisture. The deadly combination of the voice, the lyrics and the music is just very beautiful and inspiring. Long live the Nation! Jai Hind.

To quote my favorite Para of the historic speech ‘The Tryst with Destiny’ made by Pandit Nehru on the eve of India’s Independence:

“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. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity”.

A Concoction of Creativity

A paper and ink is all that it takes for creativity to flow. Times are changing. Now you can just type it out on the electronic medium and with added editing options, writing is made much easier. But what matters and which hasn’t changed nor will it ever change is the ability to jot down your thoughts- your creativity.

The human brain is very complex and I humbly salute the creator who was generous in his endowment of creativity by creating this masterpiece. I am also obliged to the human brain precisely the early medical practitioners who studied it, examined it and christened its components with divine creativity. It is a grateful boon that they named the brain parts- Cerebrum, Cerebellum, Medulla oblongata, Amygdala, Hippocampus… Majority of us hearing such creative and difficult to digest names did not wish to pursue biology as a separate entity and those of us (including me) who loved reading about the creative body parts and took up biology, ran away from studying medicine when we had to learn the creative functions and the juxtaposition of these creatively created organs.

Now coming back to the process of creativity, after expressing my regards to the most creative structure on this earth, I proceed on to say that along with the brain; experiences form the basis of the process of creativity. Stimuli to the brain in the form of experiences make the brain functional and the thought process is initiated, where the person starts linking the different personal experiences, opinions and ideas formulated over a period of time with the current need of the hour and out comes a unique creative piece. Of course there are various other factors which add to this reception. It may be inputs received from other people or reading about that particular topic or even seeing visuals which leave a lasting imprint upon the mind. This is where a person’s analogical skills are displayed. An analytical brain is the soul of creativity.

After analyzing the myriad impulses, the person brings the creative piece into existence by his acquired or innate skills. Innate will be the degree of intelligence and your analytical skills. Acquired will be your grammar, vocabulary and sentence formation skills for writing; drawing, mixing hues and paint strokes for painting; training, learning and retention capacity for professions like architecture, engineering, designing, law etc.. Lawyers ofcourse sometimes do come up with great creativity in creating contentions for their clients in matters of defence. Unfortunately or fortunately, doctors have to abide by the creative process as adopted by the founding fathers of their profession while performing surgeries. God help those patients who fall prey to the creative doctor’s artistic instincts.

Whenever I think of creativity, my mind races to the creatively carved buildings designed by Howard Roark in The Fountainhed. Who is creative? We tend to think the character Roark but it is Ayn Rand who created this imaginary character so vividly. People superficially get mesmerized by the creation but it is the creator who is the authentic captain. It is another powerful ability possessed by great literary artists to create such a character so that people tend to remember and associate themselves to that imaginary creation.

Creativity is omnipotent and omnipresent. There will be no flavor, no fun, no frolic, and no fantasy without creativity. Look around yourself, your computer and laptops too are an embodiment of creativity coupled with intelligence. Take yourself – your clothes, hairstyle, slippers, room, house, building, colony, city, country and why do I forget ‘YOU’, are also just a magnificent and a beautiful piece of creativity!