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”.