“Jana Gana Mana...”, As the National Anthem began on the Republic Day celebration, the good old school days flashed before my eyes. It had been an incredibly long time since I had witnessed the National Anthem being sung. Somehow, this has troubled me.
Isn't it baffling that in school, Vande Maataram and Jana Gana Mana were sung by default everyday and after we graduate, we only hear them on very special occasions? Why is it that in higher colleges the Anthem is not played daily? Is it ‘inconvenient’ to rise for the country every morning? Why does our 'patriotism' surface only on national holidays? Why is that people hesitate to rise when they hear the national anthem on a common platform/TV/radio? Education, College, Career, goals, placements, money, future- some of the ‘jargon’ you hear among students. There is no mention of the society or the country. Does growing up mean that we become this selfish? Does growing up mean our interests are bigger than India’s? A narcissistic attitude has started to dominate-and cripple-our society.
Today, barring a few exceptions, many of our youth (and not Just youth, to be frank) have become exceedingly pragmatic, self-oriented. Patriotism plays second fiddle to money, morals are passe. Long back I had seen a program on TV, where people(mostly college students) were surveyed-the questionnaire covering basic Indian history and general knowledge. Many didn't know our National Anthem or National Song. One genius actually thought that Vande Maataram was in fact the National Anthem. Some didn't know about our freedom struggle- one actually believing Shahid Bhagat Singh was a part of the 1857 struggle(Yes, I am not joking here) and some had no idea about who our PM or President were. As ridiculous as this may sound to you, these are the few harsh realities which exist in the country today. Of course, the show interviewed only a handful of people and doesn't hold true for a majority of our population, but the fact that such ignorance does exist is a cause of alarming concern. Dr.Kalam once said that ‘India is a country, not a Nation.’ That is evident today.In the appalling Delhi incident, about which my friend and colleague Sapan has published a commendable piece on this same blog, the widespread protests sent the government a clear message-enough is enough, punish the accused. But the real tragedy was revealed when the girl’s male companion went on live TV to reveal that countless passers-by showed total disregard to their plight, with them both lying there injured. Isn't that a heinous crime? How can we expect the government or the law to change the country for the better when we ourselves are so unconcerned about it? People have said they were ashamed to live in India after that incident- particularly on Facebook, the trend of changing the profile picture to a black dot was prevalent. What right do we have to say that we are ashamed to live in this country when you can't spare 52 seconds of the day for it?
India, despite all the problems that exist in it today, is a country of eternal heritage. Our freedom struggle was one of the greatest the world has ever witnessed. Our ancient books-the Vedas among others are unparalleled and people who designed France’s bullet trains were left wondering how exactly we could build the Konkan Railway. The point, is that we owe a lot to our Nation- so next time, when you want to say something against the country, stop and ask yourself- do you have that right? Have you made a contribution to the nation, which vindicates your derogatory remarks?
Its necessary today, to get into the fray for change and betterment, rather than be armchair critics-to clean our own streets rather than complain they are dirty-only then can Dr. Kalam's vision of India becoming a super power can be realized. To quote the movie Rang De Basanti,"Koi bhi desh perfect nahi hota, use perfect banaana padta hai."
Perhaps you’d think, ‘Emo ho gaya’. Perhaps you’d say “ki kuch nahi badlega” or “kya farak padta hai?” But sometimes in life, we have to stop taking things lightly and reflect, we have to be responsible. I hope I have given you something to ponder over. Jai Hind.
A note to the reader:If,as you read this, you wondered exactly why this article was uploaded so long after the Republic Day, then it was meant for you.
Today, barring a few exceptions, many of our youth (and not Just youth, to be frank) have become exceedingly pragmatic, self-oriented. Patriotism plays second fiddle to money, morals are passe. Long back I had seen a program on TV, where people(mostly college students) were surveyed-the questionnaire covering basic Indian history and general knowledge. Many didn't know our National Anthem or National Song. One genius actually thought that Vande Maataram was in fact the National Anthem. Some didn't know about our freedom struggle- one actually believing Shahid Bhagat Singh was a part of the 1857 struggle(Yes, I am not joking here) and some had no idea about who our PM or President were. As ridiculous as this may sound to you, these are the few harsh realities which exist in the country today. Of course, the show interviewed only a handful of people and doesn't hold true for a majority of our population, but the fact that such ignorance does exist is a cause of alarming concern. Dr.Kalam once said that ‘India is a country, not a Nation.’ That is evident today.In the appalling Delhi incident, about which my friend and colleague Sapan has published a commendable piece on this same blog, the widespread protests sent the government a clear message-enough is enough, punish the accused. But the real tragedy was revealed when the girl’s male companion went on live TV to reveal that countless passers-by showed total disregard to their plight, with them both lying there injured. Isn't that a heinous crime? How can we expect the government or the law to change the country for the better when we ourselves are so unconcerned about it? People have said they were ashamed to live in India after that incident- particularly on Facebook, the trend of changing the profile picture to a black dot was prevalent. What right do we have to say that we are ashamed to live in this country when you can't spare 52 seconds of the day for it?
India, despite all the problems that exist in it today, is a country of eternal heritage. Our freedom struggle was one of the greatest the world has ever witnessed. Our ancient books-the Vedas among others are unparalleled and people who designed France’s bullet trains were left wondering how exactly we could build the Konkan Railway. The point, is that we owe a lot to our Nation- so next time, when you want to say something against the country, stop and ask yourself- do you have that right? Have you made a contribution to the nation, which vindicates your derogatory remarks?
Its necessary today, to get into the fray for change and betterment, rather than be armchair critics-to clean our own streets rather than complain they are dirty-only then can Dr. Kalam's vision of India becoming a super power can be realized. To quote the movie Rang De Basanti,"Koi bhi desh perfect nahi hota, use perfect banaana padta hai."
Perhaps you’d think, ‘Emo ho gaya’. Perhaps you’d say “ki kuch nahi badlega” or “kya farak padta hai?” But sometimes in life, we have to stop taking things lightly and reflect, we have to be responsible. I hope I have given you something to ponder over. Jai Hind.
A note to the reader:If,as you read this, you wondered exactly why this article was uploaded so long after the Republic Day, then it was meant for you.
