Working towards a better tomorrow (Republic Day special)

Today is our 65^th ‘Republic Day’. For some, it is a matter of pride, especially to those who are seriously working towards making India, the largest democracy in the world in a true form. For many of us, including me, it is just a national holiday to relax and switch on our TV in the morning to see the ‘Republic Day Parade’ at ‘Rajpath’. We find joy and solace in watching the starved participants in the parade performing in front of the VVIPs, while having our breakfast. After that, few patriotic movies on the hindi movie channels running throughout the day will surely arouse ‘jingoism’ or may be a bit of ‘patriotism’ that will last till the end of the day i.e. before going to the sleep. In any way, at least this helps in rejuvenating the memories of childhood and the dreams of being an army officer.

Nonetheless, I am considering my species of ‘small time patriots’ in the club of ‘up-to-date’ Indians who at least have the tendency to remember one of the auspicious days of our history. Certainly, there are some ‘third generation’ or ‘over modernized/westernized’ citizens who despite of being educated are unaware of the relevance of this day. Well, it surely matters in case you are unable to answer the same in an interview especially to a foreigner, but it really doesn’t matter if you are unaware of it and still performing your duties more than expected from a normal citizen. Now what are these duties, I’m talking about? Well, apart from paying your taxes accurately in time and obeying rules and regulations prescribed by the law, the extraordinary thing you can and you should do is to donate generously to your country, your ‘TIME’ accompanied with good intentional efforts.

I’m sure I may be sounding like a political volunteer or an unsuccessful blogger trying to ignite flame within you, but trust me it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who I am, where I am from, what I do, what I have been in the past or what I aspire to be, the only thing matters is ‘you’ and the people around ‘you’.

Since the last 60 years or more, we have adopted a phrase very faithfully in our life, rather inscribed it in ours and our children’s brain and i.e. – ‘hum/apne ko kya?’ Why should we be bothered about what is happening in our country as far as my family is eating well and our ‘Saturday night movie dates’ are going well since the beginning? I often feel shameful when I meet this type of people because if our martyrs have died to free these ‘mental slaves’ then probably they wasted their energy on the wrong people. The other argument we often hear from the people is – ‘Time nahi hai yaar, aur waise bhi main kya kar sakta hoon?’ Time is all about priorities and your interests. When a loved one is involved in a matter, the clause of time erodes within seconds, but the same is unworthy if an unknown is being targeted openly. NO, I’m not asking you to act like a hero of a movie, or a superhero trying to save the masses from the evil, but certainly the definition of a superhero in real life is the one who discharges his duties fearlessly and honestly. You need to take a stand, just one time for your ‘loved one’s sake’. See your daughter/mother/brother/father/sister/spouse in the endangered and take a stand. Say NO to abuse and harassment. And I assure you, when every one of you’ll do the same, a ‘united force’ will combine and the abuser will pee in his pants.

We’ve been divided since centuries so we failed to drive out the intruders from our home. In 21^st century, we are divided even now, to drive out the corruption. Just ‘unity’ is missing, not the power to oust the intruder. ‘Unity’ will come when every one of you, yes every one of you will pledge to take a stand irrespective of the circumstances and future concerns. Currently, there is no such words as ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ because we’re still ‘colonized’, just the ‘colonizers’ have changed. The current colonizers open their home made dictionaries to divide us on the line of religion or the exact word they use is ‘secularism’. How can there be ‘secularism’ when a baby is born later and we give it a name according to our traditions? Nurture him with ‘our special god(s)’. But it is okay to be called communal, but it is not fine to be anti-nationalist. Our ancestors have not fought to expel one elite ruler from the chair to establish another elite ruler on that chair. There are far more threats to India from inside, rather than from outside. Resolve inside issues, outsiders will automatically learn how to behave. Morality, legality, constitutionality may sound heavy and bigger words but the base has always been ‘humanity’. So, rise above the evils of mistrust, expectations, diversity and deceit and hold the tool of ‘unity’ to stop ‘adjusting’ with the virus of ‘corruption’.

Today's India is like an outdated aircraft flying aimlessly in the sky, without a pilot. We do not need an upgraded aircraft alone but also an experienced pilot who can save this airplane from crashing down on the ground

Remember, the roots of corruption travel under our own home of thoughts. Stop watering it and fertilizing it, the positive change will be inevitable. Only politics, bureaucracy, army and judiciary alone cannot erase the old evil inscriptions from the system, you've to give your 'time' and 'efforts' too.

Wishing you all, a very ‘Happy Republic Day’. Give yourself a reason to celebrate this.