Happy Independence Day. So here we are. On the 75th anniversary of our Independence Day. SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS, exactly 3/4th of a century. That’s a proud moment, isn’t it? Everyone must have felt really patriotic after coming across bunch of patriotic videos and photos and speeches and songs and messages etc. Some of us might also have changed our DP to tricolor, as asked by some CHAIN MESSAGE. Feeling really proud and patriotic.
Now? Now what? End of the day, end of sharing songs, end of festivity, end of feeling proud, end of patriotism? Well, everyone knows this just a one-day thing. Aren’t a lot of people talking about this? Why nothing new? Well, in order to sound new, we can’t let old issues last forever.
So, here is a challenge for you. Remember “Our National Pledge?” Yes, that India is my country and all Indians are… Now pause for a while and try to recall the entire thing honestly. I’m sure most got stuck after 2 lines. Okay, maximum 3. Applause for yourself if you didn’t forget. We can’t deny that we all spent our schooltime thinking that “How come all Indians are brothers and sisters, we have to marry one” instead of understanding the real thing. Alright, let’s just revise…
“India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters.
I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.
I shall always strive to be worthy of it.
I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders respect and treat everyone with courtesy.
To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion. In their well-being and prosperity alone lies my happiness.”
We really had left it behind, in that school assembly only. Fact is that we didn’t even fulfil our pledge which we used to take every day.
We pledged to treat every Indian as though they were our brothers and sisters. People don’t consider it before getting into a scuffle with their ‘brothers and sisters’ on the road. Fake feminism and eve teasing abound on Indian roadways. Long ago we made ‘tryst with destiny’ not with mutiny? Spitting on the streets, cluttering the streets, urinating on the streets, vandalising historic monuments.…. That’s we love our country and its heritage for other 364 days? Are we really striving to be worthy of it?
I saw a viral video in lockdown in which a student abused his teacher verbally with worst chosen sexual remarks in online class. I recently read a news where a girl strangulated her 40-year-old mother to death with a karate belt after a tiff over her studies. Several more episodes like this occur on a regular basis. Oh… didn’t we also pledged to respect teachers, parents and elders and treat everyone with courtesy?
Ask individuals how many times they sing the National Anthem each year. How many times did they think they had dedicated themselves to the country and the people? Inquire about those who purchased a national flag and tossed it on the road. Sorry, but do you become tired of patriotism as well? Truer fact is if one doesn’t care about the country at all for the other 364 days and then posts a picture for one day, it changes nothing. On the 15th of August and the 26th of January, FM stations broadcast patriotic tunes. Regrettably, all of this fades the next day. Buying a flag one day and lying to consumers, exploiting workers, cheating on taxes, paying bribes, abusing the poor, and giving deference to the powerful as treason on other days is NOT PATRIOTISM.
If you think you don’t have time to do so, you feel like kya hi farak padhta hai, apna apna dekho yaar, all these are kiddish things. I’m sorry. India does not deserve this ‘chalta hai attitude.’
Kachra sadak par tumne giraya
Kehte ho desh me gand agrasar soch ne failaya
Akhbar mein balatkar padh ke gussa toh aaya tha
Toh sadak par undekha kar tune bhi un darindo ka hausla badhaya tha
Kaha suna zarur hoga, ‘vardi se kon darta hai?’
Usi zubaan se kehte ho, ‘yeh crime kitna badhta hai’
Instagram pe bikini me post? Aisi ladkiyo ne hi bigada hai.
Right to choose par apni soch tu badlne me hara hai.
Hindu muslim sikh isayi, apas me hai bhai bhai
Fir kyu di teri tu-tu mai-mai ki sare desh me gunj sunai
Kal ka bhi tu soch agar aaj desh se pyar kiya
Mitti teri apni thi, toh din ka kyu intezaar kiya
Vada tu ab khud se kar, ki zanm bhar ka ailan hai
Pratigya meri mrityu tak ki Mera Bhara Mahaan Hai!
This Independence Day let’s rise. Let’s rise from this one-day patriotism and let’s celebrate patriotism every day. Let’s make paying taxes, respecting women, preventing corruption, keeping our nation clean, abiding by the constitution, and simply performing our jobs honestly appear “cool.” It’s past time for us to reconsider our schooling in order to build a nation where a patriot is someone who sacrifices her life to protect an unknown stranger, care about its motherland and respects the nation and its constitution. We shall strive for OUR INDIA because we adore, care about, and cherish it. Let’s pledge again and this time to keep it forever because we are now mature enough to understand.
“INDIA IS MY COUNTRY AND ALL INDIANS ARE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
I LOVE MY COUNTRY AND I AM PROUD OF ITS RICH AND VARIED HERITAGE.
I SHALL ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE WORTHY OF IT.
I SHALL GIVE MY PARENTS, TEACHERS AND ALL ELDERS RESPECT AND TREAT EVERYONE WITH COURTESY.
TO MY COUNTRY AND MY PEOPLE, I PLEDGE MY DEVOTION. IN THEIR WELL-BEING AND PROSPERITY ALONE LIES MY HAPPINESS.”
This article is written by Harmanpreet, Ist year
