Tell me, why I should feel proud of being an Indian when the nation celebrates the Republic Day. The question that came to my mind when I was reading the newspaper was why we are celebrating and what we are celebrating? More importantly, who are we to celebrate? When I open my eyes and look around, I do not really see anything worth celebrating. All that pompous war machines, glittering in the mild winter sunlight, rolling down the Royal Path have lost its meaning. Any other day, I would have felt proud… I would have felt proud about the supersonic missiles and the advanced helicopters… I would have felt safe being protected by a mighty Army and the sea blue Navy men marching down with their chests protruded. I would have moved according to the beat played by the Band while the Rajputana Rifles marched past me. I would have been excited to see the Camel Contingent of the BSF, clopping past, with the animals holding their heads high, the soldiers riding them swaying to the sides…
Tell me, why I should feel proud when the President unfurls the National Flag today? Because not so long ago, a woman was brutally raped and left to die not very far from there? Because peaceful protestors where heartlessly handled and indignantly avoided by the government right where the tri-color is hoisted? Is it because the barefaced Congress party has projected its next generation for a shameless dynasty rule? Is it because more and more among the massive population of this country are losing their minds to the intimidating forces of communal parties? I do not know… The people who have understood India… the people who are capable of understanding this vast sub-continental myth are marginal when it comes to number. The number of people who are losing faith increase day by day, not just in India, but everywhere else too. People giving up their mind to do violent things; shooting infants, bombing towns, countries wiping out towns and leveling villages… 
I will not watch the Republic Day Parade for the fifth consecutive year because I do not have the courage to see the buffoons of Indian Politics, the biggest undertakers this country has ever produced, sitting in a row enjoying the show. Why wouldn’t the basket fall down when all the rotten eggs are in it at a time? I don’t think a President has the right to hoist a National Flag when the government which he is supposed to preside over is run by a group of terrorists. I do not fear the terrorists that cross the border from Pakistan and enter my country to kill innocent civilians; at least they kill us in one go.
I remember a friend’s FB status from a year ago or so. ‘Let’s do Egypt!’ he had updated. At that time it seemed a bit farfetched to me. ‘Doing an Egypt’ to a country where different languages and cultures reside together seemed to be something catastrophic. But, things are beginning to go amok. I fear for the day when people will have a jolt on their consciousness; individual consciousness resulting into an outbreak when all the symbols of power collapse into mere meaningless rubble.
I wouldn’t be feeling proud then, too. But I will be damn sure to have a clean consciousness because I already know that every war has a side effect.
P.S: This post does not mean that I am not a patriot. I am patriot who is also a non-believer in the established symbols of a government. I am a patriot just not a blind one. I abhor the lesser mortals who run this nation and make the lives of people difficult and this post is mt way of protest on a day that should be remembered by every Indian for it is the day we chose to become a ‘Sovereign, Socialist, Democratic‘ Republic after having been subjugated for a long time. This is my way of protest to a government ignorant to the needs of ‘aam aadmi’, the Common People.
- Manu
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You are so young but you are wise man…good post…I too understand this.
Thanks Doris, for the kind comment.
Thumbs up!
Thanks
Oh Manu, I feel the same despair. It really is a circus out there with no hope of change in the horizon. What did “an Egypt” gain Egypt? Even a revolution needs leaders with vision…….and can you name any?
Thanks Madhuji, for the wonderful question.
Now when looking at it, Egypt is horrifyingly complicated. Even yesterday it had issues flaring up to the level of a revolution. But, I think Egyptian Revolution was a success in case of removing the corrupt, fungi leaders. If half of what had happened there happens here, we would bring down our corruption level drastically. You are absolutely right about the lack of leaders with vision. We do have some but where do they stand when it comes to political favoritism and religious extremism is the question. If people can help them to break open the coccoon, they’d absolutely transform the nation. We do have some, I believe, who have been pushed down by those who corrupt others… us.
Your question was absolutely thought-provoking. Thanks.
Well said, Manu etta! \Hi 5/
Rahul
Thanks da.