I know you may think that I am a bit too
late for this post. But I deliberately decided to post it a week later as I wanted
to fuel as little controversy as possible. It is a strong topic with some
strong views and in their gusto of Independence Day celebration, I didn’t want to dilute the festive fervor for my readers and still put my point across
effectively. It can be very overwhelming as each one of us may have stood in
the culprit box here and self-analysis is a difficult task.
Last week on 15th of August, in
India, we celebrated our 69th independence day. There were messages
and pictures and videos that were shared for the Independence Day full of
patriotic songs and my Facebook wall was full of stories of patriotism,
heroism, and love for India and so on and so forth. These things are good and
we celebrate these days to realize the values and remember the sacrifices that
our freedom fighters and their “Junoon” (passion) for our country. However in
my mind the face of patriotism keeps changing from time to time. Patriotism is an
attribute which was not only necessary when the country was not free and
democratic, but patriotism is a sentiment that each one of us requires at each
and every stage of our country’s development. I reminisced of a very
interesting conversation I had with a friend and the after thoughts followed.
This
friend of mine is an Indian born young man, aspiring to do great in life in his
field of interest. He has the zeal and resources to fulfill his dreams. Hence
he worked hard and was supported by his family to pursue his studies in another
country where the chances of success and the level of acclaim and appreciation
that he desires are higher. He shifted to this cosmopolitan country a few
months back and was suddenly exposed to a myriad of different cultures and
people from various countries. Our conversation started from the discussion
about some Indian family who had also come to drop their child in the same
institute. He said, “It’s so embarrassing that parents come to drop their
over-grown children (actually they are 20 plus somethings) and hang around
outside the classrooms as if they are their bodyguards protecting their
children from getting kidnapped or something.” Then he added, “I feel so ashamed
to be seeing some Indians in foreign countries who can’t even stand properly,
they slouch, who don’t even know how to dress and since they think they are on
a holiday they can wear shorts even to a fine-dining place, they wouldn’t
hesitate wearing sports shoes below a tuxedo, they shout on the top of their
voices while talking on phone at public places, would bargain in stores even in
a strange country, where concept of bargaining doesn’t even exist making complete fools out of themselves and who would
stare at people with white skin (especially women with lusty eyes). The capability
of theirs to form their own little Indian colonies based on their religion and
caste they belong to, which in fact defies the basic principle of them going to
a newer country and getting exposed to the culture of the world. Indian this
and Indians that…” and his rant went on and on… He suddenly realized that it
was just a few months since he had shifted there and he had already got the
‘First World Syndrome’ as he liked to call it. I was aghast when I heard all
this. I didn’t know how to react. I couldn’t deny any of the fact that he
stated, but I was too ashamed to agree to either of them. I just excused myself
and hung up. Somehow this conversation refused to leave my head. I was like how
can he say like this about our country. How can he be such a critic of each and
everything when in fact he has spent almost entire life in this country? This
country has given him so much and how could he become such an ungrateful,
unpatriotic person? How could he suddenly call India to be the ‘Third World country’. From
where did so much arrogance fill inside of his head? I never found any answers
to any of these constantly mind bugging questions, and hence instead of imprinting
judgments about him in my mind forever, I thought of giving him the benefit of
doubt and brought across the topic again in the conversation.
I called him up and told him, “I didn’t
like the way you talked about my country. Although you must have shifted to
another country, I still live here and would not like to hear stuff like this
about India.” I further added that, how could you forget that you live in this
very own country and it’s just unfair that instead of being thankful, you are
being an insensitive and ungrateful to the country. What happened to your
‘Patriotism’? The reply of his to this kind of opened my eyes. He said, “No
matter where I go, it’s always going to be my country as well, and I’m always
going to be a Patriot and I love India. Me, pointing out the real flaws does
not make me Un-Patriotic. It just states the fact that I realize that there are
problems, some real world problems that need to be addressed. The picture of
the country is painted and an impression created about India based on the few
people that the natives of other countries come in contact with”. He further
added, “On a very small scale, but here in front people of so many countries, I’m
actually representing India. They will make an impression of my country based
on their analysis of my behavior and my thoughts. So when I see people make
impressions about India based on some stupid activities of some people who may
be living abroad, or may be travelling on vacation abroad, making a total fool
of themselves, I feel bad. I want to change that, as you know the first step to
change is Realisation. If I know that there is a problem, I would take the next
step of Wanting to change it and then the final step of actually implementing
on the change”. So, he concluded, “No, I am not Un-Patriotic. I don’t want to
shout out loud- “Saare Jahan se acha Hindustan humara”, but I want the world to
say that with some if not lots of respect for my country and that my friend is real Patriotism”.
I was dumbfounded at his depth of thought
and his clear perspective about his feeling of Patriotism. It led me to think. On
the Independence Day, there were some people on the media and papers taking polls of
students, asking them,’ What does Freedom mean to you?’ Some of the answers
that I heard were outrageously hideous. I heard someone on the radio say that ‘India
is my country, so I’m free to throw whatever I want ton the roads.’ Why would
someone even think like that, let alone saying it out in the public. I can’t
imagine how shallow people take something which is so important in life, so
lightly. And ultimately that is what creates an impression on the minds of our
youngsters and children, on people from other countries visiting our country. I
was travelling with a couple from another country and after finishing his
orange that he was eating, the guy stretched his hand on the open window sill
of the train to throw the peels out on the tracks. I was staring at him with
disgust on my face. He asked me, “Is it not allowed here? I see garbage
everywhere.” I continued staring and just asked him, “Would you do this in your
country? If not then why My Country?”. He quietly put the peels back in his
backpack and said would throw them in a bin later. Our respected Prime Minister
showed us a path of cleanliness by starting the Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan (Clean
India Movement) in honor of Mahatma Gandhi and asked us to join hands to keep
not only our homes but our streets, city and our country clean, which in my
mind is a genius stroke and a very progressive thinking and a huge step towards
development. And oh my God, the kind of bad mouthing that had got in the press.
It’s just devastating and depressing. How did we reach here from the country of
valiant kings and great thinkers, artisans and art lovers, love and morales,
principles and action to such shallowness and such horrific thinking and
actions? Have we really lost all our sense of self-esteem and self-worth? Although not everyone
is bad news thankfully. We have very few people like Late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Nobel prize winners Kailash
Satyarthi and Sundar Pichai who have put our country on the world map, sure. But
just a handpicked few of them out of a population of more than 1.2 billion
people, and that’s not enough.
The only message that I would like to
convey is “With Freedom comes a Bigger Responsibility”. So yes, let’s celebrate
the Independence Day, but let’s also take up the responsibility for our country.
Instead of loathing on the fact that we are free, let’s also review the vision
of “Free and Thriving India” that the people who made India for us had, and try
and do something about it. Let's read Rabindra Nath Tagore's immaculate piece "Where the mind is without fear" if you feel the need for references
Just like John F. Kennedy has aptly stated, "Ask not what your country can do for you, Ask what you can do for your country." Let’s on our very small scale, represent our country
on whatever platform that we can try and contribute our patriotism not just by
words but by our actions. Let’s take a pledge to act upon one thing about the
system of the country that we don’t like and I’m so sure that each contribution
will matter and it’s by these drops of actions that the ocean of development will get filled up. I have
already taken mine. Have you?
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