I love my India

It's 15th August - our national holiday or as we proudly call it : INDEPENDENCE DAY. It's a day where all of us feel very patriotic and proud to belong to this land. This day, we tend to remember our national heroes, the sacrifices they made in getting us free and our hearts are filled with a rejuvenated passion towards our country, the emotions oozing through pompous flag hoisting ceremonies and the sound of patriotic songs being played throughout the day. Indeed, it's a very special day deserving all our attention. Not just to remember what happened on 15th August, 1947 but to remind ourselves of what values we as a nation together stand for. All of us have our personal allegiance to something or someone, a particular cause that drives us and which matters the most to us. But we should never forget that it is this free and sovereign land and system of governance we got on 15th August, 1947 that propels our personal goals and ambitions. Had it been a colonial rule, we probably won't have cared that much for having a 2-storey building or high collar job. It is this sense of being an independent country where we know that our rights and well-being are fairly ensured by the Constitution so that we can bother to dream and aspire. Hence, despite of where we are placed in our personal lives, the underlying basis is always the affiliation and allegiance to this land and the nation. We can't dissociate ourselves from that. 

India as a country and an indigenous system of governance although was formalised on 15 August, 1947 but we know that our civilisation and cultural heritage is thousands of years old. We have seen many empires governing our nation for centuries from the Mauryans to Guptas to Cholas to the Sultanate  to the Marathas to the Mughals and finally, the 200 years of colonial rule. In this due course of time, we as a society have evolved. Our lifestyle, ideas, ideals, traditions have all undergone massive changes and culminated into what we know as the diverse culture of India today. If there has to be a USP of this country, it would be the pluralistic society and the diversity of thoughts and beliefs we have here. It is a land where all the major religions have flourished and evolved. From the land of Bhagwan Rama and Bhagwan Krishna that witnessed the legends of Ramayan and Mahabharat, this is also the place of Bhagwan Buddha and Bhagwan Mahavira who spread the teachings of Buddhism and Jainism all around the region. This is the land where the Sultanate and Mughal kings nurtured the legacy of rich Islamic culture. And this is also the holy land of Guru Nanak who formed a religion of fraternity and brotherhood bridging differences across the Hindus and Muslims. During the colonial rule, we also saw the growth and influence of Christianity across the length and breadth of our country. Today, we are proud inheritors of such a vastly rich and diverse cultural heritage. Through these centuries, we saw many ups and downs but the fact that we still retain our identity as a society where multiple ideas and beliefs have not just co-existed but flourished is remarkable. 

When we got independence, it was mixed with the pain of a partition of our multi-cultural society but the fact that even after more than 70 years of that event, we have the elements of all the beliefs and all the sects is cheering. Post independence, our cultural identity had a new form. It was in the shape of division of states on the basis of cultural similarities. Today, India is not just about a muddle of castes and religions. Today, India is the pleasing music of a Rajasthani folk song blowing with the winds of the desert. It is the freshness of the hills of our North-Eastern states. It is the beauty of Kashmir & Kashmiriyat and it is also the delicious taste of a wholesome South Indian Thali. It is the Garba of Gujarat and Bihu of Assam. It is the richness of Bengali Literature and it is the proud Maratha identity. It is the delicious Hyderabadi Biryani and the sumptuous Avadhi cuisine. It is the passion of Punjab and raw emotions of Bihar. It is the mountains of Himachal and lush greenery of Munnar. India is 28 states, 9 union territories and their culture embroiled together. This is what we always stood for as a society, a crossroads of culture, progressive and plural in nature. And it is not just the diversity within the country but historically, India has always appreciated this pluralistic aspect globally respecting and acknowledging all the multitude of culture throughout the world.

Our freedom fighters envisioned to build a nation upon the principles of peace and inclusiveness, freedom and diversity. The fight against the British rule was not just for a sovereign administration, it was a fight to practice our beliefs freely in our society without being under the subordination of a foreign control. Administration is dynamic in nature, it will keep changing with time but the essence of the society and the people should always be the same. And this is the essence of our society - pluralism and the pride we associate with that. It is this pride that we draw from seeing our national team win a match or our scientists excelling in the technological advancement & innovation. It is this pride that fills us with emotions when we see our beautiful tricolour waiving through the winds. This was the prize for which our ancestors fought against the British administration, some ideologically, others with weapons. And we should be indebted to them for their strife which got us the independence we have today and hence, the freedom to pursue our personal dreams and aspirations in order to live a life of our choice without being subjugated. 

73 years after gaining the sovereignty, we have several challenges to fight - poverty, divisions in the society, heinous crimes. But those challenges can't deter India's resolve to project itself as a nation that has always been a source of enlightenment for the world. India has been built upon the lessons of Gautam Buddha and Guru Nanak. Our foundations are based in the valour of Shivaji Maharaj and the path of "Satya-Ahimsa" shown by Mahatma Gandhi. Sacrifices of Mangal Pandey and Bhagat Singh forms the history of our brave struggles. We taught the world the lessons of peace and non-violence, love and fraternity, knowledge and spirituality, unity and diversity. 

So even though we get to cherish this feeling only twice the year - Republic day & Independence day, we should reflect upon the ideals and the values we as a society, we as a nation have always stood for and tried to preserve. The very ideals that enable us to be a society progressive and accommodating in nature. We may have our personal identities in multiple spheres but the bigger picture is how, at the base of all, we are all Indians and the flag-bearers of this awesome cultural and social heritage we have inherited from our ancestors. 

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat !!