August 15, 1947-Independence at last! Millions of Indians on the streets, celebrating their new found freedom. Tears of joy, shouts of jubilation, people hugging and congratulating one another; at the same time mourning their loved ones, who they lost during the struggle.
August 15, 2012 – A National Holiday.
65 years since we got our independence, and the meaning of the day and the word seems to have changed with each passing year. Today, August 15 as I see it, is a day when all of us are especially glad that it is a holiday. A day, away from our boring, monotonous jobs. A day to relax, to catch up with friends- for whom we haven’t had the time, because of our “busy schedules”. August 15 2012 is all about wishing friends on Facebook, changing our respective profile pictures to the Indian flag, posting an old message about independence as our status with ‘Jai Hind’ being the last two words by default.
How many of us really sit and think about that day? How many of us really feel sad for the ones who lost their lives fighting for our freedom? How many of us really care?
It is true, there is still a lot to be done in order to develop our country, in order to rid it of its poverty and ugliness i.e. corruption. But the start has been made, and it is only fair that we as citizens contribute the least we can, to see our country grow, to make it a better place.
Let not August 15 just be a ‘holiday’. Let it be a day which will take us closer to the India we all want to see. And then one August 15 after a few years, we will all shed tears of joy, congratulate and hug each other for reaching there, for daring to make a change.
Grace Jaya.
Grace Jaya.
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