Do and Just Do IT !!!

Do or die is an old saying, 2009 dictates we must ‘do and just do it’!

As we celebrate our 62 years of independence, one basic question is irking me for long - From what are we celebrating our independence? I don’t want to sound like a cynic but at the same time another counter question arises in my mind – Are we really independent? Do we really know the meaning of independence?

In my view, we are still slaves to poverty, over-population, unemployment, communalism, regionalism, intolerance and vested interests. You guys must be wondering where is corruption in this list? Don’t be surprised, I do not see corruption as an issue at all, but a corrupt mind set, which is the root of all corruption.

For us Independence means throwing our household garbage outside in the vicinity, abusing our natural resources, showing uncultured & indecent programs on national television, going on rampaging everywhere for whatever cause, and presenting our resilient side when terrorists attack us. Our independent media now does not believe in presenting the news & happenings but ‘reports’ even sensitive issues with all sensationalism (we all have seen ‘reality show’ of Prince & Arushi).

Two principles that got us our national freedom – Truth & Non-Violence, too have different meanings in the current context. Truth now needs gluttony of One Crore rupees to come out. We just do not seem to agree on anything more – anything and everything can lead to agitation – crowd and chaos have become more important than the cause itself. Greater the loss of lives and property, bigger the cause. The scenes of burnt buses and blocked trains have replaced the black and white videos of crowd peacefully marching towards Dandi! The angry young man has been replaced by an angry India. While angry young man was looking for option, the angry India looks for just rampaging.

Over a period of 62 years, we have not valued our freedom but time and again we have taken its own meaning as per our suitability. The problem is that we have become overly complacent. We are happy about our achievements and we should be, but we should also understand our true potential.

We take immense pride in the facts that India is speeding past other nations when it comes to development and economy, but at the same time we ignore the fact that this growth rate should have been much higher that what it is. With the resource pool of more than a billion people, we should have been at the top of ladder by now. We are proud that India is seen as the prince of the new era when rather it should have been the king of the existent era.

We celebrate first Olympic gold in over 100 years… with due respect to over 1 billion people in India. Our per capita GDP is still similar to that of Pakistan, Bangladesh & African countries. The service sector which we are proud of coz it contributes around 51% of our economy, still majorly depends on US & European countries. India still has world’s largest population living under poverty line. Poor are still suppressed and getting poorer while rich are getting richer. We feel proud when we read of India having 3 entries in world’s TOP 10 richest people, while 35% of our people still don’t even get two times meal a day?

The world is changing much faster than what we feel it is & if we continue to sit on our past laurels, very soon we would disappear in the pages of history. It’s high time that we start picturing the larger perspective rather than being satisfied with our own small world.

Ask people about their passion and most of the answers point that cinema and cricket rule the arena. For the majority of us, nationalism is restricted to standing while the National Anthem is played before our favourite movies start. But now is the time for everything else to take the back seat, and Nationalism to emerge as people’s new passion. The feeling associated with our national symbols - unfurling of the Tricolour and the melody of our National Anthem must continue to play in our mind and soul throughout, and not only during our national days. Nationalism must consume our entire nation. August 15 must mean more to us than a day for encashing ‘paanch din Mahabachat ke’.

A popular channel aired a spoof that showed a politician blaming everything under the sun on ‘foreign hand’. And very rightly so too… while we are all busy worrying over involvement of the videshi haath in domestic affairs – in my view, the enemy ‘within each of us’ poses a bigger threat. The urge within us to check out how Rakhi Sawant looks in her latest item number wins over the necessity to face issues that are staring at us in the face. Inclination towards all things trivial (Numero uno slot bagged by gossip) and a tendency to procrastinate together gives birth to an indifferent attitude that plagues all of us. We fight amongst our fellow beings on the basis on region & religion, but are not interested to challenge our biggest enemy – “Our indifferent Attitude!”

We must first get rid of our ‘chalta hai’ attitude and start looking for fool-proof measures. We do not need martyrs, we needn’t continue to glorify the term ‘shaheed’. We have to think above ‘to kill or get killed’, and look for some constructive measures. We need numerous clones of negotiators like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel who rose above self, keeping in mind the larger interest of our nation. We no more need current politicians who trade MPs, and we certainly need to do away with such MPs who are ready to be traded.

The Revolt of 1857 was not a success as it lacked the unity. It kept on repeating and hence British could rule India for more than 200 years. Unless we get ourselves above the differences that we all have, and fight together… we will face status-quo! The more we aim at making the best of opportunities together, the better it would be for the development for the nation as well as our own individual self. Rome was not built in a day, but it could be built only coz the foundation was strong.

Something similar stands for our nation, and the foundation here is none other that “We the people” of India.

Let’s make this 63^rd Independence Day of our nation a bit more worthwhile…