75th year of our independence

This Independence Day, which assumes special significance being the 75th year of independence, I am away from my beloved Nation in a foreign land, but the feeling that’s rather difficult to explain being a mix of pride, happiness and slight anxiety, is very much there in my heart. Pride because as a nation, we seem to be doing well in spite of several constraints, more pronouncedly external threat and certain internal challenges. Happiness because nothing can provide happiness greater than freedom. Anxiety because some of the recent events are unbecoming of the Nation of our stature that has for long assimilated different points of views and lived in great harmony. The general political scenario that’s highlighted not even an iota of common ground, external developments such as protracted Russian Ukraine war, social media’s reaction to something as trivial as movies featuring certain stars or trolling of certain points of views on Twitter, Instagram and FB all such developments do not augur well for a pluralistic country like India.

While certain factors as listed above are beyond our control and we can at best deal with them by reacting to them in a manner that’s most appropriate, certain others are very much within our control. We seem to be on the threshold of putting a great foot forward, but as a Nation we will have to be inclusive. If all sections of society are not taken ahead together, we may show advancement here and there but we may not be able to justify the stamp of greatness that India has all along been flaunting with pride and that our nation truly deserves.

Happy 75th Independence Day and Jai Hind.