Anniversaries hit a storm of remembrance within us and we suddenly wake up to the reality of the calendar as it flashes an important date with a combination of a new year number and we feel privileged, proud, emotional and sometimes carrying by sparing some moments , some lines to honour the persons/victims either in silence of our thoughts or on the new age outlet - #facebook : #twitter etc.. let me confess I’m no different – it is the same with me as well!
This brings us to the important question – why have we gone ceremonious? Do we no longer feel the importance or the need to keep the characters or events of past alive in our day to day routine? I’m convinced an educated guy would answer it in negative if the response were to be recorded and in affirmative if an he dares to speak his mind under the assurance that the response is not being recorded! That’s the actual state of affair in our 1.2 bn+ strong or should I say crowded nation, while I say this I’m reasonably convinced that an average Indian, like me, by no means sees the actions/dates as unimportant or irrelevant – he is, however, truly confused on matters which he seems to value more than the fact that he has some linkage with the glorious past.
We can’t and shouldn’t ignore the underline cause – it is that we are living in a free country – where freedom of speech is debating its case in the court of law at the hands of people in power who see censorship on internet as valid, in a country where a renowned painter is exiled and forced to die outside his home land, we are a county where a noted literary genius is not allowed to participate in a literary fest – because he wrote a book more than two decades ago, which does not suit the taste buds of a few extremists who know violence and its threats as best tool to regulate the movement of a government , which is headed by an honest , well read Phd, noted economist Prime minister, who leads a collation, which for many is the most corrupt government ever, where election commission takes decision to cover hundreds of elephants casted across a state due for state legislative assembly election over providing blankets to millions who are struggling with cold across the country?
Times are challenging for sure – the growth of industries have declined , share market produces the share of bad losses to many every morning ,dollar is climbing higher on the ladder of poor rupee every day? We are living in times where job losses , terrorist attacks , corruption are almost daily news feeds – there are sufferings!
Not everything happening around is bad – there are multi million award shows, movies making gross of over 150 crores - tablets available for at the underside of rupees 3K – a lot is happening – it shouldn’t bother us if a few unfortunate perpetrators of terror, that our efficient police could lay their hands on, are enjoying the comfort of high security prison and are due to celebrate many more anniversary of massacring innocent Indians, before they are proven guilty in the court of law.
The society does throw us some ray of hope – while a few were forced shut in closed doors of power (Baba Ramdev), others (#Anna and team) managed to pull crowd on streets to fight graft and demand a strong law from the government , people slowly got used to no having a law and politicians debated - some masked their arguments under “for” regime some under “against” but both the groups worked towards defeating it in the arena of the parliament and then the session ended – silence ----
What does an Indian do - Work towards correcting these or keep celebrating the past events and icons in whatever little time he gets, after the daily and unending battle that he returns from, to keep the fire in his kitchen ablaze, books on shelf of his children, medicine for his ailing parents?
I’m sure if these questions were posed to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose , he would have also said – attend to these first - we are there and will remain to give you courage wherever you fall short of it. We remember you Netaji on your 106th Birthday and thank you for all that you did towards creating a free nation , it is our responsibility now to fight the present day challenges and make this is country a place that the word would work to emulate.
Remembering you always!
Twitter : (@LKstates) : I particularly miss #Kolkata on #SubhashJayanti when it's #festival like there,every corner of d city would hv Indian flag with his pic!#joy
