I ask myself…
It is a day for patriotic quotes, singing songs in praise of Bharat Mata, for waving flags vigorously, lighting up iconic buildings with the tiranga, and for saluting as the Indian flag rises.
Why do I sit idle? Am I not happy that we are 75 today?
Like every other country, India is a work in progress. Our failures cannot be the reason to avoid these anniversary celebrations. Remember, thousands fought for our freedom; thousands died to make this day happen. But I only see fear, hate, avarice and machismo all around. These celebrations seem parochial, performative, commercial. A jostling for attention. Beyond the ingrained feeling of national pride, do we really know why we call ourselves Indians. But it is not just this, is it?
I feel sad at who we have become.
The challenge India posed for itself on 15th August 1947 was daunting. We had romantic visions of a land where the minds and hearts of people would be unbounded. This is an oxymoron because every identity is a curtailment. Imagination, however, cannot be held hostage to the limitations of logic. We grappled with this philosophical core even as we gave ourselves the Constitution in 1950. But, over the seven decades that followed, we systematically eroded any possibility of its realization. Today, we stand at the precipice, just about to fall over. Yet, even at this late stage, rather than worrying about the impending steep fall, we are obsessing over whom to push over.
What shall I sing about?
15/08/2022
