The faces of millions of Indians are
radiating the happiness of being Indians on this Golden
Jubilee of the Independence of their mother land. There
is an earnest effort in them to rediscover their
Indianness. In hindsight, the long shadows of hits and
mishits notwithstanding, truly, this is a moment of
jubilation and mirth. Freedom we ultimately won at a very
high cost, socked with supreme sacrifices and sufferings.
We cherished it and sustained it, over the years, at a no
lesser cost.
India passed through a very eventful half-century of its
freedom from the colonial powers. In the process, she had
to suffer a painful partition with all its ugly
manifestations, four wars, fierce extremism and host of
insurgencies, unabated communal riots, severe famines and
natural disasters like droughts, floods and earthquakes,
economic and political upheavals and devastating
epidemics and disease outbreaks. But India survived all
these and slowly emerged into a single political and
social entity, standing tall in the world, closely
guarding her heritage, culture, ethnic diversities and,
above all the sense of belonging. She is now a fabulous
forward-looking nation, much stronger and united than at
the time of Independence five decades ago.
Our democratic credentials have been well established and
we are the largest democracy in the world. Our
achievements in certain sectors stand out as models for
many countries. The evolution of secularism and democracy
in India, with a predominantly illiterate voter-base, is
a rare miracle. The strength of our nation was never
better exhibited than when 590 million people freely
exercised their franchise to elect their representatives
in the general elections held two years ago. When many
other countries of the region and elsewhere are aspiring
for freedom of expression and democracy, India shows the
way. How the country got adapted to the concept of market
economy from the earlier socialist economy is a matter of
great interest.
It may not be cynicism if we are amazed at the way life
in India progressed all these years, despite serious
threats to the unity and integrity of the nation from
several corners. The political and economic lifelines of
the country faced the most serious challenges from vested
interests. The principles of moral values and patriotism
which formed the corner stones of the freedom struggle
got obliterated by a new wave of exploitation,
power-mongering and greed. Given the confusing political,
economic and social state of affairs, it was but natural
that the people were disillusioned with the systems which
we have evolved. People now crave for viable
alternatives. Thus, this moment in history gives an
opportunity to all the stake-holders in the nation to
ponder over the concerns of the times.
What is there to celebrate? Some people may ask. Plenty I
would say. If shortcomings are stepping stones to more
refined actions, we have got to come to terms with the
ground realities which give reasons for optimism. Setting
the house in order by a thorough cleansing operation is
indeed inevitable. Honesty and integrity in pursuing the
noble ideals which holds this nation together is the path
ahead. Every young nation had to go through similar
tribulations and birth pangs. The present day India is
very different from the India of the 1947. No doubt
enormous problems still plague the nation covering
social, political and economic aspects. Our priorities
will continue to be eradication of poverty and
illiteracy, provision of adequate housing and health care
for the masses, ensuring better employment for the
people, more equitable distribution of wealth, removal of
social injustice, stoppage of ecological vandalism and,
above all, arresting the prevailing lack of probity in
public life.
We still have to go a long way to strengthen and
articulate our national vision, by harmoniously
interweaving our innate social, cultural, religious and
philosophical values and norms, capable of guiding our
country to be more humane and progressive. In order to
avoid a trepid future, we have got to be clear about our
social goals and developmental priorities. The essence of
freedom lies in the indomitable spirit of the resilient
people who underwent great tragedies and hardships. The
ideals and vision which guided the freedom struggle
should continue to inspire us. The same kind of zeal,
fortitude and hope are needed to steer the nation of the
encircling gloom. We can look back, rejoice in the past
and learn from it to work towards the kind of future that
this nation deserves in a new millennium. This is a time
for us to resolve again to be worthy of our destiny and
stand up for the same.
Let us recall the words of the great patriot and
visionary, Sri Aurobindo:
"There are two who are unfit for greatness and
freedom, the man who has never been a slave to another
and the nation that has never been under the yoke of
foreigners. Fix not the time and the way in which the
ideal shall be fulfilled. Work as if the ideal had to be
fulfilled swiftly and in this lifetime."
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