Happy Independence Day - 2016!

Seven decades ago, the Sun coming up on the Eastern horizon of this country would have noticed joyous scenes all around. All through His whole sojourn up there, He would have noticed people waving the tricolor, chanting, dancing and jumping with joy, for it was the day when this nation woke up redeeming its pledge, fulfilling its 'tryst with destiny'.

The Sun, 70 years older today, would be witnessing the same nation going through the motions with the spirit of Freedom and patriotism watered down, manipulated and moulded to fit each of our own narrow interests.

While it is easy to get carried away and feel a bristling sense of 'patriotism' amidst all the special events and symbols of the nation freely flaunted today, the real patriotism is what we carry in our hearts and display on a daily basis.

Go through the lives and letters of all those leaders and little-known freedom fighters that gave their all for attaining freedom for this nation of theirs and we will know that we are incapable of the level of ethics, honesty, grit and morality that they displayed as a matter of habit.

While it may not be possible for us to follow them in their giant footprints, having become the corrupt and selfish puny ones that we are all today, we may try to emulate as little of their deeds as possible to us.

There are 364 days more for the next Independence Day and let's make a pledge today. For the next 12 months, let us try to become the worthy citizens of this great land. Let's fight corruption and let's equally fight pollution. Let's obey the traffic rules and also the tax laws. Let's learn the lives and words of the past giants, while trying to shake off our petty interests. Let's work for the common interest, while working on overcoming our human selfishness. Let's treat our women with equality, while they learn what their real freedom is. Let's take a pledge to protect the national monuments, while caring also for her natural resources and ecological system. Let's burn our narrow caste and religious identities, while evolving spiritually, brightening the beacon of spiritual wisdom that this glorious land of ours was once for this whole world!

Overall, let us be the real patriots that silently and solemnly keep working for the welfare of this land as well as that of this whole beautiful world, instead of reserving our 'patriotism' for some special days or for sports matches.

Let's ensure that the pledge we made with the destiny and our tryst are consummated to the whole, instead of wilting away as just another failed affair!

Jai Hind!