HAPPY INDEPENDENCE :)

An extract of Independence Day speech that I wrote for one of my friends (actually, friend’s girl friend). I was writing one of these after about 10 years!!! After having got into corporate world, I never got a chance to refresh my older memories. And when I was lettering it today, I still could feel an electrifying effect through out my body!!!

Hello All,

Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge... At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance Jawaharlal Nehru Claiming Independence from British Midnight of August 14, 1947.

Today, is Independence Day! The last time I spoke or rather gave a speech on this day was way back in my school :). At that tender age, I did not realize what I was saying, for me standing on the podium and addressing a huge crowd was so exciting that I did it with pleasure.

But today, when I stand here as a matured girl, a responsible citizen of this nation, I feel proud to be an INDIAN. At this age, wherein we have already read the history of Indian Independence for long eons, there is no point talking about the past. So, my intention of this talk would be to rouse you to think of present and future with Independence as perspective. Yet, since our fighters have had a great deal giving us this opportunity of celebrating this day, I would first of all like to salute them all and express my heartfelt gratitude to all those great souls!

To name a few legendaries, Mahatma Gandhi, one of my ideals, of course, he has most fans following after “Munna Bhai MBBS” and “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”, Bhagat Singh, the well known trio - BAL PAL LAL, Jawaharlal Nehru, Chandrashekar Azad and many more.

When Independence Day is in the offing, one sees a sudden burst of saffron, green and white, the Indian tri-color. The media goes to town with a variety of contests, promotions and programmes related to Indian independence. Television channels show patriotic movies and relentlessly play patriotic songs from old and new Hindi movies. Billboards on roadsides for different brands pay their tribute to the nation. Everyone seems to have something going for them. Shops and petty tradesmen sell a range of Independence Day merchandise such as flags, stickers, tee-shirts and greeting cards. Street urchins hawk paper and plastic flags and tri-colored balloons to motorists at traffic signals.

But, after a day or two, you and I will find the tri-colored flags on the streets, in gutter!! What a shame? I had initiated one such group in my colony wherein after every national festival we go on roads as scavengers and collect all the unattended flags lying orphaned. Being in a busy world now, if each one of us can take the pain of picking one flag up and giving awareness to people regarding the importance of it, I think we have given a tribute to the nation and our national leaders, to whom we owe our lives.

Unfortunately, for most of us today, Independence Day is a holiday, or probably a long weekend!! We don’t realize the significance of it, because we haven’t witnessed that struggle, we haven’t faced those tribulations. Being educated, we first need to value our freedom. I would want to emphasize here on “Responsible Freedom”. Yes, you heard it right, “RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM”. Most of the times, we forget that freedom does come with conditions. Freedom does not mean you have the right to wantonly exercise your liberties. Freedom comes with responsibilities. We should know how to use it wisely.

What is this responsible freedom now?? You are free to smoke, but not in my face. You are free to eat, but not from my plate. You are free to be happy, but not at my expense. You are free to fight for your rights, but not snatching mine. You have to know what you can and cannot do with freedom.

Country was moved by the recent bomb blasts that happened here in the city and Ahmadabad. We belong to a different society or class from where we hardly find time to spend thinking on these issues. We are rather busy impressing our PM, pretending to work till late night, hang out in weekends, make more money and fly abroad. That’s all we can think. All these times, we forget, it is WE who constitute the nation. I am not asking you stop living. But, in your lifetime dedicate a small fraction for some good cause.

I would like to conclude my talk here hoping that all of you will at least get influenced by one of the minute and yet giant points that I mentioned here today. Let the world see the transformation in terms of patriotism in young Indians. I proudly want to dedicate these words to all Indians, my friends, colleagues and last but never the least to Abhinav Bindra, who won gold for India in shooting, 10m Air rifle. Three cheers to all of us. Hip Hip Hurray!!!

Jai Hind.

Thanks one and all.