Happy in our Independence - Great to be Indian

                                                       

On the eve of our 66th Independence Day, as a proud Indian I can't but sit up and salute our Freedom Fighters', our Messiahs who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for Indian Independence. The people who lived and struggled in the Fight for Freedom, are remembered for their great sacrifices, their relentless pursuit for the goal of complete Freedom for India, which they saw, envisaged and ultimately achieved. Freedom Fighters' like Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Pt Madan Mohan Malviya, and so many other great stalwarts joined in the clarion call given by the Mahatma - the Father of the Nation - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to come forward and join him in the march towards Freedom. It was their relentless struggle and efforts to fight for what was rightfully ours, that India was able to achieve the goal of Freedom and we can now proudly sit back and say with pride that we are the citizens of a free and prosperous Nation.
The foundation laid down for a free and prosperous India was envisaged by our first Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru and he was to a large extent responsible for the broad industrial and agricultural framework which India inherited and set itself on. We saw our Nation make rapid strides towards becoming a self reliant non aligned force to reckon with in this Asian region. His legacy was followed and carried forward by his illustrious daughter Indira Gandhi, the Iron lady of India who ruled with a firm hand and took the Country forward with rapid strides so much so that she was called 'Indira is India.'
The foundation built by these great leaders was carried forward by the great Rajiv Gandhi who introduced the 'modern concept' in young India. This was the age of computers, the era of science and technology, the concept of youth chipping and sharing in with their ideas of Nation building, and the Country made huge strides under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi.
Street agitations have always been part of India's political scenario and they are nothing new. However no agitation was ever big enough to overshadow India's growth story. The people could always differentiate between street agitations, a peoples' movement and good governance. People were smart enough to distinguish which movement was good for them, and ultimately they voted for that party which brought stability to the Country. After all nothing was more supreme than preserving the unity and integrity of our beloved Country. It was always the Party which the people believed that would be able to keep the Country together which ultimately won in the elections.
Today what do we see on the streets. It is full of opportunistic politics. People are clamoring for power, the means may not be necessarily noble, but the journey is certainly being made to look extremely noble. So we have extreme forms of street agitations springing up at every nook and corner of our Country with noble aims and 'ambitions' in mind. The agenda is manifold, the issues definitely appealing to the grassroots, but the means simply appalling. So it is in these circumstances we stand today to celebrate our Independence.
 However I do maintain that all said and done, at the end of the day when elections are finally announced we will have our work to speak for. All the rhetoric, all the speeches, all the street agitations will give way to the stark reality of performance and goals having been achieved. In difficult times which party has been able to achieve how much for the Country will stand the best chance to be on top. Irrespective of public posturing, grand standing and stage tamashas, it is the Party or parties who have the right performance behind them, will survive and the rest will simply melt away.
So I join the Countrymen in saluting our great Nation and wish everybody a Happy Independence Day. May we share the fruits of this Independence with each and every citizen of our Country, who can now stand up in pride and declare that I'am proud to be an Indian.
Cheers and Jai Hind.