On this our 74th Independence Day and very challenging times of the pandemic, racism and Christian persecution I look back to the India I grew up, which I hope and pray will not be lost due to the religious, ambitious and selfish interests of the political figures ruling our country.
Hate crimes against Christians in India, including instances of murder, rape, and arson, have risen by 40 per cent in the first half of 2020, according to a new report. The report, by campaigning group, Persecution Relief, noted that the “disconcerting” rise has taken place in spite of a three-month national lock down.
On this our National Independence Day, the patriotic feeling within us starts arousing. There are various points that makes us feel proud of being born in India.
India is a sub-continental size country. Its hugeness lies not only in the size of its territory but also visible in its humongous population, big size of its economy, great diversity of culture, large number of public institutions and many more. Being an Indian, I am proud of the people of my nation who make this country versatile. I respectfully call them nation builders.
We Indians are always criticising our country for countless things, be it population, pollution, central or state government policies, budgets, and more. Undoubtedly, India has numerous flaws but no country is completely perfect.
I am proud to be an Indian. But for what? Is that simply because I am a sheer creation of the Indian soil? Or, that my upbringing was in Indian soil ? Certainly not for these reasons only.
I am proud to be an Indian because my country granted refuge to Jews who became victims of atrocities of the Romans and after the destruction of their holy place of worship, reached the Indian soil for shelter. They not only obtained refuge here forever, but also the permission of earning their livelihood. Deprived of freedom in their own motherland of Iran, Zoroastrians [Parsis], the followers of Spitama Zoroaster, who conveyed the great message of monotheism, when reached India to take refuge, Indians accepted them with joy.
I am proud to be an Indian because of our country’s achievements in space and missile technology. India has launched a number of satellites in space for helping us in weather forecast, communications, medical research, and education. The missiles such as Agni, Prithvi strengthened our nation’s security and ensured a place in the elite group of the world’s powerful countries. Moreover, our scientists have lifted India’s pride by placing our Tri-colour on the moon and are now looking for landing in the planet Mars.
I am proud to be an Indian because India is the largest democracy in the world. It has a civilisation that is more than 5000 years old and boasts of multiple cultural origins. There is an emerging global, scientific and technological superpower, with a diverse environment in flora and fauna.
Indian Armed Forces ranks third in the World and it is among the top notch associations of India, which incorporates Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and also Para Military Forces. It has more than 1 million individuals, who toil day and night to protect the country from outsider powers.
There is so much to being an Indian that one can never be proud enough. The variety in languages, cultures, lifestyles, cuisines, climatic conditions, scenic beauty, architecture, traditions...It is not only our great achievers, in fields more than many, but also the common people that strive to make it better, day by day. There are already enough mentions about our great discoveries, inventions, spices, arts and craft, technological genius, media, film, advertising, medicine, finance, fashion, textiles, agriculture, self reliability and spirituality.
India is a country well known for its rich tradition and heritage. The unity in diversity is unique to our nation. It is a land of holy rivers, beautiful mountains and dense forests. There is natural beauty in our country. It has a great ancient civilisation and culture. We are also recognised for being the world’s second largest population.
Indian people are well known for their generous nature and this makes the people of India different from other nations. They welcome everyone with open hearts and make it a home for the ones who visits India. People of India are known for their amicable nature as well as for their perseverance and tolerance. Indian population is a combination of various races, ethnicities and cultures but one this that is common among every Indian is their hospitality and generous nature.
India is a country of love, care and affection. In today’s world of selfishness, we in India still respect our elders, care for our mates and traditional culture. The pledge “ All Indians are Brothers and Sisters” is believed and followed by all of us. Thus, I feel very proud to be an Indian and lucky too.
My only hope is that as Indians may we always strive together to live in harmony and relearn to live with virtues like hope, peace, freedom of speech and harmony instead of normalising hatred, rage, anger, aggression and violence towards our brothers and sisters.
Jai Hind!!!