* Please see End-of-Post for Disclaimer
Its the moral duty of every Indian in this country to suddenly have an overwhelming sense of patriotism and pride when Independence Day or Republic Day is round the corner. Wouldn't you agree ? Can't really blame him though. After all, it isn't Independence Day everyday,is it?
I, just like the rest of the faithful population of this country, have never failed to feel specially patriotic on these two days. Suddenly thinking of our country's reach heritage, discussing topics of national importance in the living room while parents glare incredulously, watching Mera-BhArat-mahAn- movies on the telly and clapping at the end-scene, sporting the tri-colour flag on self (and fervently searching for it the very evening) ......yep, thats (y)our typical day of national pride.
Typical for me, till Republic Day this year.
This 26th, it dawned on me that patriotism in our country was just a farce. It was merely another reason to celebrate, to commemorate, to felicitate. At the end of the day, National-Day for the mass juntha and mass media was just celebration of the popular, commemoration of the powerful and felicitation of the glamorous.
National Awards, Felicitations, Indian-of-the-Year titles...all of them. I'm not condemning them(like someone would care a hoot if I did). Its just the spirit with which they're conducted, the people, the frivolity, the unserisouness.
A few points that really disturbed me the more I thought about them.
1. The Indian-of-the-Year Award given away by a popular-news-channel sounded like a major deal to me. You were after all, the 'Indian-of-the-year' if you were awarded this big chunk of metal and you probably did deserve it if you were chosen amongst thousands of people who have put the nation ahead of their personal lives and contributed to this country's well-being unconditionally. You were our example and we, the youth would look up to you.
But no. It wasn't about all that. Its never about all that.
What I don't understand is why every important political/national function in our country is made to look like a Cultural (read Filmfare) festival. Tell me, amidst dignitaries like Manmohan Singh and Dr. A P J Abdul Khalam (whom I think is God's gift to a country that doesn't appreciate a blessing when it sees one) , do we really need a Shilpa Shetty, a mother of Shilpa Shetty and a Karan Johar in the same hall ? When there are men/gods like Ratan Tata whose keep a promise of delivering the 1 lakh-rupee car only because a promise is a promise, do we need a Shah Rukh Khan or a Rajnikanth to bag an Indian-of-the-year award for some insignificant category?
Why is everything in our country about movies? Cant we honour our country and its men even once without the presence of the movie folks? Do they always have to be the star of the show? Cant we do without frivolity at least once?
Tragic.
2. Captain Harshan like the rest of our brave soldiers receives the Param Vir Chakra award this year. After he'd dead.
Call me dumb, but what was the point again? Who are we honouring by the way? Dead people? Dead soldiers? While actors and actresses get Padma-Shrees one after the other by singing tra-la-la, louder with each time, the country hesitates so much in honouring our soldiers while they live. Am I the only one failing to see some sense in this? If soldiers are appreciated for their heroism and bravery after they die, I'm sure the same rule can hold good for the rest of our country's population whom they guard and protect till their very last breadth. Lets all get awards after we die. Sounds like fun na?
Tragic. Very.
Right. I really don't think I have the right to say anything more considering that I'm a part of the majority of this nation that just criticizes but doesn't do anything about it. Criticize I shall 'cos I do have a point and this is my blog but I don't disagree that I'm culpable in some way or the other. Sometimes you have the urge to to something for the country, and that burning desire dies down without a trace the next second you confront your daily-problems.
But I'm sure all of us do ask ourselves the same question sometimes if not all the time. What can we really do for this nation?
What, pray, what?
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*DISCLAIMER: The contents of this blog are purely my personal views. I don't impose my thoughts on anyone. Please don't scold me. :D
15 Confounded-souls had something to say:
Typed in something (as usual long), but went back; decided to finish off in just 3 points.
-- Good to know that there is someone who thinks in similar lines as i do.
-- Did u know that we are not supposed to pin/clip(punch holes/crush) the flag & it should not be used/worn by everyone as & how they like? I really don't know how many people know & i am pretty sure no school(or institition) advices on this.
-- Todays world is nothing but mostly politics & glamour. We WILL have to live with it. NO POINT in fighting alone for/against things which most people decide to aceept & live with. Have infact actually even tried. We become indifferent then (not different but indifferent).
Period.
-- Oops...!
*appuluse* a standing ovation to this blog. cant agree with you more in this matter.
For me patriotisam is not saluting falg on Aug15th/Jan 256th or watching Mera-Bharat-Mahan movies, but it is about conserving nature, recycling, doing away with road rage and score of other things which helps to make daily life better.
I do not see teh value of cinema industry and cricket in diminished values, but as you pointed out, among people like APJ Abdul Kalam and Mr.Tata, the sight of bollywood heros is a sore.
a very itense blog you've put there. 1. Sometimes the media thinks of what we want to see and not what we ought to see. 2. They dont really screen mera-bharat-manah movies these days. Which channel were you talking about anyway?
ANYWAYS, very thought provocating post.
Ashok
This post reeks of awesomeness.
I was proud of myself this year, I didn't see anything on TV, and I made sure nobody else in the house did, except for the parade. It just doesn't make sense. I had the exact same feeling when Bipasha Basu ran with the Olympic Torch.
Ughh.
And Double Uggh.
I hoped someone would come up with Manjunath's name, the 27-year-old Area Sales Manager of Indian Oil Corporation Limited. An IIM Lucknow graduate, he was shot dead after he blacklisted a petrol pump for stocking adulterated oil.
am sure you must have heard about it...
the people of this country has short memory.....
well its all about movies because thats what the mass knows and gets appealed by... we need a shilpa shetty and a karan johar because thats the only way tata's and reliences are going to sponsor airtimes on shows. not because mukhesh or ratan are there, but because rajnikanth brings in bigger trp.
why do we pay our cricketers so much? why do we base our pride and nationalizm on a dozen who don't much give a damn except for the dough they make and the drinks and soaps they endorse? but we just do, and that means they get a higher salary... everything needs media- the media needs money- money is TRP- and TRP is star value
@Oops:
Yes, one of those sad-but-true things in life. But just hate it when everyone;s indifferent.
@xh:
Wow! You do all that? Awesome! You're absolutely right. The small things like recycling n all do contribute to a common purpose, but all of us have to do it all the time. Either one of those clauses fail one time or the other.
@Ashok:
Yes true.But isnt media supposed to reflect ppl's attitude or atlease influence us postitively?
Thanks for visiting! :)
@CC: Yeah, that made me sick too.
Bips n all konjum over thaan.
@Ron:
Yes, dont know how I forgot to mention him. Its funny/sad how the real heros are burried literally and we end up having fake ones in the form of badshahs and master blasters.
@Mark:
Sometimes, the media has a resonsibility factor. It should. At least one 2 days of the year. How blatantly shameless can we let it be?
Apparently Shatrughan Sinha said Rakhi Sawant deserves a Bharat Ratna. I am not sure if he was serious or fooling around.
-Ok
P.S. No insult you thala!
@coconut: What do you think will first run through my mind when I see Bips running?
Simple, yet bombastic, with a gr8 degree of concern!
wish atleast 10% of /indian/ youth start thinking in the line of urs, for the amelioration of the nation!
until then, yes, u have said (questioned, rather[:P]), already, check the penultimate word of the post!!!
with best wishes
bala/1855 hours/MEST/4th february
PS:
i, rather, hate spending time on blogs of others; (i am not capable of posting blogs, that's a different issue)! but when i landed in this page for posting the greets on ur music, had a glance of this "striking - thoughtful" blog, hence, squeezed-in sometime and posted my views!!!
@Ok:
Oh your mistaken. I'm SO for Rakhi Sawanth to get the Bharath Rathna.
Count me in. Anytime. :P
@Bala:
Hey Bala! Thanks for reading this, honoured that you did. :) Do keep stopping by :D
Its really serious :D
Fantastic!! :) Thats all I can say!
sandhya
Hi Sandhya! Lovely of you to have stopped by! :)
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