I stepped out of my house early today morning (don't look at me like that, 11 AM is pretty early for me.) The sky was just the right shade of cloudy. A cool, wet breeze grazed past my skin. Music in my ears, a sparkle in my eyes, I thought today was a better day than most. It is then that I noticed that every single vehicle, from rusty old bicycles to swank new cars had at least two Tirangas (tri-coloured flag of India) affixed on them. All the shop fronts sported the three colours in front of the sternly closed shutters. Today was our 62nd Independence Day.
Although it's been 62 years, we Indians still proudly recall the struggles and sacrifices of those brave, brave freedom fighters. From Gandhi's innovative non-violent policies to the radical explosiveness of Bhagath Singh, from the silent sufferings of millions of resistant Indians to the courageous marching of Subhash Chandra Bose's army. What is more, most people I see on the street seem to share these feelings. Little paper flags pinned to their shirt-pockets indicate their patriotic spirit.
It is then that out of the corner of my eye, I notice an old woman squatting on the pavement. Her dirty Saree is in tatters, and she has no legs, and evidently no sons. Men and women pass by her; impervious to her outstretched hand, to her desperate pleadings, to her pitiable state. The children are dragged away firmly by their parents as they turn and stare at this anomaly in the universe. They all have small flags.
On the other side of the road, I spot a woman, her pallu (the loose end of her Saree) covering her head and a sizable part of her face. Her eyes are down on the road. She sees nothing but the brisk feet of her husband who walks in front of her. Yes, he has a flag on his pocket too.
A short distance away from them, an affluent(in wealth and girth) man steps out of his expensive car, right into a muddy puddle. The flag pinned to his pocket bobs up and down as his corpulent chest heaves in rage. He then proceeds to yell at his cowering driver while the smaller man tries in vain to apologize.
Just around the corner, I see another small flag. This one is not pinned onto a pocket proudly. Nor is it waving happily in a child's small hand. It is on the top of a pile of repugnant refuse. How fitting.
Are we really independent?
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Unrelated Update:
Got my very own Orbi-Glow™ today! Initially I wanted the 'Original Orange' one, but then I saw the 'Popular Pink' and couldn't resist. The fact that no other colours were in stock did not influence my decision in any manner.After stringent testing (on myself, no animals were harmed), I have determined that Orbi-Glow™ has no compatibility issues with manically evil masterminds and has absolutely no side-effects (the expression you see is not caused by Orbi-Glow™, it is an inborn feature of the model himself.)
If you are an evil person who desperately needs to appear good, cheaply, Orbi-Glow™ is for you. Get yours today only at one of my favorite blogs: The Loony Bean.
P.S Did I mention that the other posts there are just as interesting and hilarious as, if not more than, this one?
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20 comments:
Well i don't know wat to say!! But no one actually wished me Happy Independence day by themselves, I wished them first and then they realized tht today was our independence day :(
that touched me.. we see things like these everyday.. like I read Indian Pundit (a fellow blogger) commenting somewhere, that we are Independent but we dont want to be free..
Rane
I agree that the Indian version of patriotism is largely confined to cricket, war and symbols like the national anthem and the tricolour.
When it comes down to doing something for the nation, we're depressingly selfish.
I think we all need to realise that it takes much more than standing at attention to a song less than five percent of us understand the meaning of to make a true Indian.
Congratulations on your purchase! Though I'm not entirely certain Orbi-Glow(TM) won't show side-effects over time. Your willingness to be a guinea pig for Heavenly Enterprises is greatly appreciated.
PS. I'm still L-ing MAO at your expression.
Happy Independence Day!
That photo is pure gold. It's one part frenzied happiness, one part angelic and twelve parts serial killer. :) What are these orbi things anyway? That is awesome!
@Ashish
Have Indians finally understood that our 'independence' is hollow? I don't think so, in your case, I think most them just forgot.
@Rane
Yes, although we supposedly govern ourselves, we are still slaves in our minds.
@Dave
Wow, I had no idea that 5% of people actually understood the national anthem. Are they all Bengali by any chance?
As you can see in the picture, I am loving my Orbi-Glow™. If it does have side effects in the long run, I will be suing H.E. I did notice that they do not have a disclaimer of any sort.
@The Vegetable Assassin
I must explain myself in the photo.
The one part of frenzied happiness is due to me receiving my Orbi-Glow™ and finding out that it has no compatibility issues with me.
The one part angelic is due to the Orbi-Glow™ itself.
As for the twelve parts of serial killer, let's just call it a preexisting condition.
You can find out more about these awesome gadgets here.
Hehehe..was reading your post on Independence and for some odd reason i hadn't scrolled down.Then suddenly you appear with your Orbi Glow ..lol..was surprised!!..shocked!!...I didn't know that walking in the sun for 15 minutes could do this to you:D
this was, by far, one of the best swatantrata diwas posts i've read on blogosphere. very well put- not once did my interest dwindle, despite the basic idea bng the same as written by many other bloggers! :)
Yeah, I’m afraid people don’t change: colonies, republics, monarchies or whatever – we do remain fundamentally selfish. But there’s still room for optimism; as a general rule, the more wealthy a country – well, a democracy – becomes, the more of a conscience its people develop. There will always be a wealth gap though. Look at the United States; it has millionaires coming out of its ears, but there are still homeless people and those without healthcare.
@Aashu
I am glad that you think that my state, as depicted in the photograph, is temporary and caused by extended exposure to the sun. This way you will never suspect it when... nothing, when nothing happens.
@Nikita
It pleases me in some perverse manner to know that many bloggers share my depressing views on independence. I am glad I could hold your attention till the end. :)
@Simon
I had no idea that you shared my incurable cynicism. It is justified by the generally sorry state of affairs prevailing today.
I beg to differ with you on the issue of wealth of a country leading to an increase in conscience of it's people though. United States serves as a prime example in this case as well. It is a country which, among other things, emits 25% of the world's greenhouse gases while housing a mere 5% of the world's population. Doesn't that scream 'evil' to you?
I have to say that I really enjoyed your post- being born in a country that is totally obsessed with themselves and only themselves (and then I move to Canada which is also obsessed with the US) I know very little about the state of affairs in Indian. I know in Canada they had Dominion Day (now known as Canada Day) since the mid 1800s and wasn't regularly celebrated till the 1950s- so it took nearly 100 years, and then even longer to lessen British influence in politics. Although, there wasn't the fighting and killing here like in India.
And that halo business is hilarious! That pic of you is amazingly funny.
@Valerie
I am glad you liked my post.
Maybe you should get yourself one of those halo-thingies too! :)
Cheers!
You look awesome with dat Popular Pink Halo...;)
Singapore's independence - Aug 9
Indonesia's independence - Aug 17
Malaysia's independence - Aug 31
India's independence - Aug 15?
we're so Commonwealth. LOL
@Nashe^
Oh wow! I had no idea it was like that. Guess the English left the subcontinent in a hurry huh?
Commonwealth indeed!
Now this is unfair..we certainly are independent..but the diversity in culture is reflected in the diversity in financial conditions too..
I love your blog, Sandy! Thank you so much for always coming over to mine and showing it the crazy love it deserves...You rock, my Indian friend! lol
Happy Independence Day! Your entry was very thought-provoking, especially abt the part abt being truly free.
I have an award for you! Drop on by and grab it!
XO,
Lashawn
you really are a simpleton. no body would give a second thought to what you actually wrote about.
@Gayathri
Well, I am glad you have a positive outlook on the state of our country. I, on the other hand cannot bring myself to agree with you, even though I would love to.
@lacherie_17
Lashawn, I must thank you for stopping by my blog so often too! I am sure you rock too! :)
Award? Me? Wow!
@Scarlet
Thank you for commenting! :)
Welcome to The Village Idiot.
Do visit often.
omg! i came here frm Aneevs blog, n i read the Orbi-Glow part first, tht cracked me up, n then i read the actual post! It was so touching. Independence day say a lot of similiar posts, but they all were the same. This one for some reason was really REALLY touching. :)
Cheers,
Annie.
@Annie
Does that mean you like my blog more than Dave's? No? Ah well, it was worth a shot.
Welcome to The Village Idiot. :)
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