Proud to be indian
Born almost four decades after Independence, I have often wondered what patriotism means to me. I grew up on stories on how our heroes fought to give India what was rightfully hers. My earliest memories of this date back to 1989 when my grandmother used to narrate bedtime stories about the freedom struggle. Such was the impact that with all the patriotic fervour a three-year-old could muster, I would stand on the bed and pretend to fist-fight and defeat the “evil British Raj” myself.
As I grew older, India became liberalised, globalised and privatised, ushering in another sort of Independence (or Interdependence). In all this, patriotism evolved, redefined and reinvented itself. Then came Kargil.
As a generation that has never lived through a war, we do not know what it is like to ration our food to provide for soldiers at the border, we have never had to cover our windows with black paper or switch off all lights after 7pm. We cannot imagine enemy aircrafts flying over our homes or attending prayer ceremonies of brothers and husbands who died fighting.
Hailing from a defence background, I am perhaps in closer touch with the spirit of nationalism than many others I know. I understand that “service before self” is more than just a nice phrase and saluting the national flag is not a gesture but a way of life.
I have grown up hearing personal accounts of the 1971 War and lived with those who sailed ready for war during the build-up of 2002. I am also fortunate to have friends who have donned the uniform and committed themselves to defending the nation. For them, patriotism would be a lot closer.
I cannot credit myself with doing anything really patriotic. Being an Indian, I have benefited from a cultural upbringing that makes me capable of blending in and yet standing apart, in the outside world. With this strong sense of identity and a deep sense of pride, I would always strive to repay what I have got.
But if I club patriotism with Independence Day, there is a mismatch. August 15, 1947 marked a new chapter for those who struggled for it. But for me, and the several, fast-paced contemporary Indians, Independence doesn’t mean the same thing because we have never seen or known otherwise. It would appear that our notion of patriotism is a version very different from that in the history textbooks. It is our sense of gratitude towards the nation for giving us the freedom of our choices, that we can call patriotism today. And the onus to carry forward what we have got rests upon us.
What matters now is that we do everything right by our nation and do nothing that is wrong for her. If all actions and inactions are judged by this yardstick, the field of activity or direction of endeavour will not matter. It will all contribute towards nation building and give us newer reasons to celebrate August 15 every year.
The writer is a NIIT staff member
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