My girl friend shared a song with me. It's a song from a new album by Suchi and the lyrics are by Barathiar.
The song was titled "Vanthe matharam" and it was beautiful. The sweet carnatic notes and the inspiring words stirred up thoughts in me about patriotism.
Are we patriotic? What is patriotism? Is it feeling all inspired like how I feel on hearing this song? Is it thinking about our freedom fighters on August 15th every year and watch all the "thinkers" on TV and newspapers remind us that we are all patriotic only on that one day and then go back to our old ways?
In India symbolic respect dominates true thoughts and feelings. False morality prevails, fed by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Our strength becomes our weakness in this case - we have one of the highest number of youth in the world, all eager and ready to follow someone who gives them a sense of identity - it could be religious parties, regional parties, movie star fan clubs and what not. Basically if they can say they belong to some group that is recognized they are happy.
The Indian flag flying upside down gets more attention than hunger, violence, and the hundred other things that are ripping the country apart.
A cartoonist who depicted the nations atrocities in the form of cartoons which showed the parliament that looked like a toilet and politicians and bureaucrats holding mother India, as a demon called corruption advances to rape her, had opposition from a lot of people saying that mother India was shown inappropriately; they actually didn't notice the scams and the corruption and the rampant stealing and looting and unfairness.
Symbolic respect for the nation overpowers and blinds the eyes of people from seeing the real problems. This thinking comes from the way patriotism is portrayed to us as we grow up. It is shown as Jawans fighting off enemy soldiers and our nations forefathers wresting India away from the clutch of the British.
But today's kids need to be taught that patriotism is not about all that anymore. It is about helping the nation reach its potential. Personally, I would say that anybody who puts in effort for his betterment in the country in rightful methods is a patriot. Because a nations success is nothing but its individuals success.
The growth of a paan wallah's shop from one to two means an extra job for someone and more economic gains for a farmer growing betel leaves. A Bharatanatyam show by someone at a world forum means an introduction of our culture to the world. A farmer increasing his output by 10% would mean he can feed more people.
And so any Indian working hard to make his life better in a rightful manner is a true patriot. Not the flag carrying, slogan calling, man who does this simply because he believes that he is doing the nation a favor by calling out Vande mataram while his kids work in brick kilns for their next meal.
Patriotism needs a face lift in our country, and quickly too...
The song was titled "Vanthe matharam" and it was beautiful. The sweet carnatic notes and the inspiring words stirred up thoughts in me about patriotism.
Are we patriotic? What is patriotism? Is it feeling all inspired like how I feel on hearing this song? Is it thinking about our freedom fighters on August 15th every year and watch all the "thinkers" on TV and newspapers remind us that we are all patriotic only on that one day and then go back to our old ways?
In India symbolic respect dominates true thoughts and feelings. False morality prevails, fed by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Our strength becomes our weakness in this case - we have one of the highest number of youth in the world, all eager and ready to follow someone who gives them a sense of identity - it could be religious parties, regional parties, movie star fan clubs and what not. Basically if they can say they belong to some group that is recognized they are happy.
The Indian flag flying upside down gets more attention than hunger, violence, and the hundred other things that are ripping the country apart.
A cartoonist who depicted the nations atrocities in the form of cartoons which showed the parliament that looked like a toilet and politicians and bureaucrats holding mother India, as a demon called corruption advances to rape her, had opposition from a lot of people saying that mother India was shown inappropriately; they actually didn't notice the scams and the corruption and the rampant stealing and looting and unfairness.
Symbolic respect for the nation overpowers and blinds the eyes of people from seeing the real problems. This thinking comes from the way patriotism is portrayed to us as we grow up. It is shown as Jawans fighting off enemy soldiers and our nations forefathers wresting India away from the clutch of the British.
But today's kids need to be taught that patriotism is not about all that anymore. It is about helping the nation reach its potential. Personally, I would say that anybody who puts in effort for his betterment in the country in rightful methods is a patriot. Because a nations success is nothing but its individuals success.
The growth of a paan wallah's shop from one to two means an extra job for someone and more economic gains for a farmer growing betel leaves. A Bharatanatyam show by someone at a world forum means an introduction of our culture to the world. A farmer increasing his output by 10% would mean he can feed more people.
And so any Indian working hard to make his life better in a rightful manner is a true patriot. Not the flag carrying, slogan calling, man who does this simply because he believes that he is doing the nation a favor by calling out Vande mataram while his kids work in brick kilns for their next meal.
Patriotism needs a face lift in our country, and quickly too...
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