An Insipid emotion - Independence

God!!! it was a Sunday, I proclaimed......This year Independence day has come on a sunday........I felt bad missing out on another holiday. I called my dad up and informed this sad news.......Oh!!! Independence day has come so fast!!! came the reply.........I thought what would have been my brother's reaction and it could not have been any better and for my mother the fact that tomorrow is an independence day in itself will be an information.

The reaction of an ordinary Indian family about “Independence” does not invoke any emotion..........It does not even invoke any reaction, leave alone an emotion. Yes, it has been 63 long years since we got independence. All four of the family were not even born when we got independence. Yes, We as a family does not care much for the country, We are ordinary citizens thinking only of personal stuffs and forgot the country as a whole.........But!!!! even then, aren't those reactions too ordinary for a word so big as “ Independence”????

Is this all the architects of this “Independence” had in mind when they won that??? or have we lost the sanctity of that emotion along the way??? Is that emotion, so narrow to be brought about by the film stars and the cricketers giving interviews on their sacrifices??? Is that emotion, so shallow to be brought about our own saintly politicians??? Does this mean anything at all to me, an ordinary citizen of this vast country (The much talked about aam aadmi)???

When Mahatma Gandhi and his colleagues fought hammer and tooth with the arrogant British and won us the “ Independence” , it was everything for them.......It was their passion, It was their life, It was their breath.......They believed that the country is a part of them and somebody ruling over it is like snatching their heart from them......The very fact that we live in our own country ruled by ourselves gave them goosebumps.......It was their life and they gave everything for it.........

Yes!!! it is not possible to generate the same emotion 63 years later.....and that, by ordinary citizens is humanely impossible said my logical mind!!!!! But, I really do believe as a country we have kept our priorities horribly wrong and that has been one of the strong reasons for an emotionally insipid independence........

Debating in the parliament about the worth of conducting the Common Wealth Games just before the games itself, says it all!!!!!