Aleem Faizee
Its 6:00 on a chilly winter January 26 morning in Mumbai. Mothers are finding it hard to wake up their children who to prepare for the Republic Day customary parade and cultural programs next morning in their respective schools went to bed later than their usual schedule. Nevertheless a reminder of the charm associated with the annual National Festival was enough for thReem to abandon their beds. Same is the case with the government staff. A little ahead of their daily schedule of reaching the office at 10:00 AM, they are rushing to attend the Republic Day function.
By 07:00 in the morning the atmosphere is giving a pleasant and amiable look. With unprecedented bliss shining all over their faces the students dressed in neat and clean attire and holding the tricolor in their hands are seen in every street leading to an educational campus. The look across the roads leading to government offices is no more a different. Right from the city-head to the peons everyone had especially done themselves up for the National Festival. Joined by social workers and people from the political parties they are gearing up for the 60th Republic Day celebrations. Everyone seems to be demonstrating unmatchable affections for the motherland. In every way the morning is giving a totally different and heartening look.
In total contrast to this people having their own establishments, laborers, housewives and other citizens are surprisingly ignorant of the heartfelt ambience surrounding them. For them the morning is no different. Many of them are not even in the city. January 26 coinciding on a Monday has given them an opportunity to plan for a prolonged out of the city trip. Many of the laborers are at work as usual. For the women the national holiday is a chance for an extra nap. The trains that are transporting millions Bhajan-chanting passengers every day is giving a deserted look and one fails to hear a single antra of a patriotic song from them.
A surprising contrast indeed! People belonging to one nation, showing totally different attitude towards an important day, the day celebrated as the Republic Day. The historic day coinciding with the day its constitution came into force. The day the country truly became a sovereign state. The day the country after years of struggle became a legitimate child.
Speak to the people and you get an alarmingly surprising response. Many shrugs off the very idea of celebrating the National Festival. The day is used by the politicians to score points, Rajesh Dholakiya, a CA opined. The celebrations on Republic Day and Independence Day are becoming symbolic, says Reshma Choudhary – a housewife. They lack the patriotic touch, she adds in a sarcastic tone. For Hameedudin Qazi – a hammal who is pulling the handcart for last thirty-five years, it is the poverty that does not give him a day’s off even on Republic Day. I would be more than happy to join you for the celebrations, he says, Lekin pait nahi manta. (Who will take care of my day’s loss?)
People from different sections are giving different excuses. However looking at what actually is going on in the country every one of them finds a justification. Sixty years before while floating the constitution of the country in the Parliament, Dr. Ambedkar must not have even thought a time will come when it will be battered by his own countrymen. The constitution that is regarded as one of the best in the world will be criticized by the lawmakers.
For sure the Indian Constitution is regarded as one of the best in the world. It provides a certain safety and sovereignty to every section of the society in India. And the day that coincides with the day that saw it being enforced in the country deserves respect and attention. But the question that is crying for an answer is why despite our constitution being so powerful we fail to see the desired results in sixty long years. Does the problem lay with those who are responsible for aptly implementing the constitution? The answer to this question when floated to the common Indians unfortunately results in affirmative.
Look at the way some people in the country are spitting venom against the poorer and weaker sections of the society. And the law enforcement agencies and those in power instead of taking actions against them are mute spectators. When it comes to enforcing rule of the land, a sort of clear double standard can be seen everywhere in the country. What can be more ironic than the fact that even the nationalism has become a poll plank? In the name of patriotism a section in the country are spreading hatred and we instead of opposing are giving them a free run. To achieve a political goal they are using patriotism as a tool and are resorting to all kinds of slander to the Indian constitution, and the custodians of the constitution who are expected to take note are behaving as if no damage is done to the country.
Successive governments that came in power in these sixty years unleashed a long list of promises. They however could not see the light of the day. Present UPA government pledged to take several initiatives and promised to address the pending issues. But most of the schemes declared with much fanfare are gathering the dust in government offices. Corruption with every passing day is reaching new high and moral values are touching new low. Security has become a major cause of concern. The result is people are virtually losing hope in the system. They are even questioning to celebrating the National Festivals. What sort of nationhood we are talking of when there are many people like Qazi Hamiduddin in the country who fearing hunger and starvation cannot even take a day’s off even on Republic Day, they ask.
Not very long ago the racial discriminations were ruling all over the United States. Unfortunately in India there are people who try to simulate the kind of discrimination against people belonging to weaker sections in India. We have people in India who resort to politics of hatred and arrogance in the country to score a point over their political rivals. US, unfortunately for them, has witnessed a historic change with Obama bringing the moment for the weaker section of the country. And with US the world is also undergoing a change. There lies a clear message for those who preach for hatred in India. There is a lesson for us too. To convert it into a major force by 2020, as many of us have envisioned, India needs a change. Will we be able to bring the one in India?
Writer is the Executive Editor of the Internet Magazine ummid.com. He can be reached at aleem.faizee@gmail.com.
As Salamu Aliekum(peace be upon you)…..
Brother Aleem Faizee, very brilliant and very motivating post, many hugs from me to you….
But i do have some reservation over there in your article….
First we need to understand we are only an Infant in this world, we are only 60 years old and where as other countries are big daddies on the Earth, you rightly said we have some problems like corruption, poverty, communalism and so on….
The Question? over here is how will we solve our problems and the key to this answer is our youth in our beloved country. Now it’s the time to realized that they have the potential and we need to use them by giving them proper education, Infra to do various activities, Food, safe social surrounding, Food, and we need to understand them and let them grow freely…..
Even the new President of the USA, is very young in comparison and even they needed more then 2 centuries to come out of there radicalization and yes the country itself is quite old in the World….
I work in a MNC and many of my colleagues go to the USA through our company and few days back we were having a discussion on will we get a opportunity to go over there? I said it doesn’t matter to me that will I get an opportunity or not, but yes I will make my country better then the USA, India in next 10 years will be a very well develop country with full social, political and religions responsibilities, you can guess what was the reaction of my colleagues, they started Laughing and then cracked a joke on my thinking and said it will never happen….
Now, it’s the time we leave our homes and try to make our Hindustan, the best place to leave in this Universe….
Every well done and keep writing and commenting on this Bolgs….
May Allah(swt) give you the sprite to and strength to work towards your rightful dreams… Aameen
Jai Hind
Wassalam…..
As Salamu Aliekum(peace be upon all of you)….
I’m really down, when i see people on this blog are more interested in post like, Pakistan, Kashmir, Islam, Terrorism, Jihad and so on, but however no one has even cared to comment on this beautiful and intelligent post by our fellow Indian….
Yes, i was right when i thought people are only interested in our own problems and don’t even want to think about solutions…..
Please my Indian Brothers and sisters get up this is our own country, lets make it a better place, even better then today….
Oh Allah(swt), Please Give Us Strength And Power To Defeat Our Weakness…Aameen….
Jai Hind
Wassalam…
As I was going through the write -up and comments thereon,my ears picked up a line from an old film song :”Kahneko bahaar aayithi magar,do phool khushike khilna sake!” India did celebrate its 60th Republic day!To me it appears that we underwent the annual ‘ritual’only!Down my long memory lane,I recalled that scene on the 26th day of January in 1950.What a gala day it was !We felt that we have thrown away the ‘foreign yoke’(Status of the Dominion : President, Vice President; Prime mijof British Commonwealth) We have our own constitution, Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister and cabinet ministers,Governors Premiers(Now Chief Ministers, Supreme Court etc.Then, it was not a state function ! It was our function and we participated with full enthusiasm.We put our hearts in it.All of us were very happy indeed.The refreshing feeling of freshness and ourness ,alas, we do not witness today!The Congress men and leaders in tinopal white khadi dress and Gandhi Cap were our leaders who inspired us with their sufferings and sacrifices! They kept their lives as clean as their white khadi clothes!Today, the leaders ask us to make sacrifices and they loot us!Their scions mow down the shelter-less sleepers on the platforms of big cities with their uncontrollable car and unsteady gaze and hands due to’drinking!’Today commercialization, like Tsunami flood, has penetrated in every corner!The British Raj insisted and ensured “Service before Self!”Today we find all round us “Self before and after service!”
Every one is devising newer and newer ways of cheating others. An old lady and her daughter- in- law saw an elderly person fall in front of their house and got fits!They rushed to help him.anon a taxi pulled up and three persons got down and told the women to get water.The two went in brought water.They took the oldman in the taxi and drove off.Next day , when they got ready to attend a wedding of their kin, they found the almirah open and jewels worth sixty sovereigns gone!All these and many such incidents force us to give up hope for the future.If only Muslims become truly religious as their forefathers were and try to follow the dictats of Holy Quran sincerely., they could bring about a Big Change in India and the world.They should live upto the expectations of the Best People of the world{Khairul ummah) and do good and enjoin others to dogood; avoid evil and prevent others from evil.
mnanysacrifices and kept their life clean like theirdress!
In total contrast to this people having their own establishments, laborers, housewives and other citizens are surprisingly ignorant of the heartfelt ambience surrounding them……….. ”
I cannot see why you cannot enjoy the republic day as a holiday. Being a Indians does not mean I should get delirious with joy on a republic day. If we are so concerned about India – how about remembering our nation for the rest of the days?
The fact is that we as Indians least care about India and participate in “India Day Parades” in New York City. If we want to change INDIA – let us first change ourselves.
1) Let us understand what doing a good job is – right from the IAS officer, to the traffic police cop, to the postman, to the doctor, to the sanitation worker
2) Let us not pollute our city, our gardens or spit on the road
3) Let us be clean people and maintain cleanliness
4) Let us respect the law, the elderly, the handicapped and the under priviledged. Each one of us can make a valuable contribution – let us respect that and learn from each other
5) Let us stand up against corruption, have zero tolerance against hoodlums
6) Let us pay our taxes and ensure that they are well spent
7) Let us elect the right persons and if we cannot find any – join politics ourselves
These are small things that each of us can do. And if we all do this India will not be a poor country for long.
Sudie,
If we had done all that you say, we would have been streets ahead of where we are. China would have been left far behind, and we would have been catching up with the US.
Even if each of us can convince even 10 people to be like this, and they in turn can convince more, things WILL move.
As Salamu Aliekum(peace be upon all of you)…..
It is rightly said by milind, that we need at convince people around as and India will surely change….
Lets work together for better India…..
Jai Hind…
Allah Hafiz….
Indian situation, Yes We can Change:
Friends,
Forget about the distinction of Hindus by muslims and muslims by hindus. There are distinctions and suppressions within the hindu followers as well as islam followers in terms of sub sects and caste system. Eventhen, we are able to elect a Muslim as a President, Hindu as a head of opposition part, Sikh as Prime minister and Christian as a head of party. We are still able to lead through the toughest economic times and make ourselves recognized as a technologically progressive country.
Just think due to whom this progress happened: Due to those few Hard working and Right minded Indian Hindus, Indian Muslims, Indian Christians, Indian Sikhs and so on.. Let us stop criticizing one another and I would like to mention few lines from Swami Vivekananda speech in the final session of Parliament of Religions at Chicago, USA in 1893:
‘The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor is a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth. If the Parliament of Religions has shown anything to the world, it is this: It has proved to the world that holiness, purity, and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. In the face of this evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and the destruction of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart and point out to him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written, in spite of resistance: “Help and not Fight,” “Assimilation and not Destruction,” “Harmony and Peace and not Dissension”.
This is what every hindu and muslim remember to make a beautiful Indian society for their future generations.
“Yes We can”..
Mallik..