Independence Day : Do we have HOPE ?

                                        

Ritwik, a 5 year old kid who lives next to my house, is selected to take part in the PT Team on the occasion of Independence Day. As a 5 year old kid he hardly knows meaning of Independence but his excitement rests with wearing bright white dress and lure of getting customary Laddoos.

Probably this is the first occasion for him to see a Tri-colour unfurling with chant of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Jai Hind.
As per PT dress code, he is given an Orange and a Green ribbon to be tied on the hands. Hardly has he known anything about the symbolism behind this but yes as a kid he is happy to have coloured bands in hand.
I was watching him practising his PT drill from my balcony and his beaming face made me to think about what exactly he is going to learn tomorrow, when he grows up.

After few years, when he will read about the theoretical representation of colours¹, which were taught to us as well, whether he will understand the true meaning of symbolism or he will just get the rhetoric :

Saffron - Colour of courage and sacrifice
White    - Peace and Truth

Green    - Faith and Chivalry

I grew up with a little different meaning that Saffron stood for the sacrifices of the people, White for purity, and Green for hope.

But last month, I saw three funerals which changed the way I used to see the colours in the Tricolour. Three deaths which rocked Indian society and MSM covered with TRP in mind. Yes, they reaped huge mileage and they will keep doing so unless we stand against rhetoric and mindless minority appeasement.

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I will take all three deaths one by one :

1. Baljit Singh, Superintendent of Police, Gurdaspur

This brave son of nation laid down his life fighting heavily-armed terrorists from Pakistan in Gurdaspur district of Punjab.

As a true leader he led the team to neutralize the threat posed by armed militants and he paid the supreme sacrifice in service to his motherland.

Two more policemen laid their lives while serving their duty to the nation.

All three slain martyrs are slated to receive gallantry award this Independence day but what hurt me the most was the indifference showed by MSM to this brave son of mother India.

Since there was no TRP attached therefore the coverage was thin, no tribute were paid in media houses. Only crocodile tears were shed to show solidarity with the nations emotions.

Baljit Singh epitomised the colour Saffron signifying sacrifice and courage.

2. APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President, India

A living legend passed away while doing what he loved the most.

Giving lecture, inspiring young minds and illuminating the light of knowledge.

APJ Abdul Kalam was not just a scientist or an Ex-Prez but he was symbol of true Indianness.

A Muslim by faith but no fanatic, A true follower of religion but not fundamentalist and a true Indian who was loved by every India, irrespective of their religion, caste, geography or ethnicity. What Kalam symbolises is the true sense of WHITE colour, peace, kindness and love for all.

  3. Yaqub Menon, An underworld criminal and convict of '93 Mumbai blasts

Yaqub was hanged in Nagpur jail on July 30th after Supreme Court and President of India sealed his fate and seized his right to live.

on 31st , a mainstream newspaper had title "And they hanged him". I was wondering who are they?

Media and a section of politicians made this a case against the Minority community of India. Some said, there are different meaning of law for different communities.

Media ran a tacit campaign against Government establishments and painted them saffron. This includes the Supreme Court and the President Office as well.

Some even went ahead and related his hanging to his Islamic identity. Had he be been from other religion , he might have gone scot-free.

But my question is, Isn't it right to hang a person who played his part in killing hundreds in cold blood?

Certainly yes, any action taken against the nation calls for a death sentence. What turned me off was the heroic coverage by media and the support Yaqub garnered in the aftermath. He was projected as a martyr who lost his life for a bigger cause. Media covered this so extensively and so vigorously that Government had to send notices to few media houses over their coverage of the issue.

Here comes, the third colour Green, the colour of hope. But did this incident gave any hope? Unarguably NO!

Instead of giving hope that Indian judiciary is there to serve the nation for good, this entire episode broke the hope of having a responsible and robust media and politics.

This broke the hope that India as a society will loath the criminal irrespective of his religious identity.

This broke the hope that likes of Mir Jafar will be chased and brought to justice.

As written by Iqbal -

"Jaffar az Bengal, Sadiq az Deccan; nang-e-deen, nang-e-millat, nang-e-watan"

 "Jafar(Mir) of Bengal and Sadiq (Mir) of Deccan are a disgrace to the faith, a disgrace to Nation"

We need many more Iqbals to write against Dawood, Memon, Tiger as a disgrace to India...This will be the start of HOPE...!

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I leave the decision to your able heads to figure out what is Right and what is Wrong. I hope entire nation will stand by likes of Kalam and Baljit Singh. And together as a nation, we will stand against the likes of Memon.

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Today we are celebrating 69th Independence Day and I hope next year when I write a similar piece, my faith in a glorious and peaceful future for India will be strengthened a bit more...Hopefully!

Jai Hind !

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खुश रहो के आज़ाद हो तुम ,
खुश रहो के जिंदाबाद हो तुम ।

मै जिम्मेदारी हूँ तुम्हारी , बचाकर रखना मुझे,
मै आजाद हूँ … तो आजाद हो तुम । ।

...

- भारत