India must prioritize unity and purposeful action, fostering national integrity and progress while upholding its timeless values and rich cultural heritage.
India that is Bharat
Bharat that is Bharatvarsh
Values stand the test of time
Timeless, ageless, infinite layers
Like the petals of a lotus flower.
India, a young nation created in modern times, never had an existential crisis. It was always the hordes of plunderers, the fleets of buccaneer merchants and those enticed by the alluring charm of its truthful, trusting and liberal philosophy who flocked to this ancient land of wit, wisdom and wealth.
The air, the water, and the earth of Bharat welcomed all who had come to seek shelter, knowledge or living: this was because of the large-heartedness and space made available by broad minds coupled with the fire in limbs and the fiery spirit of valor peppered with kindness as well as ethics. However, not all who came to seek shelter, refuge or greener pastures were grateful souls. They destroyed the fiber of Satyuga carried throughout the equally moralistic yugas of Tretayuga and Dwaparyuga in this Kaliyuga to create worms called quislings, traitors, moles, sleeper cells and other lecherous anti-social elements in a plural society. Naturally, this has transformed into a Dharmayudh or battle for supremacy between evil forces and those bent on upholding righteousness.
On this 78th independence day, it has become our onerous responsibility and bounden duty to checkmate the anti-national forces through some efficacious laws, honest enforcement and good governance. This is the litmus test of nationalism. Merely bandying about a flag or standing to attention for the national anthem is not the anathema to end social ills. If we are to carve a new India, the ethos of oneness and equality must be respected. The first step in this direction is the enactment of a common civil code. Next, existing laws of various categories must be tweaked in myriad ways to help etch a more qualitative life for every citizen.
The perennial tussle between the three arms of government in a people’s democracy must end. Co-operation rather than confrontation, and coordination instead of a one-upmanship attitude should overrule individual prejudices and bias, be it based upon man-made castes, creeds, religions, ideologies or groups. Morality must be imbibed into the minds of school-going children. Youth-power in and outside colleges must be harnessed to reign in the awakened community of Indians, the rest of the planet would look up to – in the same manner as the sunflower dazzles when the sun rises in the eastern direction.
A sense of direction and purpose has been given already by the Preamble to the Constitution of India. Its avowed goals are justice – political, social and economic. Better teaching standards in spheres of law, medicine, policing, administration and industrial management are the need of the hour. India abounds in both talent and human resources. Skills exist and require to be nurtured. More and more jobs must be generated to put an end to the debilitating social burden of sops, job reservations and subsidies availed based on irrational beliefs of perpetual ostracisation, discrimination and owing allegiance to a certain political ideology.
As we celebrate India’s 78th Independence Day, it is our solemn duty to counter anti-national forces with effective laws, honest enforcement, and good governance. If we are to carve a new India, the ethos of oneness and equality must be respected.
The ennui that has crept into our great country should exit. But, that again should not turn into euphoria or a false sense of happiness. Real-time benefits for really hard efforts put in by millions of people day in and day out should manifest in higher purchasing power, more scientific thinking in urban development measures and higher patronage for those reversing the trend of migration from rural areas to cities and towns which have mushroomed without adequate infrastructure to provide basic amenities like proper sanitation, drainage, water and electricity-supply. The nexus between tax evaders and corrupt bureaucracy, which includes a crippled criminal justice system must be broken. This is possible through greater public participation in socially useful productive works. The creation of awareness in the general public through a positive mass movement (more on the grassroots level and less via social media marketing) will go a long way to instill a sense of happiness, confidence and much-needed direction in a lost generation. The multitudes will rise like the huge tidal wave of a tsunami and douse fissiparous tendencies with fear of retribution and punishment under the Law. All this is possible as well as an urgent prescription for riding over the confusion, chaos and resentment faced by one and all on multiple counts.
Bharatvarsh will not be about nomenclature nor will freedom remain an anachronism. Disgruntlement would subside and murmurs of approval will replace the cacophony of today’s society. The challenges faced on account of the seven decades itch must be addressed promptly. Not necessarily by the powers that be but by the literati and the soldiers of civil society. We have been a great civilization and our ancient culture has reflected the soul of our religion called Hindutva or Universalism or Humanity. Perverse interpretations of the scriptures compounded by the monster of arrogance and superiority-complex exhibited by few elements in saddles of governance has turned contemporary India vulnerable to mass invasive means such as brainwashing through paid-media channels and deep fake narratives spun by vested interests.
Regard flows upwards and love flows downwards. This is the essence of believing in Indian philosophy. Personal values form the core of integrity and the ability to bring about integration among alienated sections and marginalized communities of the country.
Life is a blessing. It must not be wasted away. One must not lead a life as driftwood or a vagabond. Regard flows upwards and love flows downwards. This is the essence of believing in Indian philosophy. Everything else is a distortion or deviation from the truth, out to destroy awareness, and one’s good conscience. Personal values form the core of integrity and the ability to bring about integration among alienated sections and marginalized communities of the country. Each one can become a beacon of hope and light to the ones meandering in the darkness of ignorance or the abyss of despair, frustration and regret. So, may every Indian rise, awake and awaken the lions who are lost in the slumber of lambs. A New India must no longer remain an euphemism. It can be made in no time.
The will of the Constitution of India in its sublime form must be respected. There must no longer be illiterate leaders, semi-literate administrators or corrupt judges presiding over the fate and lives of one and half billion Indians. Yes, I would reckon all people of Indian origin as well as foreigners who look up to our civilizational presence are to be catered to by our live-and-let-live manifesto for mankind. We never wage a war but if any evil power attempts to drag us into one, rest assured our brilliant armed forces will end the war with a brave victory. India has been a Vishwaguru ever since the advent of river valley civilisations.
Jai Hind!
