60th Independence Day - a moment of Joy!

Sixty years have passed since India got independence from the British rule. The country is celebrating the Independence Day today. These sixty years have seen a lot in the development of the country. India has almost overcome the label of being a developing country now and is recognized as an evolving super power of the future. A lot is expected from the country now.

While going to office last night (15th night, 12:30 AM) it was almost the same time that India got rid of the British, and I was just looking around me – trying to compare the environment with the one which would have been on that day. The streets would have been full with people coming from all around and shouting, “Vande Mataram”. They were all exalted and exited to have our motherland free from the shackles of British rule. Their eyes were watching the tri-color flying high in the dark sky and the heart was full of future planning and thoughts on how can this country be driven on the road to success. People would have been running around, distributing the national flag and congratulating each other, whomever they met in the road. Tonight, in the streets of Bangalore, everything was different. Most of the city was sleeping; a few like me, who work in some Call Center, were awake – running towards their respective offices in the respective cabs. They were having their US or UK based customers waiting for their assistance with switching the Mosquito Repellant off, so that they could start the day. A few of the people there, in the streets, were fast asleep beneath the shade of the shops, covered in a single rag – which obviously was no match to the cold of this monsoon night in Bangalore. Another group, have just started gathering some stones and pebbles to raise the tri-color. One of them was trying to put the tri-color in one end of a long stick – all these a few kilometers from my house. A small cigarette shop, which used to provide fags to the Call Center guys at this time in the night was doing well as almost 3 out of every 10 cars going that way was stopping by its side to buy a 40 rupees packet of cigarette for 45 bucks; not to worry, he works in a BPO, which pays him well. Another place, near the Petrol Bunk, was full of kids selling the national flag for a few rupees – a very few cared to stop their cab and bought those. Anyways, I was driven right to the office – which was designed with all the three colors – nice to see.

Everything was cool; everything was going on as they were supposed to। Nothing was different from the last night when I came to office। Same dress, same fags, same people and same customers from overseas asking assistance in switching on the PC properly। I opened the mailbox, and found a few people forwarding Independence Day mails with all the good things in the world; depicting all the good things that happened to India over the last six decades. It is tough to believe and realize the amount of effort put in by the freedom fighters to regain our independence, when you see the present conditions around. There’s a lot to discuss may be, there’s always so much to do!

VANDE MATARAM!
- Bankim Chandra Chattyopadhyay

सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्
शस्यश्यामलां मातरम्

शुभ्र-ज्योत्स्नाम् पुलकितयामिनी
फूल्लकुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्,
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम् ।
सुखदां वरदां मातरम् ॥

सप्तकोटि कण्ठ कलकल निनाद कराले
द्विसप्त कोटि भुजैर्ध्रत खरकरवाले
के बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहुबल धारिणीम् नमामि तारिणीम्रि
पुदलवारिणीम् मातरम् ॥

तुमि विद्या तुमि धर्म, तुमि ह्रदि तुमि मर्म
त्वं हि प्राणाः शरीरे
बाहुते तुमि मा शक्ति,
हृदये तुमि मा भक्ति,
तोमारै प्रतिमा गडि मन्दिरे-मन्दिरे ॥

त्वं हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणी
कमला कमलदल विहारिणी
वाणी विद्यादायिनी, नमामि त्वाम्
नमामि कमलां अमलां अतुलां
सुजलां सुफलां मातरम् ॥

श्यामलां सरलां सुस्मितां भूशिताम्धरानीं भरणीं मातरम् ॥