Proud to be Indian

 Today - the 26th of January 2021 , India and Indians all over the world are celebrating the 72 nd Republic day of our beloved country – the day in 1950 when the Indian constitution came into effect .

Due to this pandemic, the celebrations all over the country, and especially in Delhi are on a much smaller scale this year but that did not dampen the enthusiasm in any way .

I was filled with a sense of pride watching the impressive republic day parade and I do so every year.

In reality, I am of the firm belief, that we should not wait for Republic day or Independence day to remember our roots .

We should always be extremely proud, every day, that we are Indian, because not everyone gets the honour and privilege of being born in a country as large as ours, with so much unity in diversity and such a rich cultural heritage.

Irrespective of what we read in the press and see on the television from time to time, and what our political affiliations are , it is the land of our birth and the land where our forefathers toiled and fought alongside the freedom fighters to throw off the yoke of 200 years of British rule.

I am apolitical, and so party politics is not something I am involved in . However I will call a spade a spade when moved to do so .

That some Indians let the country down from time to time, should in no way make us believe that we are less or inferior to any other country in the world.

Politics, religion, caste and creed will always cause a difference of opinion and at times these will be very strong causing distress and misery . There will also always be contentious issues like health, sanitation, poverty, unemployment, pollutions , women's safety and the like and while I do not condone any of the above -they are more visible in a country with a population as large as ours .

We all criticize our country from time to time - we question the right and the wrong, albeit from our perspective, but I always feel it is done with love and more out of concern than any malice whatsoever.

My message today to all fellow Indians is brief and very simple – BE PROUD TO BE INDIAN.

A little research throws up tons of interesting, and at times, astounding facts, but the essence of all that is this –

Indians are known to be highly intelligent, very persevering, very trusting , simple , adaptable ,self-sacrificing , kind, respectful to elders, inquisitive, and religious by nature .

Lastly, from an educational viewpoint, I still am convinced that Indian education is very good . There are definitely areas of concern , but our schools continue to turn out first rate, all round pupils . Indian parents will sacrifice any and everything, to give their children the best education available.

They will live in a small house, face all sorts of difficulties and hardships, make innumerable sacrifices and forego all pomp and splendour to see their children well educated - Isn’t that the biggest and wisest sacrifice of all ?.

An open house in any school will see hundreds of Indian parents trooping in, to enquire about how their wards are doing, because all parents want their children to do better than they did back in school .

It’s in their DNA and something worth thinking about.

Some of the largest companies in the world are led by Indians. Some of the highest government offices in various countries are led headed by Indian, and that itself speaks volumes, and should fill us all with a sense of pride.

So, wherever you go in this world, and whatever you do in life – always remember- YOU ARE INDIAN FIRST.

So, go out there- remember the values you were brought up with and do your parents and your country proud.

I wish you all a very happy 72nd Republic day.

Jai Hind