PROUD TO BE INDIAN

On Monday, 26th January we were celebrating our 60th Republic day. Our president taking the salute this year was, a woman. Moments for us to be proud. Ironically, what happened in some part of our country made us look at the the very same picture differently.

As long as you confirm to laws drawn out by the constitution & live in a civil society there is no fear. Well this is the general belief.What has happened recently is horrific. News has been pretty disturbing to watch and read for the past few days. Some random people we never even knew existed, decide for us! Isn't it strange that we get newer definitions for democracy each day?Where are we heading?

One of the definitions of a Terrorist is - a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism or a person who terrorizes or frightens others. Do not these people come under the category of terrorists then? Aren't the terrorists deciding for us? These are more dangerous because they are misinterpreting our culture. Respect for every individual is a prime aspect in our culture and so is Ahimsa! These people are for sure not protecting Indian culture.

A group of wrongly brainwashed young men have no right to disrupt freedom of ordinary citizens. Mangalore has always been a city of peace.How can they take law into their own hands?
I know doctors who had come to Mangalore as students, fallen in love with the city that they have made it their homes. The molestation of girls in such a city is so difficult to digest. Always a quiet city it has been in the news for all the wrong reasons of late.

When there is an external threat we can seal our borders & make sure everyone coming in & going out is thoroughly checked. The question now is, what do we do when the threat is internal? When we are so volatile internally, we are inviting problems.This is a more frightening situation to be in. What is it that we can do now? The country should come together as a whole. The basic fact we need to understand is, we are Indians. Whichever part of the country we come from should not make a difference. We should make sure this thought, is felt by each one of us. A handful of young minds are being misled & threatening to hold our freedom at stake?

Honestly till I saw a news feature a couple of days back , I did not know that with pubs having to shut down by 11.15 in Bangalore- the city is bleeding, and its soul hurt! I was shocked to see so much focus on, the bans in Night life & pub timings in the city. For God's sake, the country is reeling under a recession. People are losing jobs everyday. How do they make ends meet? There are many frustrated, who are committing suicides. This is a crucial issue .They need hope.

It is because media is giving so much time to these trivial issues that the so called leaders get an inspiration to mislead the youth. The pictures & news features on Sri Rama Sena & MNS hogging the limelight makes me wonder what is happening to India? Where is our focus? We get what we deserve. Do we deserve this? Is this newsworthy?

Media focus should now be on those people who have made a difference in their individual way. Whether it is an initiative to create an awareness on everyday problems like commuting with carpool or starting a social service group. Any activity which does not take a lot of money but needs a lot of individual & group initiative, drive, discipline & dedication should be given attention. This should be our focus. The environment is under threat. Look for people who are doing their bit to change their lives by becoming more environment friendly. All these need initiatives at an individual level & the ripples of this will be felt soon enough for society to react. Any positive change should be stressed & highlighted.Educate the people on these long term benefits. Let's not be hypocritical & claim ownership over something which is not ours & live in that reflected glory. ( Slumdog Millionaire being the latest example.)

It is time we look within & seriously ask ourselves a very simple question.
Am I proud to be Indian? If the answer is a "Yes" or a "No" it does not matter. In either case, we need to know why & help others find their answers! This is the least we can give our children , a reason to say, "I am proud to be Indian."