Today is the 26th of January. The day India celebrates
its Republic Day – anniversary of its Constitution coming into effect. Years
ago, I would have got up early in the morning to watch the Republic Day parade
on television. India’s military might and cultural diversity are on full display
along the iconic red-sand lined boulevards of the Rajpath. The very idea of
this day, and the parade is supposed to make every Indian’s heart swell with
pride and patriotism. For me, that effect has diminished over the years. While
in school, these occasions are special and looked forward to with excitement. But now, the patriotic songs on the radio all day
long, the handmade flags dangling precariously from window sills and rooftops, and
the excitement for the colorful tableaux representing different states and
Government departments are all relics of childhood. Today I got up at 12:30 pm,
and the first thing I did was to switch on the TV, but only to see if Sania
Mirza managed to win the Mixed doubles title at the Australian Open, and
excited for the ensuing men’s final match between Nadal and Wawrinka.
Meanwhile, the radio in the next room was blasting the latest Bollywood hits
like any other day, instead of the handful of staple patriotic songs from
movies of bygone era, which usually come on the airwaves just twice every year. As I switched
channels, I landed on Rang De Basanti,
a modern day classic and the perfect movie to invoke the missing patriotic spark on
a day like this. I had not seen this movie in a long time, and as I watched it,
I found myself appreciating it for the exemplary film making and its technical and
aesthetic aspects. I realized that the indescribable feeling of being welled up
with patriotic emotions was missing, unlike the first couple of times I had
seen it, years ago. I began to wonder, do I not take pride in being an Indian
anymore? Do National holidays like the Republic Day and the Independence Day mean nothing
anymore to me, especially if they fall on a Sunday, thus robbing me of a
guaranteed day off from work?
Patriotism in India is expressed occasionally, including
sporting events, the afore mentioned
national holidays, times of war, or a significant achievement on the global
stage – like the beauty pageant victories of yore, or the more recent
successful launch of the Mars Rover by our space agency ISRO. Though I use the term sporting events at the risk of being too liberal - its only cricket that counts as sport in our collective conscience. But we are so used to winning in cricket by now, that it is
no longer associated with the pride of being an Indian, unless it is the world
cup, or a match against Pakistan.The jingoistic version
of patriotism, often restricted for our dealings with the old time neighboring
foe/friend, is expressed time and again, be it on the cricket pitch via bat and ball,
or on the high terrains of the Himalayas via guns and mortar, or in our movies
(thankfully, on the decline). But in these times of social networking, when
everyone is an opinion maker and a self appointed expert on everything, where complete
anonymity springs up keyboard warriors in every home, this jingoism has found an
unprecedented outlet for expression. These defenders of our country’s pride are
forever ready with their fingers drawn, ready to bully and abuse anyone who
dares question our country, or even their own political heroes, into submission.
On the flip side, when any piece related to India comes up on any social media
platform, there are similar detractors who are ready to label India as the
country of rapists and hell for women at the drop of a hat, no matter if the
article they are commenting on was about the Mangalyaan. One interesting expression of patriotism nowadays
is seen when an India – born national of any country is lauded for an
achievement of significance. Whether that person is an astronaut, musician,
scientist or politician, we are ready to claim him/her as one of our own, and
delight and take pride in their success, even if their families left India eons
ago, and its inconsequential whether they acknowledge their “Indianness” or
not. It’s a pity that we are apparently a nation so starved of heroes that we
are ready to embrace others as our own, even though our own athletes, freedom
fighters, aging and forgotten artists and other heroes (or even present, when
it comes to ‘irrelevant’ disciplines like Kabaddi,
or for that matter, any women’s team) are struggling to make ends meet.
Though it can be argued that just like any other emotion, the expression of
patriotism will vary for every individual. While for some, it may trigger from
witnessing a thumping victory of the Indian cricket team over an arch rival (or
maybe even on the tennis court, or hockey field), for others it may come
from witnessing the launch of a space mission or nuclear capable missile on TV.
I was just trying to contemplate the changing definitions of patriotism for me
with age, but digressed. While celebrating and revisiting iconic events in our
glorious past, with a show of present strength and a promising future excited
me as a child, now it only means a few hours of lost sleep. Later in the day,
while still changing channels, I landed on NDTV, airing a feature on the Kargil
War, and the perspectives and changes in those war ravaged towns in the present
day, with comparisons to the actual days of the war. Watching footage of the
first televised war of our country, journalists standing along with the army in
line of fire, I rediscovered that spark to some extent, if only for the
realization that celebrating these days is crucially important, if it ensures
that we remember and appreciate our heroic armed forces once or twice a year at least.
In these times of insecurity, increased lawlessness, and complete
disregard for human life, one might be forgiven for feeling that the entire
concept of patriotism is on its way out. After all, if our populace was proud
of its nation, how could a country once a symbol of non violence and morality,
be suddenly symbolic of barbarism, inhumane treatment of its own women and
intolerance. It’s like we take two steps ahead, to only come back ten. But I strongly believe, change will come with
generations. And the current generation, fortunately, has demonstrated the idea
of patriotism which requires change on a daily basis. Patriotism which embodies
becoming a better person every day, standing up for what is right, not settling
for mediocrity and by not being content with silence and demanding answers. On
the surface it may look like everything is spiraling downwards, but change is
also happening at the other end, slowly and subtly, but surely. There might be
a lot of noise and commotion, but the voice of reason does manage to make its
presence felt often enough, and hopefully will eventually prevail. As Indians,
I hope we will learn to be proud of and retain all that is good, and at the
same time not be in denial of everything that is wrong and resolve to rectify
it.
