Another Independence Day gone by.
Another occasion of patriotic songs, news clippings, TV panel discussions, special programs on TV.
Another excuse for newspapers and magazines, to come out with special editions, where 90% of what is written either makes no sense to me or goes over my head.
For the first time in life, as an Indian citizen, I did not really feel like celebrating Independence Day. Somehow I feel that celebrations have just become a once in the year Circus, to which you go, see, applaud and then forget about it. For me it is a time to introspect, to think about. I am not a "pseudo-secular-liberal-whatever-whatever" anti Indian writer, who aims to please the West. I am just an average man on the street, making a living, and the thoughts are from that perspective.
We are not a superpower, nor will we be at least for quite some time to come. Let us get our expectations right. Instead of dreaming to be a Superpower, how about concentrating on providing a better life to the citizens.
9% or 10% growth means nothing, when we have a huge chunk of the nation's population living in poverty, worse than Sub Saharan Africa.
Obama gets BP to clean up the Oil Spill and pay for the Mess, Union Carbide thumbs its nose at us, pays peanuts for what it has done in Bhopal, and our Leaders are more worried about who is to be blamed and who is not to be blamed.
We can't boast of being the World's largest democracy, when every sundry 2 bit organization, can bring the Govt to it's knees, and openly defy the Constitution. Raj Thackeray threatens to throw out migrants from Mumbai, the Khap leaders threaten a blockade of Delhi, Naxals run a parallel Govt in vast stretches of Eastern India, Mullahs issue fatwas on each and everything, and every time the Govt seems to be impotent.
Sundry moral cops go around beating up young lovers, people celebrating Valentine's Day. Every 2 bit organization representing some community or other, threatens to ban some book or movie, and the Govt just bends, because they want the votes.
India's richest city, keeps going down the drain, year after year, gets attacked by Floods and Terrorists, and yet what does the Govt has to offer? Useless homilies to the "Spirit of Mumbai".Damn it is not the spirit, you Idiots, it is the fact that people have no other option but to attend to their jobs, even if there is a flood, or bombs are exploding all around. It is a fight for Survival, but then I guess you guys, never knows what it means to travel in a packed local train for hours together in miserable conditions.
To the politicians, business leaders, media and all the elite, please for heaven's sake stop fooling us with all these "India Growth Stories" or "India Shining" or "India is a Superpower" tales. We are fed up of listening to these stories, please be honest and give us the truth. For heaven's sake stop treating the average Indian like a moron. We are right now frustrated and fed up, and we see no reason to celebrate another Independence Day.
