As a kid, I was extremely attentive during our history lessons. It was one of my favourite subjects. (besides the fact that my history teacher was a looker) I have always been fascinated with the heroic stories of those times. The various times when kings, commanders laid their lives on the line for their nations, the millions of heroes who fought the firangs and won us our freedom. (and I’m not just talking about the famous ones) All along I used to picture myself to be one of them, in my childish ways tell myself that in my previous birth I was definitely one of them. Or wishing that I would get an opportunity to show my country the love and respect it so deserves and does not get. And sometimes even regretting that I cannot remember anything about that previous birth, so maybe I was not a freedom fighter after all. Dejected.
Now, when such an opportunity is knocking at our doors, what are we doing? Busy building our careers? Seriously? So when the generations after us study history, they will still only study what we have studied. Our contribution to history will be indifference. Maybe we need to pat ourselves on the back for this.
Of course, this is in relation to the Anna uprising that the country is witnessing. I am not saying that his methods or demands are justified or not. I am not saying whether he is clean or not. But how does that make a difference? It is not what a man thinks that defines him, it is his actions. He is fighting to eradicate a powerful and dangerous disease that has taken over our country, Corruption. That is all that matters. They say he is the Gandhi of our age. If you do not agree with his ways, then why don’t you become the Bhagat Singh? What is stopping you?
The issue is not Lokpal Bill or Jan Lokpal Bill. These are just methods, the first steps to achieve what is rightfully ours, what should have been rightfully ours ages ago. I know the seeds of corruption are sown deep, deeper than the oldest standing tree probably. It is a vicious circle, but somewhere it has to be broken.
I have often wondered at how can one not feel the love for your country. How? I somehow blame Manmohan Singh for this. No, no...not because he is the PM now. Because he brought in Globalization. I think maybe that is where the descent of patriotism was initiated. Of course I have no data to back this, but isn’t globalization the exact opposite of patriotism? Strictly literally speaking.
I know what your answer is going to be, ‘Kuch nahi badlega yaar’. I am not going to go on about how things can change if you want it to change, etc etc, blah blah. Just answer this question honestly and you might even feel ashamed at your attitude. If our forefathers could bring about a monumental change after hundreds of years of British Rule, we don’t have the balls to bring about a relatively minor change after just 65 years.
