60th day of its kind

Along the pond near the bus stop, a mom was running behind her year old kid. The kid was amazingly swift for his/her age. I guess the kid keeps her on her toes all the time. That would explain the supreme fitness of the mom. Their dog was acting weird. He was busy barking and slapping at the pond water. May be, he was trying to fight his own reflection in the water.

We walked to the Indian Embassy. The embassy was pretty crowded. Around 150 people from all parts of India had assembled at there. They in a variety of Indian and western attires – Three piece suit, Business Formals, Business Casuals, Jeans and T-Shirt, Saree, Salwar Kameez, heavy winter-wear, Sherwaani, Kurta-Pazama. The weather was pleasant – damp and cloudy but no rain. The crowd was engaged in a chirpy murmur. Most of them were greeting familiar and unfamiliar people with wide smiles. An irritated kid was questioning his dad “What am I supposed to do?”. A bored lady was expressing her doubt to her friend “Am I wasting my time?”. Few kids were merrily running around crashing on the knees of those around them. I almost missed Mahendra Kapoor soulfully rendering his classic ‘Mere Desh Ki Dharti’ in the air. A couple of smartly dressed cops were watching the crowd with a lot of amazement.

Everybody assembled at the open space adjacent to the Embassy building. The Indian National Flag was hoisted. We sung ‘Jana Gana Mana’. There was a momentary competition on who would lead the gathering to chant ‘Barath Mata Ki Jay’ and ‘Vande Mataram’. The loudest won. The President of India’s address to the nation was read out. I got a hardcopy of it. I was surprised and proud to see the reference to the Thirukkural couplet – ‘Enniya enniyangu eithuvar, enniyar thinniyar agapperin’ (A person, who is wedded with the virtue of determination to accomplish a deed, would be able to execute the same and earn glory and fame) in Mr. Kalaam’s address to the nation.

At the end of his address, the President suggests a seven-point oath to the youth of India.

1. I realize I have to set a goal in my life. To achieve the goal, I will acquire the knowledge, I will work hard, and when the problem occurs, I have to defeat the problem and succeed.
2. As a youth of my nation, I will work and work with courage to achieve success in all my tasks and enjoy the success of others.
3. I shall always keep myself, my home, my surroundings, neighbourhood and environment clean and tidy.
4. I realize righteousness in the heart leads to beauty in the character, beauty in the character brings harmony in the home, harmony in the home leads to order in the nation and order in the nation leads to peace in the world.
5. I will lead an honest life free from all corruption and will set an example for others to adopt a righteous way of life.
6. I will light the lamp of knowledge in the nation and ensure that it remains lit forever.
7. I realize, whatever work I do if I do the best, I am contributing towards realizing the vision of developed India 2020.

They are the simple things that every citizen of the country should consider as his/her duty. Some of us may already be practicing them. But the effect would be visible only when every one of us follow them. Did I say that dreamer in Mr. Kalaam is one of those I respect the most? There is no reason why we shouldn’t do our parts to make his dreams to come true. Not for the sake of Mr. Kalaam, but for our own sake. Else, may very well end up like the dog that fights with its own reflection.

JAI HIND.