15th August 2013, modern India is celebrating its 67th Birth Day. As citizens of this nation and heirs of a great cultural heritage of the world, we are proud to say ‘mera bharath mahan’.
The leaders of our freedom movement, under the stewardship of Mahatma Gandhi, had a dream of an independent and prosperous India. On this day in 1947, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru took the first step towards the realization of it by hoisting the Tricolour flag at the Red Fort. The journey we began on that day is now 67 years old. We have achieved much in these 67 years. We should never forget the sacrifice of our national heroes, who sacrificed their life for our well-being.
Today is certainly a day to celebrate the success of our democracy. However, on this occasion we should also introspect about what remains to be done. Do we have independence in its true and full sense. In the early hours of the 15th of August, 1947, when our nation had just become Independent, our first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru spoke to the nation and asked one important question: “Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?” This is a very relevant question, because as we have the right to freedom we also have certain responsibilities. We would achieve independence in the true and full sense only when we are able to banish corruption, poverty, illiteracy and discrimination on the basis of caste, religion and gender from our country. As responsible citizens of India, we must learn from our failures and we must make every effort to resolve these problems so that our nation may grow into independence in its full and true sense.
Even as we face these problems, we should be encouraged by the fact that we have achieved extraordinary successes in many areas in the last 67 years and now we need to continue these successes in new areas of human and social development. Today more of our citizens than ever before, and specially the youth, are taking interest in issues related to the progress of our society and country. We know that the difficult problems which India face can be resolved only with the cooperation of the common man. If we stand together as one nation, I believe, no power in the world can stop our country from achieving new heights of progress and development. What is needed is that we work together as one people for the success of our country. Let us once more resolve that we will continue to work for a progressive, modern and prosperous India.
In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad, there is a sloka:
sarvé bhavantu sukhinaḥ , sarvé santu nirāmayāḥ |
sarvé bhadrāṇi pashyantu , mā kashchid_duḥkha-bhāg-bhavét ||
It means, may all become happy, may all be free from illness, may all experience what is auspicious, may no one suffer. May this be our prayer this day!
