Read the poems at your leisure

Buy the e-book version of the best of my poetry from Amazon.com on the following link and read the poetry you like, whenever you want.

http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B013ZJB8BC

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Independent India-In Shackles

So, today is India's 64th Independence Day. But do I feel independent?
It is a big fat NO!!!

We have just ousted the Britishers, but kept their legacy. They ruled India with a divide and conquer policy and they left that behind when they exited.
Even today, we are a "secular" country, but only in paper.

The daily papers are filled with incidents that clearly spell out the internal strifes India is involved in. The words " Unity in Diversity" that symbolizes India has become questionable. With every small patch of land claiming to become a distinct state based on the language, it is pretty clear what most of India feels, i.e "We are different, make a different state for us".

Is this the unity that was envisioned by the Founding Fathers of India?
Recently, I read in a news that India has dropped 2 notches on an index which ranks countries based on the transparency of their government. The CWG scandal which I am sure you must be aware of if your an Indian, had rocked the very foundation of our country, and our PM calmly says "Keep shut till the Games. We need to project a good image to others"
The government alone is not to blame because I accept that it cannot function properly if it is filled with people WE the "aam janta" elects.
If our decision is wrong , we surely cannot blame the Gov.

But it does seem clear that the current trend in Indian Politics is get more money, get more power and dont bother about us, the "stupid aam aadmi".

With each state proclaiming "The names of the shops in their state should be written bigger in the state language and then in English or Hindi. Yeah right, thats unity isnt it? With TN buses always stopping outside the city of Bang while all others go into the city is unity right!!!
People's refusal to learn the national language apart from the state language is unity, right !!! The riots in Kashmir, parallel the riots in Gujarat.

I have stopped reading newspaper because I KNOW nothing good and happy is ever present in it. Its all politics, crimes and a mix of both sometimes.

With the queen refusing to attend the games breaking a 40 years old tradition, world class players shying away from the CWG games, to our own ministers saying that the CWG should fail, India is having an Identity crisis. Its carefully portrayed and flimsy exterior image is crumbling and revealing the hideous creature racked with corruption, bribery and injustice. If the CWG games has done one thing good till now, is to bring out the rampant corruption and greed of our chosen elite.

But forget the Politicians for a moment, what about us "Aam Aadmi".
People refuse to accept one into their society unless he/she knows the local language. Is knowing the national language not enough? When asked they say "No you're in . You have to know ". I accept that it is good to know the local language, but this alienation is uncalled for. They are disrespecting the national language. That is not unity, thats Diversity in a Forced Unity, in a sense.

I do not know that our founding fathers had envisioned when they decided to create Linguistic States, but I am sorry to say that 6 decades later, their plan is backfiring like hell.

I have but written just a bird's eye view of the problems by India but that alone makes my blood boil.

Should I still be a "Proud Indian"? Should I stand up when I hear the National Anthem?

The Independent India is just a ruse. Its still in shackles now because of its own people rather than foreigners.