Supriya Bhatt Jain 18 hrs · Proud to be an indian ... Vande Mataram I am an indian and have been proud of it ever since the times I did not even understand what Indias history was.I remember taking pride in singing national anthem as a little nursery kid even though like most kids I would pronounce words incorrectly:taranga, banga, tab shubh and all! India s tricolour fascinated me. Whenever I would come across any feature film, song , scene on TV showcasing the indian flag , it used up fill my heart with immeasurable joy and pride. Those were the days of doordarshan which would broadcast popular songs like mile sur mera tumhara. However, my favourite was pyar ki Ganga bahe which featured popular bollywood actors of that time and promoted national integration.A particular end scene in that song shows our tricolour flying freely and it still mesmerises me whenever I watch that scene. My patriotism has a lot to do with music and words.The first few poem I wrote were patriotic. I was in grade three and wrote these to be published in our school magazine. Even though they never made it there yet they remain my treasure. I also used to maintain a diary in which I would copy lyrics of popular patriotic songs. At that time, I did not have any means of getting the correct lyrics so I would wait till one played on AIR fm or rangoli and would try hard to remember and note the lyrics as the song would play. I remember how I could complete kar chale hum Fida only after it had been played a couple of times on AIR. India was not just a country to me.It was an emotion I lived everyday. I was interested in reading about our history , leaders, freedom fighters. Singing songs formed a major part of this emotion. My 5 friends at Shastri Memorial School and I would often lead the morning prayers and it was a custom to sing some patriotic songs at the end . We all used to be so thrilled about our groups turn. We would sing vande Mataram , Ae mere Watan Ke logo , Hum sab bharatiya hai ae watan ae watan and other popular numbers. I remember trying my best to put emotions into singing Ae mere watan Ke logo when I learnt that Lata Ji had sung the song so well that Pt. Nehru was in tears. Our English teacher Mrs Vijay Razdan was very supportive of us singing patriotic songs . She was quite fond of singing as well . She once taught us a song Ae khak-e- watan Salam-al-e-Kum . Each new song we learnt would bring us a joy that was beyond words. Those were the golden days of my school when I used to take a lot of pride in being who I was. I had leadership qualities and would take initiatives often . I remember bringing to our vice principals attention once that Lal Bahadur Shastris portrait that hung on a wall was tilted sideways and it was shameful since our school was named after him. It brings a smile and fills my heart with mixed emotions whenever I think about those times. I do not know if kids these days have similar feelings for country but i am hopeful they live through similar experiences. As is true of most things that change in life once you grow up, my expression of patriotism has changed as well. no longer do I those songs or write them. Yet whenever I hear jana gana mana I stand up, my lips move and my head is held high. I do not care if I am under roof or in open, I always stand because thats what it feels within. Times have changed, situations have changed and so has the country of my residence. I have come along a long way away from my land. But being Indian and taking pride in who I am is never going to change . Today, when everyone is debating what independence really means and are we really independent , I can only think of one thing. YES as a nation we are but as citizens we still need to free ourselves from the shackles of slavery of thoughts. Nevertheless , independence is a feeling and India makes me believe I am independent . Proud to be an indian ! Vande Mataram !
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 08:18:48 +0000
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