Wish you 62nd Happy Independence Day !!

“At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” -Jawaharlal Nehru

India's 62nd Independence Day

As the government organizations and educational institutions busily start their celebrations and the rest of the nation enjoys their national holiday by resting at home, I ponder over many things that cross our minds on such occasions but sadly the thoughts just pass over and we do nothing about it. When we listen to the umpteen patriotic songs on this day, our heart is filled with enthusiasm, energy and pride. But the patriotism dies as soon as the day is over. We are back to normal- throwing chocolate wrappers on the road, eating exported chips and never forming a queue for a bus. I am not saying that buying foreign goods or being aloof from it decides if you are patriotic. But doesn’t being undisciplined in all walks of life show that you are disloyal to your country?

Proud to be an Indian

Like many of us say that now its too late and nothing can improve it. Agreed. Corruption is deep rooted in our system and learning discipline will take us ages. Everywhere there is chaos, injustice and demoralization. The increasing number of cell phone and internet connection users and shopping malls propping up all over the country do not prove that things have changed.The infrastructure has improved and so has the number of scams. But the common man is looted even now— looted of his rights, money, freedom. Politics is getting from bad to worse. The overall scenario has improved in the last few years but new problems have risen and brought losses to an unimaginable extent.
But diffidence will take us nowhere. As true citizens of India, we have to do something. Can we gift this sorry state of beings to our generation next?

You and me definitely cannot transform the country overnight. But then someone has to take the first step. Does this first step mean starting a revolt or holding dharnas? No. And I also emphasize on the point that I do not want my country to become like one of the developed nations. We are unique and we prefer to be. A blend of culture and modernization.

We have dream t of it many times and will like it this way. This blend may not be perfect but with planning and continual improvisation, things can change. A lot can be done at the first level by us and at the national level by the people who have the power, be it the national leaders or the businessmen and celebrities.

And just think, we have all the ingredients ready- the intellectuals, the manpower and the awareness.
We are advanced in science and technology and have already achieved a lot in these 60 years. At the same time, much has deteriorated. If we rekindle our patriotism everyday then we all could together achieve greater heights.

To start with, can’t we stop the bribes or can’t we keep our city clean and green? Yes, we can. And once we start, our collective strength and planning will guide us through the rest of the path.
If we all keep striving, then who can stop us from being the “Sone ki chidiya” that we once were!

Jai Hind!

Happy Independence Day

How many of us do not check the daily forecast in the newspaper first thing in the morning? Even if we have excuses like “I don’t believe it, I was just checking it”, “You know it has become a habit over the years otherwise I don’t believe all these…”, we all know somewhere deep in our hearts that the astrology forecast gives us a feeling of security/ alertness/ well-being. Even I turn on the TV on time to check if I should be careful while traveling or if I will have a fight with my partner this week.


As humans, we want some outside force to warn us beforehand about the day-to-day calamities that wait for us as the day unfolds. Thats right, I call them ‘calamities’ as petty arguments or road mishaps scare us to such an extent that we get addicted to find out more about the mishaps-in-waiting by going through our weekly forecasts and strictly following the lucky color and stone given in it. Some of us even take out time to study astrology in detail from whatever resources available so that they find out all about their day- forecasts based on your birth number, lunar phases , Chinese astrology. We even tend to keep crystals, laughing Buddhas and wind chimes to bring us good tidings.

Come to think of it, what does all this suggest. Its simple. In this age too, we are superstitious to the core. As Indians, we have been brought up with so many customs, traditions and beliefs that faith in astrology comes naturally to us. And it is not only us, but there are people from other origins too who follow it. This leads us to another point that we as humans are emotional about the good and bad that is supposed to happen with us in the recent future.

This does not mean that astronomy as such hinders rational thinking. The study of zodiac signs is a study of astronomy and astrology and involves meticulous calculations.
The panditji who comes to your house to make your ‘kundali’ or ‘janmanamam’ is not just someone gives you a piece of paper that has some forecasts made and some planets listed just to earn his livelihood. He has devoted his life to study the stars. The stars affect or effect us to some extent.

So, are we supposed to believe whatever is written and ‘destined’ for us? Maybe. The stars have positioned themselves in such a way that such and such a thing is bound to happen to us at the designated time and place. I guess it does happen like it is ‘destined’. And when the incident does occur, the atheist does turn into a theist.
The inevitable remains inevitable.But how we perceive it and how we change it to our benefit depends wholly and solely on us.