On the Independence Day, other than flag-hoisting and related celebrations, what else that we can do ? Isn’t it the time to reflect, reconnect and recommit once again with the spirit of independence and the ideals with which we all achieved it? If we reflect on the future we envision for our country on the eve of this 72nd Independence Day, we could celebrate this day with a deeper understanding and in meaningful ways.
In this regard it’s worth recollecting the challenge of the future as foreseen by Dr. Rajendra Prasad “ we have only one ambition and desire , and that is to make our contribution to the building up of freedom for all and peace among the mankind “.
Further ,the members of constituent assembly took the pledge dedicating themselves in all humility to “ the service of India and her people to the end that this ancient land attain her rightful place in the world and make her full and willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind”.
And to achieve this welfare of mankind, Dr. Radhakrishnan Sir asked us to first assume responsibility on ourselves to correct our national faults of character and weed out corruption, nepotism, profiteering, intolerance and superstitious bigotry. Explaining the term humility in the pledge, he said “..we are by ourselves very insignificant. Our efforts by themselves cannot carry us to a long distance. We should make ourselves dependent on that ,…..,which makes for righteousness. The note of humility means the unimportance of the individual and the supreme importance of the unfolding purpose which we are called upon to serve.
Swaraj has a dual meaning: self-rule of the individual and self-rule of the society as a whole. And going beyond ones needs and in serving the larger unit only that one can truly discover and master oneself. To be really meaningful Swaraj should be celebrated everyday. If we are imprisoned by passions, greed, ignorance and arrogance our country, if not whole a part, will still remain in bondage.
Some of us might be feeling that all is not well with our country or our Swaraj. But that can’t be. Swami Vivekananda declares “…. a nation is not to be judged by its weaklings called the wicked, as they are only the weeds which lag behind, but by the good, the noble and the pure who indicate the national life-current to be flowing clear and vigorous. Do you judge of an apple tree and the taste of its fruits by the unripe, undeveloped, worm-eaten ones that strew the ground, large even though their number be sometimes? If there is one ripe developed fruit, that one would indicate the powers, the possibility and the purpose of the apple tree and not hundreds that could not grow.”
Then a question might arise as to whether we have such ‘ripe developed’ people in our midst. The answer is definitely yes. We have countless of them in every village, town and city. But we won’t be able to locate them through our regular media which by and large displays negativity in the society, not giving prominence to the better things happening around. We may have to look for alternative channels.
It’s said that one has to sacrifice himself for the sake of his family, family for the village, village for the state, state for the country and country for the universe. So let’s standup, as our leaders did at that constituent assembly on the midnight of 14th August 1947, and pledge to attain Swaraj in our personal lives and fulfil with single minded devotion to our duties towards the nation and the whole of mankind.
Enough of has been said and talked about corporate social responsibility, and it’s time for us show and display our individual social responsibility. Let’s not ask what the country has done for us and instead start pondering and moving in the direction of what we can do to this great karmabhumi.
Sarve Jena Sukhino Bhavantu.
With Independence Day Greetings in advance.
Dr A Jagan Mohan Reddy
SIBM,SIU, Hyderabad