The 'Indian' in me

A land which Mark Twain once described as the "...cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history...", India, is a land, which showcases 'unity in diversity' in the most pronounced manner.

A land, which possesses a rich definition of 'culture', India, unlike other such nations of the world, has never ever invaded any land, which is not surprising, when one considers the doctrine of 'Ahimsa' preached by the Mahatma.

The land, through its very name, proclaims its rich heritage, reminding one, of the 'Indus', and the archaic tales of the early settlers, who  were responsible for the inception of an entire civilization.

If one speaks of the Indian pride, the contemporary conquests made by the Indian cricketers,the Indian beauties,movie stars,authors and scientists abound in the instances, thus quoted. But,what about the jewels adorning our Mother nation's crown since the ancient times? Even Einstein did not flinch from mentioning our treasured land, when he said, "We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made", referring to the birth of the decimal system. The complexities of Algebra, Trigonometry or Calculus, the treasured concept of Yoga, which oozes the spiritual essence which our land has to offer, or the age-old formula of the 'Ayurvedic' concoctions which have healed the young and the old, for centuries, are just a few of the very many ideas that have emerged from the great souls who have once inhabited this land.

However, in its skewed brilliance in sports (Read: The Government's overtly enthusiastic attitude towards cricket and cricketers, while ignoring other sporting activities) , the rigid education system( Read: The middle class obsession with technical and  management degrees, stifling the emergence of any form of divergence, such as fine arts, or extracurriculars), or the pandemonium called 'politics' (the word which has acquired a new meaning in the contemporary Indian milieu--that of an almost shameless pursuit of public attention, by politicians, every five years), India has seen its worst.

However, the 1.15 billion inhabitants, who reside in this land of ours, will never cease to be proud of India. We dream of witnessing the birth of a new India, devoid of poverty, bribery, honour killings, domestic abuse and violence against women and children, and many such evils which are still awaiting an early eradication.

On this note, here's wishing every fellow Indian, a very Happy Independence Day. Long live India.