Saare Jahan Se Accha... if you want it to be

At the stroke of the midnight hour of 14 August 1947, Nehru, the first prime minister of an independent India, addressed the nation and there were celebrations going on throughout the country. But people who were present at Nehru's speech were concerned with just one thing. Where was the man who made it his life mission to unite and free Hindustan from the oppression and tyranny of the most formidable empire? Gandhi ji was nowhere to be found. Any guesses?

While many parts of the country were celebrating their azaadi (freedom), Gandhi was in Calcutta feeding and wiping tears of those people in areas affected by the violence attributed to the partition of India (something else to thank the British for).

Its things like this that show you the character of the "Father of the nation". A normal man would celebrate and enjoy the victorious moment of achieving azaadi. Whereas Gandhi went straight to work, trying to help those in need to make the country a better place. He knew that we would never be free if we continued to divide, oppress and violate each other the way British did for 200 years.

India can be described as an "overwhelming" and "incredibly complex" country (for lack of better words). It is very easy to accept things the way they are and say that "I am only one person so what can I  do... This place will never change" or just quit India all together. But the question that we as Indians / Pakistanis / Bangladeshis (i.e. all Hindustanis) should ask ourselves is "Is this what our forefathers fought for? Did our grandparents live through hell in their childhood just so we could recreate such conditions in the new millennium?". I sometimes wonder if I would have even had the privilege to write these blogs if Gandhi had thought "I'm just one man, what can I achieve?".

What we (as individuals) could do differently and teach the next generation:

1. Donate. Donate. Donate. In addition to other social causes that you may donate to in your local country, always remember to feed those in our homeland who have no (real) social welfare system.

2. Don't take shortcuts. Trying to bypass the system, make something happen faster, or just looking to make a quick buck all lead to the "C" word... Corruption.

3. Focus on the similarities that unite us, rather than focusing on the differences that divide. All Hindustanis (whether you identify with a particular religion, country, state, city or caste) should rememeber that we fought united for 200 years for the same cause before a few individuals at the top let their egos (and a British civil servant) carve up our shared homeland. We should try to remember that "mazhab nahi sikatha apas mein bhair rakna" (our faith does not teach us to hate each other) and we actually have more in common than we'd like to admit.

This blog post has become a lot longer than I wanted so I will end it here with a couplet from our national song:

"Hindī haiṉ ham, wat̤an hai Hindostāṉ hamārā" (We are of Hind, our homeland is Hindustan)

These countries that make up Hindustan really do have the potential to be "Saare jahan se accha" (Better than the rest)... only if we want them to be.

Jashne Azaadi, Hindustan.

Jai Hind!

My modern day "Tirang" (tri-colour)

Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity - The Indian Dream

26 January 1950. What does this date mean to you? Sadly, to many Indians it's just another day off from work, a day to sleep in late or one of the numerous Indian holidays celebrated every year because that's what the old timers did.

On the other hand, many people are actually aware of its historical significance and its impact on India today; It's the day the constitution came into effect. The day that India granted her citizens fundamental rights and enforced the values by which the government (and leaders) would serve the public. Now we could sit here and write a thesis discussing the flaws of this document (which also happens to be the world's longest constitution) but I don't want to focus on that as it takes away from what the constitution is trying to achieve. The preamble mentions the rights secured to all of India's citizens:

• Justice;
• Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
• Equality of status and opportunity; and
• Fraternity (unity) of the country.

Many of my friends and family continuously question why I feel so strongly about India - when I have never lived there, when I was born in and brought up in NZ and let's not forget the thousands of problems/flaws of India that they have waiting in their back pocket to use against me. They are quick to call me "foolish" and  "ignorant" for thinking positively about this place that I call "home". It's hard to explain myself to them. I completely agree with the negative points they raise, but in my opinion* it's these four sentiments listed in the constitution that define the values of India and what she is striving to achieve.

My only real concern at the moment is that our current Rashtrapati (President) and Pradhan Mantri (Prime Minister) are not doing their part to keep India on the right path by enforcing and protecting these values. It is all too easy to think about current threats to each of the four points:

• Lack of punishment for REAL criminals.
• People not being allowed to criticise religious/political figures without being punished and not being able to practice their religion in peace.
• The stronghold of the archaic caste system and oppression of minorities.
• Politicians looking to divide India based on differences when it is those differences that unite us.

At the moment I cannot offer any solutions, but giving up on the Indian dream is most definitely not a solution. Writing it off as a third-world country "that will never change" is not the way forward. My uncle would always say "Don't be a part of the problem. Be a part of the solution!". By no means is India perfect, nor will I ever think so, but that won't stop me trying to make it one.

Happy Republic Day!

*DISCLAIMER: While I have only read a few different sections of the constitution, I am in no way claiming to be an expert in the subject.

Above: Got an up and close tour of Rashtrapati Bhavan  (The President's house)

Above: The National Emblem of India shining in the shadows of Rashtrapati Bhavan

Above: Tirang (Tricolour) on Rajpath being prepared for Republic Day celebrations. Photo taken by Chandan Khanna