Tryst with Destiny
Tryst with Destiny was a speech made by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India. The speech was made to the Indian Constituent Assembly, on the eve of India's independence, towards midnight on August 14, 1947
“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.”
India was de novo celebrating it’s Independence day on the 15th of August this year (Sixty Second this time) ………but now somehow for many of us it was just another holiday or bestir of a long awaited ……..long weekend.
“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.”
India was de novo celebrating it’s Independence day on the 15th of August this year (Sixty Second this time) ………but now somehow for many of us it was just another holiday or bestir of a long awaited ……..long weekend.
On the dawn of our 61st independence day I was conceiving my mail box and mobile phone inbox would have been flooded with advance posts or otherwise messages of friends, relatives and associates with fine wishes had it been a “Diwali, “Holi”, “Christmas”, “First day of the new year” or even a “Friendship day”, messages sent a day before would have landed the destination a day later for congestion in the network due to heavy traffic (and anticipating the same messages would already have been embedded with apologies for the same) but no message, neither advance on the eve before independence day nor any note saluting the same on the morning of independence day.
I and all of us have heard narratives of advanced, not so advanced and developing countries celebrating their Independence days with gravid conceit and respect, and it’s not that we India celebrate it anyway lesser than others but may be the cord between Indian national pride, honour and gist and Indian commoner is missing………may be and may be not………may be I am right or may be ……I am off beam.
Well I better prefer to be mistaken …..grossly mistaken !!!
posted by Sudeep Kansal @ 8:03 PM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
Hey Sudeep,
You know that in Mauritius we had the flag hoisting organized by the High Commission of India...and approx 2000 of the odd 12000 Indians here turned up for the affair...thatz a whopping 16% of the population actively choosing to take out their times, leave their homes and travel to a place to salute the tri-color. But maybe that was because you feel more patriotic when you are out of your country.
On a more personal note I think that we take this occasion too solemnly - rather than a cause of celebration or joy we treat it too seriously.
Anywhich case...since the time I got married I think I do not have a right to celebrate Independence Day...jab aazadi nahi to phir celebration kyun?!! :D
I think I agree with you Sudeep. Surely the cord is missing. May be our generation can never relate to the feelings of Gandhi, Nehru & Team when Nehru made the quoted speech in your write up.
For us the independence is a given, since the day we were born, they had to fight for it. For them it was joy and celebration of succeeding in a long struggle and for us it is struggle to keep safe what we inherited.
Sometimes I think we need to perhaps change the way we percieve and celebrate Independence Day. We need to get out of those patriotic songs which had the enthusiasm of fighting against the occupants. May be its time to celebrate the fact that we are independent and its important that it reflects in every thing that we do as a nation rather than celebrating it as on of the great an historical events.
May be the connection is wrong and outdated today. Once the wiring is rectified, am sure cord will strike and your mail boxes will be flooded to match your expectation :)
I appreciate the thought buddy!
Only one simple question, unlike for holi, diwali, "Valentine's day" etc. how many messages have you sent ??
I myself have mixed feelings on this topic. That said, I found this interesting little quote from Erma Bombeck on the American Independence day which I think summarises it better than any words I know -
"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism."
Vande mataram !!
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