Independence Day: Who am I

I’m proud to be an Indian. Today is one of the proud days as this is the day when our great nation became independent from British rules after our glorious freedom fight.

Does it sound familiar? The tone – the language – the gesture of looking at the sky while saying this? To me it’s very familiar as I’ve sincerely attended all the Independence Day celebration well almost for a quarter of a century.

I’m a very sincere Indian ever since my birth. I’ve attended all possible this type of national celebration days. I’m democrat from my heart so I’ve paid my due respect irrespective of cast and creed – to Gandhiji, to Netaji Shubhash and for every other patriots. I have sang our national anthem every time from my heart. I clapped at the highest volume when someone raised our tricolor flag. Mostly it used to be our head master in our school and we all used to cheer him up with claps and not to mention some of the students used to have their own sounds to do the same. I distributed sweets in our hostel on these auspicious days before even eating it myself. I dressed myself in good clean clothes for these days. I’ve religiously followed almost all the things that a good Indian should do to celebrate these occasions.

I’m a good Indian. I respect Indian values like love, sacrifice, forgiveness and many more whose names I don’t know. You may wonder how I follow those values if I don’t know the names. But actually they are in my blood and from childhood I used to follow these principles. I get emotional at the stories of martyrs. I watch patriotic films with great interest. I get motivated with each motivational acts in those films. However, I don’t do anything in reality as result of that motivation but that’s secondary; isn’t it? I get angry when someone tells anything against my country even in light mood. However, I just let the anger go as I learned that anger is a sin. I just smile and politely say some words to support my country weekly.

You see I’m an average Indian who does the things which a good Indian should be doing. But I’m not a good Indian or should I rephrase it as I’m not a responsible Indian? May be more appropriate to say but does it make sense? I pay taxes regularly. I protest against every social humiliation by sharing posts in Facebook. But I never join any protest or any rally for a good cause. I only curse our politicians while discussing about my country with my friends. Does it reflect my responsibility towards my country? Please don’t look at me I’m already ashamed and tired of myself by doing these.

I say my country is not developing ever since I’m seeing her. But alas I don’t know what does this word ‘development’ really means for my country? However, I’m totally aware of every aspect of ‘development’ for myself. Every time I see potholes in the road, I curse the contractors and the Government. I think they are not doing their job properly. I pay taxes but then what is this? But I never think what I can do to fix it. Can I put some tree branches near it to make people avoid that for the time being? Yes I can do it but why should I? There are people to do that. I've other duties.

When my friends are not getting jobs, I see the recruitment system is corrupted. People seating in the responsible positions are not doing their job. But I myself work for a foreign company whose profit goes abroad. I never think of creating opportunity for others. I’m only happy with speaking of faults of others. When I wait hours after hour in a Government office I just curse the employees there. But I never see how to make the system more efficient. However, sometimes I do think how we can make things better. At that time a terrible thinking strikes me, who will look into these new things! None will look these and everything will go as it is going. But every tree starts from a seed – every new thing has to begin from an individual effort. These simple things are long forgotten as we became too busy with self-centered routine life.

A nation is not a responsibility of a few. It is our joint effort to make our nation a great nation.  If we can remove the ‘I’ from our heart we can do things that looks far beyond possible today. We always think politicians are corrupted and they are eating our country from inside. But how many of us has even thought of joining politics and mend the system from inside? How many of us thought of helping the needy people may it be time, finance or opportunity? There are ways where we can make ourselves better but we are too busy with individuals. We don’t have time to look around and breathe the same air. But if we do that, then nobody has to remind us about the Independence Day. We'll know the value of freedom from within. We’ll truly follow the path shown by our great patriots.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag : The Run Behind Dreams

“This can be your last race of life.”

“I’ll run like that…”

Words truly came from the deep of Milkha’s heart.

How can you earn a blazer? It was not a simple blazer – It was The most precious wearing of an Indian Sportsman – the Indian team Blazer. He saw himself in the Blazer once in the mirror. Was it true Milkha? No of course not. It was only a mere reflection of his dream. But that was one of the most important step towards a dream – Live the dream. The slap from his trainer made him come back to present.

“He is far better than you – he is a champion. Can you beat him? CAN YOU BEAT HIM?”

“Aho!”

His eyes does the rest of the talking. In a moment his life turned towards a single goal. His life just got a purpose – a bigger aim far bigger than anyone around him dared to dream about.

He started his run behind his dream – yes he ran hard. Too hard to be ignored by anyone around him. When his competitor beat him in the legs to make him not to participate in the coming race, was just an acceptance of his caliber. Milkha was for bigger purpose and these small barriers wouldn’t stop him. He learned to cross the barrier. The same guy who could not cross a finishing line for a stone in his foot made a national record with 4-5 spikes holes in both of his legs. It was the first acceptance of his attitude. But who cares for acceptance? He was a hero of his own. He was a hero for his dear Didi and Biro. He can fight the world for them.

Milkha earned his Blazer for India. Though that was just a start, but of course a dream come true. A dream people around him dared to think about. His Didi was the happiest person in the world. Her every tear showed her proud – her joy. When she found the earrings from the Blazer pocket, the shiny smile mixed with her tears made her the most content person in the world. Blazer was truly earned – for Milkha, for his Didi.

After all this Milkha was a man. He was not freed from all the bonding God has created. He just floated on his feelings with Stella in Melbourne Olympics. But soon after he realized his life was for different purpose. This gives him more strength than ever. This freedom completes when he left the swimming pool refusing the “mermaid”. That moment was a battle within where the brigadier Milkha won. And that was the start of his winning.

He trained as hard as possible – beyond possible. This was the training of a saint – a true champion. Did he achieve his ultimate goal? Heh does it matter? A medal – an Olympic medal would surely be the brightest feather on his hat but weren’t all the feathers on his hat are far brighter than the longed one? Wasn’t the tears of joy of his Didi means hundreds of Olympic gold? Wasn’t his coach Gurudev Singh’s every hug equals to those medals? Yes truly they are.

Milkha’s life got a completion when he visited Pakistan again and fought his childhood fear. The ultimate solution to relief from fear is not to run away but it’s in crossing the line and winning the fear. He crossed the line when he visited his home in Pakistan only to find his bloody memory rejuvenated. But that was much needed and his soul gains true freedom.

Every human life goes around all these stages from dream to run behind the dream to realizing the dream. Every person gets chance in one or another form. It all depends on in which stage he leaves the track. Milkha shows how to stay on the track with all odds in the opposite side. Sheer dedication, willpower gave him the strength to do the inhumanly deed….

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Down The Memory Lane

Today I was just wandering through my archive mails. When you revisit such messages from past you ought to have a simple yet deep smile in your face and have your brain running faster than ever trying to fetch memories from the farthest corner of mind. So, I was doing those exercises as usual. All of a sudden mails from Illumine'08 (Bi-annual reunion of I.T. Department, Jadavpur University, W.B.) came into view and I went into a trance to remember as much as possible of my college life! Then I found this treasure, I wrote for the souvenir for Illumine'08. This is dedicated to all friends of I.T. Department at Jadavpur University with whom I've shared one of the best time in my life...

JU SL campus garden: brings back the sweet memories...

There are lots of moments in our life that we love to remember lifelong. First day at the college is one of those unforgettable moments. To me it was really touchy. It was a rainy day. The storm was getting stronger and stronger. Gulping the breakfast quickly, just putting on my shirt I left for college, speeding along the road. It was my first day in college. When I reached the class room, the room was filled with freshers and seniors! I chose the last bench just behind a tall boy hiding like a hare. I didn't know any of the students of my class. But I could easily distinguish the seniors easily from the scratch. When I looked at the desk a boy of my class (I guessed) was giving his introduction to the whole class. He was very slim and I thought he was fortunate that the room was well covered to resist the storm outside. He was sweating badly and looking around nervously.

“Hello!”

I broke up from my trance. It was from my neighbor, a tall boy wearing a formal shirt.

His formal dress told that he was from my class!

“Hi! How do you do?”

We introduced each other. That was my first talk to a classmate, the first friend of my college life.

My turn for the introduction had not come that day. So it was not much of a bother for me that day. It’s always good to see others in uncomfortable situation especially when one does not know who they are! But just the day after there was a lot more waiting for me!!

Next day I got to college in time as usual a first year student does. I saw a large crowd in our class. I got settled in the last bench. A mock marriage ceremony was taking place in a nearby bench. A football match with a coin of five rupees was being encouraged by a group of seniors in the desk. A boy was driving an imaginary motor cycle in the passage between the benches. I was truly enjoying the moments. Then came my turn, in my life for the first time I got aware of fashion. A senior didi taught me how to do a cat walk. And I did it for the first time in my life.

In the afternoon, for the first time I looked at the college ground. It was just awesome.

The sun was just setting down, spreading its red sunbeams, giving a magical beauty with the clouds. The scene just enchanted me. I was heading for the hostel. That was my first day at the hostel. I had to share my room with one of my seniors. He was truly generous to me. After dinner, there began a typical ragging session. I went through a physics lab examination under supervision of two seniors. I had to measure 'g' with the help of my wrist watch! It was a tough job indeed. Dropping a pulp of paper from a height and measure the fall time with wrist watch was never easy for me. I remember the value to be 16 m/Sec2! Then I had to seat in another test in astronomy and had to explain the methods of determining the density of the earth. That day I was really afraid of everything but when I reminisce the moments, I really enjoy them. Thanks to those seniors for giving me such memories.

Then there’s the memory of my first class in the university life. It was a lecture of Electrical Engineering. I was a bit late for the class. I as usual chose the last bench (It was my home in those days). I missed first two lectures and that third lecture was my first.

“Hello! You boy, would you please introduce yourself to us?”

I was surprised. Sir asked me something for the first time in my college life. But he asked me in English! I was confused if answering in English was mandatory. But when I looked at him it answered for me and I had to answer in English!

Yes sir, I am ... “

After our first meet I cannot remember when I talked to him in English. But that day was quite a different. It didn't take me much time to get along with my classmates, seniors, teachers and all. I can never adequately thank those people for their help and support.

Time passed and also I rode up in classes. Then the day came for which these all studies and struggles, the day for the placement interview. It was April fool day and TCS was coming to fool us. The night before the placement interview was unforgettable, living in a trance of half awareness. In the morning dressing up like a joker (read formal dress) I went to the circus (read placement). In the pre-placement talk the company officials tried to convince us to join their company by giving us every detail of the company. I fear that they would realize that we were even more interested to join them.

Then after the written test formalities we reached the interview stage. Finally I reached the interviewer. He was middle aged and very friendly. He gently asked me in which semester I was studying. It’s not a question at all, rather forming a question base platform. But I was too nervous.

“Sir I am now in 5th semester.” I said boldly not thinking what I was saying.

“Uummmmmmmm...” he hesitated at my confidence!

“Oh! Sir it’s my 7th semester.” after suddenly discovering my fault.

“Are you sure?” He was pretty much confused.

“Oh! Sir ........”

At last I corrected. The first step was pretty slippery for me. But fortunately, rest of the thing went well.

One morning I along with two of my friends were waiting for bus in the bus stand. We were going to attend a seminar! It was on Electronic prospect in West Bengal. This was my first seminar even in life. The hotel, the arrangement, and the speakers all these as if were in my dream. Even though most of the lectures were not made for me, I enjoyed the atmosphere. I remember a gentleman encouraged us to set up our own firms and build our future in our own hand. That lecture was the best for me. May be because it was the only lecture I understood fully! Perhaps I would attend many seminars in future. But the feelings I felt when that day I entered into the seminar room, would never ever be felt.

In school life I had my golden period of life. But the college life in its true sense is much better in every aspect. So much of first experience happened in this phase of my life. This would come to an end one day. Now I am in the verge of leaving the college.

And all of our friends will diverge with our own purposes. Perhaps we will separate only to reunite.