Proud of being an Indian

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    India will be celebrating its 75th independence day in another year. There is no shortage of pessimists these days, and we can easily list the things that are not going well. But every one of us will be roaring optimists if we can time travel 75 years back.

India was in desperate poverty back then. More than two-thirds of our nearly 300 million people lived below the poverty line and struggled to afford even the basic food, shelter, and clothing. The Indian population was starving, and millions were killed and displaced in a civil war that divided the subcontinent into India and Pakistan.

Fast forward to the current - we are still a developing country. India has grown, albeit not in a way as to compare with our neighbor China. But any comparison is unjust.

We have done well in most aspects, with a functional democracy, thriving democratic institutions, large and small corporations generating employments, and so on. India added a large number of private-sector jobs since the 90s.  We are well off compared with most former colonies. Most of our 1.4 billion population is well fed. 

We are hardworking and motivated to do our best. We believe in peace and harmony. We have so many languages, religions, and sub-cultures, and it is our asset and not the problem.

We all need to congratulate ourselves for what we are today! We need cautious optimism. We need to guard what we have and grow into the feature.

With any endeavor to better yourself, you are not just helping yourself and your family. You are helping a company or organization, the economy, the nation, and humanity in general.

I celebrate the greatness of the nation than that of any individual. A countless number of people have given their everything for our country, including their life. India has remained what it is and has sustained its culture, retaining its languages, religions, and traditions. We all have reasons to be proud of ourselves.

Sri Subramanya Bharathi (1882-1921) - a great but relatively less known freedom fighter. Image source: Indian Express

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