Boundaries unlimited

There is a line of control. Two innocent boys standing behind the borders cross them only to get connected with each other with an urge to play soccer. And they play happily. This is an AirTel ad.

When I watched this ad for the first time, a lot of emotions stirred in me. What binds these two children? It is their innocence, of course as there is no barrier of any form of ego at this age.

Whenever I watch it, I wanted the big leaders of the East and West to take the message in a serious note; I wanted the smile of the boys be an inspiration for soldiers deputed in borders; I wanted the cheer to be imbibed by the young and the old alike; I wanted the ‘give and take’ to be followed among the rival nations not in terms of tortures but only as a gesture of goodwill; I wanted people to realize the greatness of a friendly atmosphere; I wanted all to be a part of one global village; and most importantly I wanted these physical lines of controls be permanently removed though the geographical boundaries be retained for ethical living.

It is an irony that we have to celebrate independence days and republic days to reiterate that we are a country of utmost freedom. But are we really?

The sacrifices done by the known and unknown sons and daughters of India and their ideologies and visions are safely guarded in the history books for competent competitions and school exams and to quote/unquote during election campaigns.

As a child, I used to get excited about the colourful parades & displays of different regiments of Army, Navy and Air Force. As years rolled by, I became a little matured and hence started appreciating the bravery awards given to the soldiers and would even dream of serving the country one day.

I became a little more matured and that’s when I realized the importance of these parades and awards in the truest sense. My eyes become moist whenever a frail widow walks upto the dais to collect the Param Vir Chakra Award. Unlike in films, the widow won’t be given an opportunity to speak in front of thousands accumulated there. She has to swallow her emotions, walk in paces dictated to her, hear the loud applause from the selfish hands, collect the award from the President and climb down silently.

When I think of all these on this day, I feel a pain in my heart for those who lost their lives for the freedom struggle, for those duty bound soldiers who lost their lives due to the irresponsible decisions of the leaders, for those who bore terrible tortures of mutations and punctures and died with a ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’ on their lips and for many reasons that could not be explained.

Sitting in a foreign land, I feel all the more patriotic towards India. Probably, that’s why I have whined loudly. Honestly, whenever I touch the Indian soil, I could feel a joyful shrill running down my spine, for I love my country very much. Yes, love once felt can never be truncated. It just flows in your being throughout.

Today my son has gone to Indian Embassy to sing patriotic songs. He’s proud to be one among the ten selected children representing his school. With all his innocence, he is excited about the gifts that awaited him.

I am glad that he is lucky enough to have memories associated with the Republic Day. I wish he realizes the significance of this day very soon and learns to respect all nations, their cultures and ideologies, for each one of them has their emotional & brave history to be proud of.