Essay on I for India
Answers
I for India means to me very instantly as the term “I stand for the development and well being of India”.
India, for me, is not an independent identity to be reckoned away from the international comity of nations. It might be independent from the sovereign point of view, but considering the humanity as a whole it has identical interests with all the people of the world.
India owes its civilization to the inhabitants of the Indus valley dating back to more than 5000 years. India has been invaded at innumerable instances through its northern frontiers by forces inimical to India’s interests. Many people who settled down in India integrated themselves with the Indian culture.
The history of Indian independence draws the imagination of the intellectuals irrespective of their nationalities. India is considered as the place of origin of intuitive philosophical thinking about the development of human intellect towards the initiation of self realization.
I stand for such an India which :
1. implicitly propagates to the world about the concept of togetherness of the humanity as a whole;
2. integrates its efforts with other countries in mitigating the imbalance among the rich and the poor;
3. interprets the immense philosophical values of contentment and happiness among the people;and
4. invigorates its efforts to integrate and promote unity among the cultural diversity of its own people.
I cannot but quote the poem of Rabindranath Tagore when I visualize about India and its role in the independence of human mind:
“ Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high Where knowledge is free Where the world has not been broken up into fragments By narrow domestic walls Where words come out from the depth of truth Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit Where the mind is led forward by thee Into ever-widening thought and action Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake ”
To me ‘I’ for India is a call for all citizens of the country to wake up to their responsibility towards nation building. A nation can prosper only if each individual takes it upon himself or herself to be the agent of positive change. Hence, ‘I’ suggests India, refers to all Indians collectively and as individuals too, hopes to inspire the entire country and improve the nation’s standing in the world on all fronts- economic, political, religious, social and cultural.
Being a citizen of India is not just a matter of pride, but also something to be grateful for. There are many nations around the world that are struggling to give its citizens their basic fundamental rights because they are either war torn (due to numerous reasons) or economically distressed. India fortunately has been able to keep such large scale troubles at bay. Thus, Indians can have great goals and dream of achieving them too. There have been many examples of people from the poorer sections of society, who have risen to great heights and awed the nation.
Talking about people who have outdone themselves, one such person is former president Dr. Abdul Kalam, whose success story continues to inspire many. India has produced many fine personalities who have put the nation on the world map. Others include Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda, whose teachings have inspired people of all ethnicities, mathematicians like Aryabhata, scientists like C.V. Raman and Homi Bhabha and contemporaries like A.R. Rahman and M. Night Shyamalam, Kalpana Chawla, Sania Mirza as well as Mother Teresa each of whom made significant contribution to their respective fields. These are names that command respect the world over and continue to inspire individuals.
On the individual front, besides being motivated by the great names, each individual needs to understand that his or her role is important. For instance, the Swachch Bharat campaign cannot be a success without active participation at the individual level. Each person needs to understand that the ‘I’ in India refers to him or her too. People need to take the initiative and work on bringing about change on various levels. The present society needs change in all aspects.
Economic change can be brought about by each person consciously switching to products that have been made in India, by purchasing foods grown locally, thus empowering the local farmers and improving their plight. Political change can be ushered in by standing up against corruption in government offices and by utilizing the right to vote sensibly, on the basis of facts and not whims and fancies. Religious change can start within the home itself, with people vowing not to indulge in discrimination based on fallacy of religious supremacy. Social change can be initiated by each person simply by refusing to be a part of the dowry system for instance. Cultural change can begin by everyone being courteous to each other as well as to foreigners, instead of rudely staring at them. These are some of the very basic ways in which EACH individual can help improve the nation.
The ‘I’ in India is a powerful reminder of who we are, who our ideals should be and what we can collectively help the nation achieve.
