By Muddassir Ahmad Qasmi for TwoCircles.net,
Today we are celebrating 70th Independence Day of our country, and every citizen of the country is beaming with happiness and remembering freedom fighters’ struggle with fond admiration. Every year 15th August, the red letter day in the history of India, gives us a genteel reminder that we are free and every particle of this country is ours also. We have also a feeling of satisfaction because our rights are defined and preserved in the constitution of India. That’s why our love for the country is unparalleled and today is the day to demonstrate our love with enthusiasm.
With a deep sense of appreciation we salute those who stood with the cause of country and contributed a lot in the early days of free India. In fact they were the people who led the way to progress. This task was easy for them because they had witnessed freedom fighters’ sacrifices. They did not want to fritter away the opportunity obtained after two centuries slavery and they were the founding fathers of unity in diversity. But, now, it is sorry state of affairs that unity in diversity seems to turn into disunity in diversity which is not praiseworthy in the least degree. It is also certain that the enemy of communal harmony is not but a handful people and they are the ones’ whose forefathers did not play any significant role in the freedom struggle.
In recent time, some communities of the country are feeling unsecure, deprived and oppressed. As a matter of fact their freedom is snatched and it is like weakening the basis of freedom which ultimately leads the country towards decimation and shatters the dream of becoming developed country. Owing to the challenges the nation faces from disruptive forces within, the relevance of 15 August in our lives today becomes even more significant. The social, political and religious stability in the country is increasingly under attack and threatens to undo the gains of our hard-fought freedom for values of a secular, inclusive and democratic India.
India is not the name of any particular community; rather it is a complex mix of different religious, cultural, social, racial, ethical and social groups. So it’s high time for secular Indians to be united to defeat the communal forces and it is our responsibility to imbibe the spirit of freedom and continue to build upon the foundation of values our freedom fighters so valiantly fought for.
Love for the country is natural and no one can erase the mark of this inborn love from anyone’s heart. So to blame any community about not celebrating Independence Day, Republic Day or not to hoisting flag is totally false. Some of the biased elements in the country raise voices against madrassas that they do not hoist flags on these occasions. It is ridiculous, because these are the people who never visited madrassas, and then on what basis they blame them? In fact, madrassas never ignore these special occasions but they organize special programs on the occasion of Independence and Republic Day and they hoist the tri-colour with spirited hearts.
Now it’s responsibility of the media to highlight madrassas celebration of Independence Day and Republic Day because it is the media who propagates false accusations against them on behalf of communal-minded elements of the country.
Let’s enjoy our freedom, even though we are deprived and oppressed. It’s our land and we love it very much. Let us vow to free it once again from communal forces for the sake of the community, the country and democracy.
( The Writer is an Assistant Editor of Eastern Crescent, Mumbai)