An Independence Day During Covid-19

-- Emmanuel Roshan Jaiby, VIII-C, Carmel School

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Every year on August 15, we celebrate the Independence Day of India. This year however, is a bit different. Instead of majestic parades and throngs of crowds at the Red Fort and in all the state capitals, Independence Day celebrations will be webcast. This year, doctors, nurses and sanitation workers are invited to the Independence Day celebrations to honor their front-line services to the country amid the pandemic.

This year, school children will not congregate around and show their admiration for the military parades. Staff will be in Personal Protection Equipment. There will be sanitation points always within sight. Social distancing will be practiced. There may be only 250 invitees instead of the usual 900-1000 invitees. This year’s festivities will be vastly different.

Our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said, “The diversity of India is tremendous; it is obvious; it lies on the surface and anybody can see it…yet with all these differences, there is no mistaking the impress of India on the Pathan, as this is obvious on the Tamil.”(The Variety and Unity of India, The Discovery of India). We are a country that fully embodies the principle of ‘Unity in Diversity’. The fact that all of us have our first identity as ‘Indian’ and not as ‘Kashmiri’ or ‘Marathi’ or ‘Tamil’ shows that we are linked with each other with a bond that lasts for thousands of years.

Through the pandemic, our fellow countrymen have complied with the necessary measures needed to decelerate the spread of COVID-19. This is a genuine example of our unity. All of us, however diverse, recognize the gravity of the situation. We are united as one against the advancing adversary. Here, we

On Independence day we commemorate the sacrifice of our forefathers, the freedom fighters, for their toil, suffering and sacrifice to defeat the oppressive reign of the British, the empire on which the sun never sets. Independence Day is a day for those who defeated centuries of British rule supported by rifles with their voice, pen and ahimsa, a day of pride, when we hold our head high and remember the sacrifice of our forefathers.

“Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny; and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” (Tryst With Destiny, 1947)

73 years of independence later, we try to live up to the ideals of our freedom fighters. Gandhian values are still relevant in Indian society. The values of truth, non-violence, harmony, morality and simplicity are of paramount importance. Independence Day must be a day when we remember these values and try to instill them in ourselves.

Independence Day is a day to remember the sacrifices of those who strove for our independence. We must show our respect by showing the self-control expected of us in these troubled times. This is truly a way to show our gratitude by protecting our fellow countrymen.

Truly, on this Independence Day, may our heart’s voice shout “Vande Mataram!”