“
Freedom is our birthright,” said Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the great freedom fighter of our country.
15 August
1947 is a significant day in history of India and in our lives as well.
It is the day when India attained its freedom from days of serving
Britishers for more than 200 years.
Legends like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Rajendra
Prasad, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bhagat singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad fought
against Britishers for freedom and gave their lives for
India. Independence Day is celebrated every year with great enthusiasm
by Indian embassies all over the world.
I am proud of the fact that I was born in INDIA and I dream of the
day when it will become a great country. People often look down upon
dreamers as given to useless fantasies. But foundations of most of the
achievements are often laid down in dreams. There would have been no
aeroplanes, if someone had not dreamt of flying like birds. No free
India, Tajmahal, no Paradise lost. These are immortal works of mortal
dreamer. I admit that I am an incorrigible dreamer, large part of my
dreams are related to my native land, my own India. I feel blessed that I
am born to this land and that I have the privilege to love her.
When India became free in 1947, we inherited from Britishers an
exploited economy. Raw materials were being transported to England and
India was being used as a profitable market for finished products. A
question that often crosses my mind on 15 august that – Are we
Progressing? Looking at the present scenario- clearly not !! Still, we
are in no position to compete with advanced nations like Japan, U.S.A,
and France. We shall have to launch a more ambitious programme of
scientific and technological development. The speed at which we are
progressing is not fast enough to bring us abreast of other nations.
Concluding all of it- I would like to share my dream- I dream of an
India in which all her citizens will be men and women of moral values
and will be
ever ready to
emulate the ideals of the Buddha, Kabir, Nanak, Gandhi.
I dream of an India with cleaner political atmosphere. Gandhi ji has
already taught us how to move forward and deal with zeal to truth and
politics. The day political leaders realize that power should be used
for the welfare of common people and not as an opportunity to fill their
own desires, they will acquire political integrity. If our political
leaders cultivate noble virtues, they will be able to lead the country
to unparalleled heights of glory and greatness.
There is no Hindu India, no Muslim India. There is no punjabi India
or Tamil India. There is no upper caste India or lower caste India.
There is just one India, our country, which we all want to become a
better place. We want a nation that is rich in economy, respected and
has a good place in the world.
In India, we have problems of huge dimensions and there are hardly
any solutions, but we cannot leave our fate to providence. We should
work towards it in team spirit. Our plans may be frustrated in the
beginning but they will be crowned with success if we pursue them with
singleness of purpose, sincerity and devotion.
Now I would like to wind up my speech with a line said by our great leader, .
Wish you a very
Happy Independence Day.
Jai Hind!