Message to Disgruntled Indians

Yes, it's 15th August tomorrow. Like every other day, it will also have 24 hours. What makes difference to a common man is a 'holiday' on this day. For some, the day might begin with flag hoisting early in the morning & for most of them it's a 'late jagneka din'.
The news channels will air speeches of important political leaders & project it as if a speech is going to be a game changer for India. The traditional 'Bhaiyo aur Beheno'  speech hardly invoke any nationalist sentiments. Now contrast Independence day with Navratri OR Diwali. By no means, I intend to say that these festivals are inferior to our national festivals. But this sharp contrast in our attitude indicates an underlying disconnect with the national festivals. It needs an introspection as to why these festivals fail to invoke nationalist sentiments.
While our present situation may not be as good as we would've liked it to be but by no means it is indicative of our dark future. Dear friends, please understand that a nation's true test is it's capacity to overcome some compelling & enthralling circumstances. India has always stood the test of time & we have given befitting reply to our detractors. When the whole world was in the shadow of dark ignorance, it was India which enlightened the world with it's Vedic knowledge. Now all this Vedas & Mahabharata may not inspire us. But an Indian CEO heading a Multinational Company can surely be an inspiring story. Our nation is too rich in cultural & spiritual sense to be described & understood in a small writeup. Also, I don't consider myself competent that I can describe it holistically.
But with all the prevalent ills, an undisputed & uncontested fact remains that we are destined for GREATNESS. I have no doubt that we will fully comply & withstand the guiding principles of our constitution. Indians are sovereign by nature, socialist by temperament & most importantly secular by cultural. We have upheld these values since time immemorial. I have no two thoughts about our unblemished record as a cultured civilization.
To all my friends, feeling disconnected with India, I must remind them a familiar cricket phrase that 'FORM IS TEMPORARY BUT CLASS IS PERMANENT'.
I wish all of you a very happy & a committed INDEPENDENCE DAY. Today I remember a sanskrit proverb which explicitly states:-
Mother & Motherland are above heaven
I once again wish all my countrymen a very happy independence day in advance & pray for our nation's well being & prosperity.

India's message to it's pessimistic citizens...

As we head for our independence day, I think we need to examine ourselves. Our examination should primarily be focused on what we, as indians, can do for our beloved nation. With all our desires & personal ambitions, a fact remains that we owe a part of our success & failure to this nation if not cent percent. All the fiery writings & speeches don't matter because their effect is limited to few hours. Similarly, celebrating the independence day & remembering the nation for one day is not important.
Celebrating independence day & being unconcerned for next 363 days(26th January) is not what independence day is about. This day is for reiterating our faith & belief in our beloved nation. I don't wish & neither do I have the capacity to attract people into my writings & speeches. But I intend to make people think about our nation is & what we can do for it.
We all admire so called 'developed' nations but what we forget is the role of it's citizens in it's development. If we really have fire in our belly to do something then I don't think a few set of bureaucrats or politicians can stop us from doing so. A nation is a reflection of it's own people. Abusing the nation for being undeveloped & bashing the authorities doesn't help our cause.
If valentine's day invokes extreme emotion than I think independence day also deserves a thought.
India is destined to be great, I don't think we can dispute that. Those abusing India for being undeveloped probably do not deserve such greatness.
I just intend to make people aware about who we are & what we can do as a nation. India will rise to pinnacle & a few loose cannons cannot stop that. We are not some foreign invaders that we consider ourselves to be different from India. We are the nation & the nation is in us.
Nothing can stop India from being great!
Your pessimism is your problem.

A Mumbai travel.....

With all the complexities & ambiguities, the only thing which remains constant for a mumbaikar, is a travel in a local train. All high profile announcements & allocations in budget hardly make a difference to everyday commuters. But what makes difference is a 'seat' in a 9AM Churchgate bound local. Hell with the fiscal deficits & retrospective taxations, the important thing is getting a 'handle' or a 'corner' in a crowded train.
Surely there is a trust deficit between a daily commuter & railway authorities. But what we must not forget is that daily almost a small sized nation travels in locals. The frequency of locals is really a matter of envy for many nations. While we may complain everyday, but an undeniable fact is "WE LOVE IT".
With all my justifiable prejudices for railways, I confess that providing services to such a large population is a no joke. Infact, locals are much more than a service providing agency, they are a second home for Borivali to Churchgate commuters. I think these commuters maybe spending less time with wife or children than what they spend with local trains.
While sex may be orgasmic but getting a seat at andheri in 9 AM local is equally exciting if not less :). Trains & Taxes are like 'You love it, You hate it, You can't ignore it!
But with all our pro & anti biases, an undisputed & undeniable fact is
"LOVE THE LOCALS IN THE LOCAL SO THAT THE LOCAL IN THE LOCALS LOVES YOU"
:) :)