SOME INDEPENDENCE DAY MEMORIES

It was in 1952, my schooling started. For the first time, I joined class IV in a primary school (At that time it was called an elementary school). Till that time, I was privately educated at home along with my aunts. It was Malu teacher (about whom I had written earlier), who during those days taught me about the freedom struggle and how India gained Independence on 15^th of August 1947. So, I already had an idea of the Indian flag and flag hoisting, singing of National Anthem etc.

I was a very home-bound boy till that time as I was not supposed to go to school but only recite the Vedas and do all the rituals and help others to do their rituals. The only outing I used to have been a trip to my ‘Ammaath’ (Mother’s house) every year. So, it was on 15^th August, 1952 I attended the flag-hoisting ceremony in the school for the first time. There was a speech by Headmaster and there was ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and then we were given chocolates.

Practically this was the routine, till we completed our schooling. Of course, when we reached higher classes, we had freedom to move around  with friends.

In the polytechnic where I studied my engineering, I was a part of National Cadet Corps and the routine was more elaborate, with a parade in the morning after the flag hoisting. The NCC in our polytechnic was quite active. We had instructors who were ex-army personnel, (Col. Pritam Singh for 2 years and one Major Sharma for a year, if my memories are right) who had actively participated in the wars and had many heart-rending stories to tell us. And then in 1962, during those days, there was a war and the instructors almost seemed to be preparing us for the borders.  This gave us a new meaning whenever we said ‘Free India’, an insight into sacrifices made, and would have to be made yet, to get us the freedom and then to keep our freedom intact.

After passing out from Polytechnic and after started working in Mumbai, attending the Independence Day celebrations had not been very exciting. We were living in the quarters in the company premises. As the security personnel hoist the flag in the early morning, we would join in and then we would sing the National Anthem and that was it.

Later, when I moved to Ghaziabad and around the same time with availability of television there, we started watching the flag hoisting at Red Fort and the Prime Minister's speech on the TV

When we moved to Indonesia, the Independence Day program every year had assumed a new significance. With a fairly big group of Indian expatriates, we started having cultural programs etc. to celebrate the day which was helping us to have a common Indian identity. Later wherever we lived (we came back to India and were in Mumbai and Kerala for almost 20 years, before we went back again to Indonesia), celebrations on 15^th August had always been part of our life.

Now, in this small village Salangaon near Dehradun, in this beautiful Primary School (John Martyn Memorial School), we had been participating in the flag hoisting and celebrations with the school children, for last four years. As we watch the children perform music, dances and patriotic dramas so enthusiastically, we feel so happy. It awakens an inner voice that exhorts us to think 'Indian’ at all times.