Independence Day
4th of July is coming up. What does Independence Day translate to a typical American citizen?
I haven’t been here for so long, but here’s what my perception is based upon my short stay here so far. For most Americans, its like a long weekend when you sit back and relax. Fathers take their sons out for camping. There are nice parades in towns, small and big and all the people come out and spend their afternoons in the city square. You see a lot of people wearing the US flag on their shirt/blouse labels. In general, it gives out a nice feel, and even though everyone doesn’t say out loud explicitly that they are celebrating their Independence, I do get the general feel that people are aware that it IS their independence that they are celebrating and not just another long weekend.
I’ve been lucky enough to stay in Indonesia long enough to get some idea of their idea of Independence Day celebrations. Infact, I’ve seen what Independence Day means to people living in the country side, suburbs, villages and such; which I feel is the true reflection of the reality — at times cities are like mirrors of the outside world (the US for example) and don’t really tell you the truth. So coming back to Indonesia, I was really impressed by their celebrations. They treat Independence Day the same way most North Indians treat Diwali. There is exuberance in the air, everyone starts getting worked up a month in advance. People clean their houses, they clean their streets; and believe it or not, they even clean their drains themselves if need be. Every house, every street is lined up with their flag. I don’t know how much of this is due to Indonesia’s communist history, but whatever the reason, it really warmed up my heart to see their attitude towards is. In the evening, there is some cultural programme with fire crackers etc. I mean its really really nice.
And how about us? What does Independence day mean for the Indians? For that matter, what does our National Anthem mean to us? does it mean anything at all? People’s definition of what “adequate” respect to the flag, to the country, to the anthem etc may differ, but I for one think that we’re lagging far far behind in that national spirit. Since we were little kids, our parents had always encouraged me and my sister to stand up whenver the National Anthem was playing on TV or some place else. As a result, the idea that someone would *not* stand up for the National Anthem itself was absolutely unthinkable to me.
Until I joined a hostel (in 10th grade) — it was a summer afternoon and everyone was watching a cricket match on the mess TV. As is usual, this ad with the National Anthem came up in one of the breaks, and out of pure instinct I immediately stood up. After a few seconds of utter quiet, I realized that everyone in the room was sitting down and just laughing their hearts out at me. I was embarassed, I felt ashamed, I felt like a “ganwar”… it was as if I didn’t know the rules of civilized society, and I had committed some crime.
Since then, I’ve always been confused. Sometimes to be a part of the crowd, I deliberate ignore and supress my “nationalist” feelings if one could say so. This attitude was even more prominent among the students at IIT. On each Republic day and Independence Day, we used to have a flag hoisting ceremony in each of the hostels and also in the main stadium. My first I spent sleeping off and got up at my usual time as if it was just another day.
But I kept feeling bad about it all through the year and the thought came coming back to me that could I not get up early just a few days in the year to be part of the flag hoisting atleast? I finally managed to pull myself into the flag hoisting (though I went without a bath all times) from my 3rd year onwards, and I was absolutely shocked at the sight. There were all these little school kids (which reminds me a lot of my early school days), there were a whole bunch of the faculty. Of the 5000 student population of IIT Kanpur, however, there were a meagre 50 or so who turned up. I was really appalled, and though I didn’t actively do anything about it (having been guilty of the same crime myself many times earlier) I did drag Nakul and some other friends the next year around. Somehow it felt nice after seeing the flag hoisting. What does India mean to us? I wonder.