India is my country.
All Indians are my brothers and sisters.
Err... Except for
- Sisters leaning on me in buses expecting me to carry their abundant weight, and provide the much needed balance.
- Brothers or sisters not wanting to be Indians.
- Brothers or sisters talking against my parents, Aarti, Rishi or Ashwin.
I love my country,
Err... except when:
- bus windows are mistaken for dust-bins, and hands keep darting outside to throw offensive papers and plastics outside.
- horns are used in abundance to show lane-changes, signal-changes, anger, joy or to intimate the breaking of traffic rules.
- traffic constables use anything from no helmets to smiling while driving to collect pocket-money.
and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.
Err... except when:
- Trans-sexuals are not allowed inside share-autos by most drivers, with a laughing explanation of "they are gay"!
- any fight on the roads are written off as "they must be muslims"
- any high decibel conversation is written off as "they must be Punjabis"
- A dark-colored person is invariably a South-Indian negro.
I shall always strive to be worthy of it.
Especially when:
- The aut-wallahs give tired ladies lift free of cost.
- A person driving at 30-50 kmph stops to check whats wrong with your bike, and helps you start it if it is not working.
- Men call up blue-cross on seeing a hurt dog on the road, and then sit beside the dog to give him company.
- Men or women give up their hard-earned seats to ladies carrying infants, or to old or pregnant women.
- Kids implicitely take off their shirts and donate them to street kids with a smile on their face.
I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders, respect, and treat everyone with courtesy.
To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion.
In their well being and prosperity alone, lies my happiness
7 comments:
Kool! In our country we have this unmatched skill of using any and every national symbol as an instrument to propagate divide and hatred. Your pledge is certainly a great relief from such misuse. Especially liked the punjabi bit - though I am not one but can relate to their woes especially in Bangalore.
Wow babe! Hope you can keep these up da. Jai Hind!
Thanks Kunal! Long time since we said the pledge though isn't it? Its pretty shameful that I couldnt remember the last 2 lines.. had to google for it!
Ashwin -- hehe thanks!
The last points may have happened once in your life so far, but you have stated them in plural. That shows what an optimistic person you are!
:) The first and last points in the last part have happened only once, indeed, second, third and fourth are common occurences. I have not lost faith .. yet!
Beautiful post! Loved reading it till the last line!
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