63th Independence Day

August 15th, 2010. India will be celebrating its 63rd Independence Day. The radio will be blaring ‘Aye mere watan ke logon’. TV channels will alternate between ‘Roja’, ‘Rang de Basanti’, ‘Border’ and ‘Lakshya’. Schools across the country will compel their students to shed Sunday morning sleepiness and partake in flag-hoisting ceremonies. Milestones will be recounted, leaders glorified and saffron, white and green will dominate the landscape. Indians across the country will wear patriotism on their sleeve.

But I’ve been wondering what are we actually celebrating? Are we rejoicing over how corrupt officials choose heftier bank balances over national pride? Or maybe we’re happy about how our elected representatives decide to put the country’s security at risk to further their own agendas.

Let’s sample a few headlines from this past week to determine whether ’tis the season to be jolly:

The two biggest sports stories of the year haven’t been those of individual excellence or teams defying all odds to come out trumps. They’ve been the stories of the IPL imbroglio and the Commonwealth Games Fiasco, with administrators from both events under the scanner for financial irregularities and other malpractices. After Lalit Modi, it’s now Suresh Kalmadi’s turn to be in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Delays, tottering venues and an ever escalating budget were only beginning signs of the rot. Charges against Kalmadi and other officials over the past couple weeks have included corruption, money laundering and discrepancies in broadcasting and sponsorship deals. The CWG was supposed to generate pride among citizens and showcase India’s ability to stage a global event, but instead has only managed to be the source of worldwide embarrassment.

The Indian cricket team, on whom lies the brunt of the nation’s collective  aspirations, has also let us down this time with a humiliating 200-run defeat in Tuesday’s ODI against New Zealand.

Industrial growth is at the lowest its been in 13 months even as inflation has

returned to double digits. Petrol and diesel prices seem to be hiked every month. Prices of commodities like milk, cereals and fruits have touched an all-time high.  Soaring expenses means that even the middle class are crossing out essentials from their grocery list and the poor are going hungry. This is even as surplus foodgrains lie rotting in godowns. Like the line from a song in ‘Peepli Live’ goes: Sakhi Saiyan khoob hai kamaat, Mehngai daiyan khaye jaat hai (Friend, my husband earns a lot, but the inflation is a witch that eats it all up).

The oil spill off the coast of Mumbai last Sunday after two cargo ships collided has brought up severe environmental concerns. Marine life and migratory birds have been affected and the livelihood of thousands has been hampered with estimated losses above Rs 85 crore per day. This environmental hazard occurred even as 25 years after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the Congress party faced allegations of letting off the guilty under political pressure. Victims of the tragedy have till date not been provided adequate compensation and health care.

Elsewhere in India, an eight-year-old girl was mercilessly beaten up by her teacher for failing to contribute Rs 2 to an Independence day function. This is the kind of ‘freedom’ kids in this country enjoy, where corporal punishment is an everyday occurrence that rarely comes to the fore.

Nature’s fury hasn’t left us unscathed either. The cloudburst and subsequent floods in Leh, has turned entire towns to slush and has left the area to appear like a war ravaged battleground. The death toll is at 183 and mounting while over 200 people are still missing.

Kashmir continued to boil this week with this summer’s death toll from violence rising to over 50. The Indian establishment has been unable to win over the Kashmiri population through overwhelming force and the protests in the valley are directed against the military presence. Bunkers and security forces symbolise India for most Kashmiris.

It’s not just Kashmiris who are in the centre of internal strife. The Maoist menace rears its ugly head almost every day with murders, kidnappings and attacks now a common feature in Naxal-dominated areas.

If all this wasn’t enough, the deadly H1N1 virus seems to be making a comeback. There has been a sudden spurt in swine flu cases with over 20 deaths being reported in the past three days.

Are all the above reasons, cause enough to celebrate? The optimist in me will still search for those odd success stories and attempts to overcome calamities. I too love my country and wish to be proud of what I see happening in it. To my misfortune, events of the recent past are making my wish seem like just wishful thinking.

I don’t know about you, but come Sunday, it will be difficult for me to go about chanting ‘Mera Bharat Mahaan’. Instead, I might just be tempted to hang my head in shame.