Adamantly flouting the excessive media and political propaganda against the preparations of the 19^th Commonwealth Games, New Delhi 2010, a firm salute to India for holding the games more than prolifically.

Although I am against of the whole concept about commencing these games as there is nothing esteemed about celebrating the fact that we were once under the colonial rule of the British but better hosting such games lucratively than being in the news for the wrong reasons.

The opening ceremony was like a big muffin. The base was firm, of the country’s cultural backgrounds, carrying the spongy cake of beauty. The ceremony showcased India’s regional dances, which were an awe to the sight. The luminosity of the moves along with the sparkle of the make-up and costumes were all together a cosmos of talent and history.

Children with their thrilled eyes and elastic bodies, older girls with a refinement of beauty and posture as well as professionals with their professionalism, made the evening a dough of dignity.

Besides the grandeur of sight, there were the colors of sound. Drums from each state of the country were displayed in harmonious synchronization. There was nothing that the choreographers and the stagers left out. From the ancient continuing of the divine yoga to a mock-up of long train having magnified tea kettles, bangles, movie stars, puppets, “dabbawalas”, milkmen etc as the blocks to the train. There was nothing left out that magnified India’s culture to the 20,000+ audience. There was music. There was dance. There was ethnicity. And there were fireworks. Choreography that presented each crook of India’s legacy, simply sprinkled glitter of glamour over the JLN stadium.

We had the largest Helium gas balloon, brilliant lighting, sensational sound, fabulous special effects, and numerous stationary and dynamic-wheeled cameras. We had it all. It was A-class.

And during those 12 days of CWG, I was a complete patriot watching every single telecast of games, compelling my friends to do so, cheering and woohoo-ing the players and keeping track of the medals tally. It was a blast. I felt so close to my country even when I was in it.

It was wow.

We stand today. We stand tall and salute to 62 years of sovereignty, of free will, of independence.

Why only today do we wake up from a year-long of indolent attitude, or so it seems. Our obsession for patriotism is hidden in the negatives of work which are only magically developed when this month arrives. Why can’t our passion be watermarked, even so under the print of hectic schedules of everyday, but at least there. The flares of nationalism smolder all day long today but when the night falls and we go to sleep, we take with us the day’s zest of devotion into our dreams which are vanished as soon as we wake for another day. Is that all we should do, can do? Or have we become so pitiful that we take the hide behind excuses like work and responsibilities.

All the channels in television will broadcast nationalistic movies, show such videos, radios will air similar songs, newspapers will post front-page headlines of stories at the border or publish special interviews of our heroes, but why only today? Our existence is purely on the sacrifice and continuing vigor of our brave men and all we can do is sing for them? A little ridiculous isn’t it? Certainly our actions are not bound by anything or anyone, then why cant we do more? I agree that I am no icon to be talking at such a stand but this realization hit me and forced me to reflect about my own actions.

When a soldier dies at the fighting font, we title him a martyr. At the most, his name would be carved onto a brick and cemented onto a wall. That’s it. Do any of us know about the family he leaves behind, perhaps of his children who play in the same street he left behind, glancing ever so often to see a slight blur of their father to appear again. Try to know. It really hurts.

I am confident that an awake population of over a billion people, we can connect to the militia and their families, at least emotionally if not by anything else. I am not judging or criticizing, nor am I provoking, I am just another voice of a nation where we salute the tricolor and curtsy the hoisting of our flag with a gratifying smile on our faces and a tinkle of hope in our eyes.

image: http://cdn.archit.in/images/India_Flag_Sketch.jpg