India turns 60

So, tomorrow August 15, 2007, India completes 60 years as a free country.Even the social networking site Orkut is celebrating it (Pic below). It was sixty years ago that Pt. Nehru said the following words in the Constituent Assembly, "At the stroke of the midnight hour, as the world sleeps, India willl awake to life and freedom".

Its been sixty years since that moent in history. Lots of things must have changed. I am not qualified enough to comment on these changes having been in this world for slightly more than a third of this period. What does Independence Day really mean to me and many others like me. Is it just a holiday for us (I am getting one after 55 days, so the day is special). The Prime Minister addressing the nation from the Red Fort, Flag hoisting programs being conducted at every nook and corner of the country, TV channels showing Independecnce Day special programs, patriotic music playing all over. And after that, it is all over. The same routine then gets repeated on Republic Day (with a few minor variations).

Well, I dont reallly know. After all having been born in a free country I dont think I can really appreciate the significance of Independence Day.