Day 272 of facts of pride about India giving smiles – relearning the Pledge of India
Request you to feel every word of PLEDGE OF INDIA as seen often in Indian textbooks.
Throughout my very impressionable student life, I must have read hundreds of text books and every single one of them would invariably start with the map of India below which would be the following pledge.
“India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters.
I love my country and am proud of its rich and varied heritage.
I shall always strive to be worthy of it.
I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders respect and treat everyone with courtesy.
To my country and it’s people I pledge my devotion. In their well-being and prosperity alone lies my happiness.”
We would always end the pledge by screaming enthusiastically – Jai Hind!
As I grew older and got caught up with the challenges that life threw at me, this pledge remained a distant memory. At best I would hear it being solemnly recited twice a year during the flag hoisting ceremonies. Even the enthusiasm associated with it had somewhat diminished.
I was thankful to get the opportunity to travel to many countries around the world and every time I returned, I realized how much I missed my homeland. Whatever I saw abroad as a tourist – be it the natural beauty, hill stations, beach resorts, wildlife sanctuaries, heritage structures, modern cities, old villages, architectural wonders, historical remnants etc. were also present in India in some form or the other! We may not have maintained it well or promoted India’s tourism aspect, but yes my country has everything and more that a tourist expects to experience. With 29 states and 7 Union territories each distinct from the other, it is like having at least 36 unique sister countries living happily with each other within one Indian country! How proud I am to announce to the world that “India is my country“.
One of specialties that makes India what it is, is not just the places but also her people. It is the interaction with the Indian people that create a lasting impression in the minds of any person. And when I stay in India, I get to have absolutely memorable moments with diverse sets of people. We may seem divided in the basis of caste, creed, religion, language, culture, colour, financial well-being, distances, experiences, societies, etc. but we are united in the spirit of oneness. From my childhood, it has been instilled within me to keep removing the sense of difference between me and others. I have been repeatedly told to believe that “All Indians are my brothers and sisters”.
I belong to a country that has been around for more than 5500 years; that has witnessed the beginning of human civilization, that has been exposed to centuries of rule by different dynasties; that is charmed by being a confluence of cultures, that has people speaking multiple languages, that has distinct peculiar traditions being followed in different districts, that has had many checkered up and down phases in the past. Our country’s glorious and not so glorious moments of history cannot be fully understood in just one birth! I am happy to be born and brought up in India and to get an opportunity to enjoy the great Indian experience. I am truly blessed that “I love my country and am proud of its rich and varied heritage”.
I have happily received so much from Indian culture and society. Over the many years I have also been influenced and enamored by the increasing influence of foreign cultures in India. My complete sense of self-worth was given to me by the numerous growing up experiences that I had as an Indian. Comparatively I feel that I have hardly given anything in return to the Indian society. And this makes me repeatedly promise to myself about India “I shall always strive to be worthy of it”.
Whatever I am today is because of the foundation of strong Indian values and principles given to me by my family, my elders, my teachers in school, college, professional life and also because of my Indian upbringing and culture. I very humbly affirm that “I shall give my parents, teachers and all elders respect and treat everyone with courtesy”.
The basic aim of every human being is to achieve a sense of well-being and prosperity for self and family. I am lucky to be the beneficiary of bounties from many people and various influences in India. Maybe that is why I get a greater sense of satisfaction when I am able to contribute in some way or the other in creating smiles for others. There are many opportunities where we all can contribute to others. There is still a lot more that can be done for the people of our country. I now understand the true feeling behind the statement, “To my country and its people I pledge my devotion. In their well-being and prosperity alone lies my happiness”.
And for the rest of my life I will always say with enthusiasm – “Jai Hind!”
So which fact about India gave you a smile today?
Please share your experience of facts about India that made you smile.
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