Written By: Upneet Pansare | Updated : August 14, 2016 6:15 PM IST
Rapes, Gau Rakshaks (cow vigilantes), dalit atrocities, corruption, bridge collapses, deaths of infants, communal riots, civic apathy, acquittal of a certain killer of blackbucks and street dwellers 2016, so far, has had all the makings of a typical year in India and we, Indians, an aggrieved bunch of complainers, are promptly venting out our frustration on social media.
But, as is the case during every Independence Day, there is suddenly a surge in our pride and hope. It s that time of the year when we buy flags at our traffic signals, play Jana Gana Mana in our offices, get teary-eyed watching Rang de Basanti and Border on TV, take pride in cooking tricolour food and forwarding patriotic Whatsapp messages and most importantly, look for Independence Day Special discounts in supermarkets.
I am no different. As a 30-year-old woman, geared with a newfound sense of patriotism this 70th Independence Day, I make a list of everything that I wish to see happen in my lifetime or in the coming 70 years of our glorious India.
1. India becomes the health capital of the world After all, we gave yoga and more recently, International Yoga Day, to the world. Why not try weight training, Pilates, skipping, running, cycling, dancing? Get moving!
2. Swacch Bharat becomes a reality Paying the Swacch Bharat Cess is not enough. Every citizen needs to make a serious effort not to spew paan on the roads and dump garbage in water bodies. Let us reprimand our children when they throw wrappers in places other than dustbins.
3. India leaves her women alone Shouldn t you be married by now? When do you plan to settle down? You don t want children? What s wrong with you? If there is one ban we want, it s on asking questions like these. Not just these, here are 69 things we wish were actually banned in a free India.
4. Sachin God Don t get us wrong. We heart Sachin. But we love Abhinav Bindra, Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza and Dipa Karmakar as well. We need to give them the same kind of support, enthusiasm and financial backing that we offer our cricketers. How else can we hope to win the Olympics?
5. India bids bye-bye to babudom and corruption - So that our children don t lose lives because their parents couldn t offer a bribe of Rs 30 to get a bed in the hospital. So that honest officials are not killed in the line of duty. So that the allotted funds are spent on providing Olympics athletes with quality shoes and jerseys, and not on flying relatives of sports authorities by business class.
6. India stops being offended by just about everything So that we can eat whatever we want to without being forced to have cow dung or being lynched or being paraded naked in public as punishment. So that filmmakers can make creative hard-hitting films free of illogical censorship. So that the LGBT community feels safe and doesn t feel judged. So that women aren t restricted from wearing jeans or leggings in their colleges or bikinis on beaches.
7. India is a safe haven for women So that they can walk fearlessly on the road at any time of the day and night without having to worry about being raped, molested or having acid thrown at. Here are 8 anti-rape devices every woman should know about to be safe.
8. India treats all minorities equally - So that they feel empowered and are not looked upon any differently than the rest of their fellow citizens and are given equal opportunities, accolades and encouragement.
9. India focuses on education Of a different kind. Where we teach children lessons and practical courses on how to be better citizens and how to have empathy towards the underprivileged.
10. India can boast of rockstar politicians - Like Sushma Swaraj and others who are an inspiration for their exemplary work.
Image Source: Shutterstock
