As a child
who learns pride of the nation from the teachers,
who inherits the devotion to country from parents and elders,
who earns the feeling of love, possession and passion towards the nation from the literature, skits, songs and movies....
I've always witnessed rush of hot-blood for every word of this anthem.
I still remember trying to get-up from my bed and falling on the floor during display of National Anthem in TV(Doordarshan), when I was bed-ridden due to high-fever in my high-school. Such was the respect I was taught to give to the lyrics-of-respect for the Nation.
Whenever and wherever the song is sung, irrespective of the context and place, I used to stand in attention. Sometimes I used to curse people who play tapes having anthem in their houses during late-evenings. Even recently in a theater, before screening the movie, the national anthem appeared on the screen, and I stood in ATTENTION even before many of us realized. But the only difference is that I don't have the respect to it, as it was before.
After the spread of internet, one day during the quest for meaning of the anthem, I learned that this SONG originated from a poem intended to welcome a British royalty. No matter whatever was the intention in writing a poem/song and singing it in the public for impressing an alien ruler, we shouldn't have opted it as our national anthem, after independence.
Among the many concerns during independence, selection and debating on national anthem might have been a silly and unimportant task. But even after celebrating the Golden jubilee of Independent India, we still sing the same song.
We teach the meanings of English poems and quotes to make kids understand the meaning and intention of those words. Does any school teach the meaning of National Anthem ?
During any international gatherings/summits we proudly sing this anthem, for which everyone pays a tribute. Those nationals who do not understand the language and meaning of the lyrics respecting it is absolutely fine. But Indian nationals, that too those who have a least bit of respect to the country, I feel should first strive to understand what stands for us. Singing this song as National Anthem is as good as electing a criminal with proven offenses, as our President/Prime-Minister.
We, India, as a country, try to elevate us into the cream of nations in the world, during G8, SAARC, Olympics......... We, Indians, give our best, for being World-class in everything we do, ranging from cultivation to Genetics and from Software to Space-Aviation. Self-Reliance comes with self-esteem and self-respect, which we Indians are yet to learn. Before trying to be World-class, I feel we should attend a class to teach us being ourselves, and bowing our soles.
For those who wish to know more about the controversies on our National Anthem, following is the best link i found:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
For those who don't understand the real meaning of National Anthem, please refer the following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_anthem
With grief towards the insolent guidelines of our Constitution,
and pity for our reluctance to amend them,
A Citizen of India
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