Today’s posting is a potpourri of some important days in history. Coincidentally it all transpired in the month of AUGUST… let’s revisit some of the events that have taken place and some that are yet to come as we near the end of the month..Events that were good…some that were sad, the highs and the lows…all of which I remember!
And if I have forgotten any….then do write in your comments and remind me about it…so that when I write next, I remember to include them all!
Enjoy reading…till then bbye!
Love, Sonyaa
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15th August 1947- India celebrated her 62nd Independence Day….a day that marked the triumph of India winning back her lost freedom from the British Raaj by means of Satyagraha (Satya = truth, agraha – firmness) and non-violence – the two most powerful weapons introduced by Mahatma Gandhi that won us our Independence.
Of course we had many other valiant leaders and revolutionaries like Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Chandrashekhar Azad, Bismillah Khan and so many others whose contribution to our independence cannot be ignored either. These leaders were the voice and the inspiration of the youth….and they still continue to be…
Now that we have traversed a long way since our struggle for independence….sometimes I’m often led to think and compare the days of the British and the present day…at least the agenda of the Britishers was clear which was Divide and Rule…and today I’m led to come to a drastic conclusion that nothing has changed either….the Divide and Rule policy reigns even today...but it’s all beneath the surface…just waiting to erupt like the lava from a hot volcano.
Have a look at the polarization of religious sections of the society which is done so subtly and craftily by politicians that you’re often led to wonder…how did it happen? Who is behind it? Take the Babri Masjid case…or the Godhra carnage….and now the Amarnath shrine issue. We know the answers to the questions raised above…but still nothing has been done about it. And take the unending and unceasing hatred between two neighbouring countries which has failed to die down over the last 60 years… each time a hand of friendship is extended or a peaceful dialogue is initiated a body bag of a soldier or a funeral of thousands is carpeted to unleash terror in the minds of the people.
As Shabana Azmi, a social activist and former MP in CNN-IBN’s show Devil’s Advocate described the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir as a “cauldron” and feared that the situation in the state could have repercussions on Hindu-Muslim relations in other parts of India. As she cited her own example that she was not allowed to buy a flat in Bombay because she was a Muslim. She further lambasted saying, “If Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar cannot get a flat in Bombay because they are Muslims then what are they talking about?” She certainly felt that Muslims were victims of discrimination. Certainly, our forefathers who sacrificed their lives for India’s Independence did not envisage that such a day would come in history when her own children would set out to divide her own people!
At the Olympics, August 2008: In the year 2000…we had one bronze medal, in 2004….one silver medal and 2008….finally one gold and two bronze medals bedecked her crown….the highest tally India has ever had in the sports history of at the international arena…certainly this year and month will never be forgotten when India will be remembered to have reached her peak at the Olympics... Heroes were born and records were broken forever...that’d now change the face of sports in India where many youngsters would be encouraged to display their sporting capabilities and new heroes would be born out of them (I hope this is a new beginning!!)
16th August 1977 - No one would have thought that a man who once worked as a movie theater usher and a truck driver for Crown Electric Company would one day change the dimension of music today. Yes my dear friends today we remember one of the greatest cult icons of history who introduced the pop culture to us and the whole concept of Rock ‘n’ Roll and created a mass hysteria all around the world….yes my dear friends…I am talking of our very own dashing and handsome singing sensation and heart-throb of millions around the world – Elvis Presley – King of Rock n Roll. This day he shocked his fans world wide when he died at the age of 42….but his legacy continues to haunt us as time goes by…
August 26th 1997 – A light was born…like Florence Nightingale who nursed the wounds of bruised soldiers, she worked among those who had been shunned by society – the lepers, handicapped, old, destitutes etc. She was a mother to millions and later beatified by Pope John Paul II with the title of Blessed – a woman who dedicated her youth and life to resurrect their lives. Yes, we are talking of none other than Mother Theresa. Her works were appreciated the world over…so much so that Princess Diana, the lady who won a million hearts with her beauty, grace and charm was inspired by her and took a keen initiative to work among the underprivileged over the world. But, alas… her life was cut short when she met with a fatal accident on August 31st 1997. And what a coincidence of sorts…Mother Theresa died just a week later that same year (September 5th 1997). The light was gone but the flame continues to burn in millions hearts. The mystery behind Princess Diana’s untimely death continues to haunt us till this day….even today she is remembered as the People’s Princess.
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