15 August
It was Independence Day yesterday. If newspapers, and in particular, TOI is to be believed, then being patriotic is 'cool' among young people. Strangely, in the same day's paper, most people when asked didn't know who wrote our national anthem. It seems like patriotism being 'in', as worn by people literally on their sleeves, is inspired by our mistaken cultural image of places like US, where 4th July sees much fanfare. In India, the day has always been seen as one of calm introspection, for remembrance, more than celebration. I'm somewhat proud of what it means here in India, for it shows a maturity and historical understanding especially because of the tragic events that both preceded and accompanied the moment of independence. Anyway, thought i'll share my two cents.