Indians put high value on freedom

Last week, I celebrated my first Independence Day in America but not my first Independence Day. That’s because in a little more than six weeks, India – the largest democratic country in the world – will be celebrating its Independence Day. So, I have celebrated India’s Independence Day, too, every year in India for more than 30 years.

Although I saw only a little of America’s Independence Day celebrations in Grand Forks and missed the chance to see the fireworks that night, I still could identify some common threads between the two nations.

For example, a national holiday, colorful parades, prominent displays of the national flag, picnics and evening extravaganzas are among the items that the two nations’ celebrations share. Both nations, by the way, gained their independence from British colonial rule and opted for a democratic form of government from Day One.

One difference is that Americans use fireworks to express their pride in their country’s freedom and history. In India, fireworks are replaced by kite flying during the daytime. In cities and villages across the land, people by the hundreds of thousands – especially youths and children – fly kites, symbolizing freedom in their own way.

It is a day when the sky is festooned with colorful kites big and small. While many people go to the nearest open space or field; a large number use their rooftops to fly kites throughout the day.

A typical Independence Day for Indians begins with the national function at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi, the nation’s capital. There, the prime minister of India hoists the national flag and delivers a speech.

In fact, flag hoisting may be the most important part of India’s Independence Day celebrations. The national flag, which we call the tricolor, also is hoisted by government officials throughout the country, including the headmasters in village schools, mayors in city halls and chief ministers in state capitals.

Unlike the United States, India makes a point on only two days a year of encouraging large numbers of people to display the national flag. Independence Day is one of those two days; the other is Jan. 26, the Republic Day.

As a child in school, I, like others of my age group, had a special fondness for Independence Day, Aug. 15. After all, on that day, the school gave us sweets, fruits and cookies. This still is being done today.

While fun and enjoyment seemed to be the order of the day in Grand Forks, India’s Independence Day celebrations are a bit different. They’re more dominated by open displays of patriotism, for example: In every nook and cranny in India on Independence Day, one can hear patriotic songs. Television channels broadcast feature films and events related to India’s freedom struggle.

Then, in the evening in many cities, people organize kavi samellan or poet’s conclaves at which poets recite patriotic poems. This is to recognize the role of poets in India’s freedom struggle.