It’s in the air! You can conveniently be unaware about what time of the year it is and yet get it right a week prior! It is when you see kids of all sizes sifting through the cars stuck in Delhi’s traffic queues knocking your panes, to sell the paper tricolor. Oh, didn’t we just start with January and the Republic Day is already upon us – it makes you check the date on your phone in spite of working on multiple #RepublicDay specific branding communications. Irony!
There is a far greater irony, though. With an exception of the goose-bumpy pride, you might feel while watching (if you bother, that is) the flawless rhythmic parade by men in olives; a primary concern to the majority of us remains whether 26th of January falls on a weekday or do we miss a chutti?! ‘Course, it matters. Who doesn’t like a chutti and the ever so ‘bigger’ sales that come with it?
However, oddly enough this year it did not occur to me, for two reasons – a. I have been a little pensive lately and, b. my niece started actively attending school (her well-articulated questions can pull daggers to your belief systems and understanding about understanding). Do you also feel that compared to the Independence Day, the precise significance of this national holiday is not very well grasped by most folks? How many of us can truly tell the two days apart in terms of their importance in our lives?
What must a Republic day mean to Gen Alpha, or for that matter to a Millennial?
Revering the Republic Day might have a greater attribute of time-relevance today, esp. for the young minds. Born into a free world yet unable to breathe freedom in a wholesome measure has left most rational citizens in a hiatus of sorts. Like a just-out-of-college-colleague mentioned to me that she finds it outrageous that what she would wear to work should be governed by how she might be commuting to work. There’s more and more non-adherence and this-is-who-I-am attitude is pretty fundamental to the changing avatar of India. The current generation has nothing left of the ‘ruled upon’ traces the previous generations, sub-consciously lived with. In fact, the best use-case to grasp this definitive shift in mindset and approach is that of our very own PM #Modi. As the first PM born in Independent India, in fact, in a Republic Indian state (Born on 17 September 1950), he certainly shows the grit and dogma-free approach in getting things rolling. The making of a true republic seems more like a WIP now, more than ever.
The way we stand up or at least voice up for what’s right and what ought to be is far more pronounced not only in the parlance of social media but also in the mental framework of the youth. They have an opinion, one that is not founded on prejudices. The gender bias, the socio-economic divide, religion-based split and various other infinitesimal parameters that disintegrate the very fabric of our co-existence are out rightly resented. To be a badass is the mandate and isn’t that super cool?
Just the way we cherish our birthdays with fervor every passing year, we, the youth have to HAVE TO treasure this day with more reverence. It represents our emergence more than any other day! It is what made ‘us’-> ‘We, The People of India’ and made our country a ‘SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC’ Republic! Our Constitution lent the adjectives to the exact kind of freedom we deserved. It’s all up there in the Preamble – let’s wish upon a falling star tonight that we must see those words take a real visible shape in our day. And more importantly, let’s be the change we want to see.
Happy 68th Republic Day (Chutti), fellas!
SPOILER ALERT! There is a special floater at the #RepublicDayParade this time! Guess what, the I&B ministry’s floater will be demonstrating the Benefits of Demonetization and Digital India. Hail #Modi!