Its the 70th independence day, which means that people who were old enough to  remember the events in 1947, would be around more than 75 years old now.  My generation remembers  independence day in context to the patriotic songs mostly based on freedom fight or soldiers dying in war. My daughter’s generation can hardly connect with these emotions.

These emotionally charged songs glorifying the sacrifices made in war equals our love to our nation. We understand our love to the nation only in relation to a “visible” enemy and a “visible” war. We otherwise have a silent pact with our conscience which doesn’t bother us when we experience not so apparent enemies of our nation- poverty, inequality, corruption, pollution,….as long as we have a comfortable life. Its time the movies and songs start addressing the current day enemies and wars in our nation.

Ei mere watan ke longon zara aankh mein bhar lo paani…

I do not want to cry over soldiers dying in wars, no I do not support or glorify wars. I cry over dying, hungry kids. I cry over poor conditions of healthcare in India, people dying because of infectious diseases borne by our apathy towards hygiene in general, I cry over people dying over preventable complications of lifestyle diseases like diabetes….the list of issues is long. People are dying because they don’t even know “who” is the real enemy and how to wage this war which is going on in every household and in our society.

Chhodoh kal ki batein, kal ki baat purani

Naye daur pe lihkenge hum milkkar nayi kahani..