Ask not what your country does for you; ask what you do for your country! Representing the heart of each part of the land which is free and is a sovereign nation, this quotation by Abraham Lincon is a celebration in itself.
I might be angry or disappointed or dejected from some random acts of irresponsibility and negligence credited to individuals not doing their duties. But when it comes to the belonging and pride of being from India, the heart warms itself to push more life in veins.
One has to belong to something otherwise the orphaned mind is a devil. It seems a requisite of being human that you belong to a community, society and a country. The context of this blog tries to uncover the criss-cross of patriotism, nationalism and responsibility towards the country. These aspects are different and distinct to each other. One may not be obsessively devoted to the sense of being a nationalist but still adheres to the values the nation stands for. One may be patriotic in his own sense and may never demonstrate it openly. The people who are seen sitting on the green ground(article image) are the ones who have something to do with the sense of being Indian, but not necessarily be the ones who are mad about the 'end-game rhetoric' of narrow nationalism. These millions of people are employees of various public and private sector organizations in India and are part of the largest event's largest management in the world. It is said that with millions of People deputed to conduct Elections, the 'Celebration of Democracy' stands tall as the gigantic congregation of resources and masses in one country for one purpose.
I have been skeptical about the perks of being a democracy when I see the quality of individuals we elect to represent us. We might fail to send and create a rational lot of people who actually become our voice. But, we still believe in democracy. We know this is a far better version of life that we had under the colonial rule. We have a say by collectively denying the chair to someone who bluntly cancels the wishes of the people.
There is a bond between all of us and the land we are born in. There remains a sense of duty and an unknown reason to surrender to the will of the heart.
When I see thousands of personnel moving with Ballot Units/EVMs, VVPATs, the King's Bag and a few kilograms of forms and envelopes, the feeling is of marvel. The series of buses travelling, the memories that are shared about their election duty experiences and the laughter are special earnings of the 'Citizen's Duties'.
The election commission has packed from a tiny pin to missiles like things for the whole process. The Village heads have arranged food and refreshments. We have just finished filling proforma sets in advance with some default information. And I feel excited about how my first Election Duty will conclude and adds to a new sense of learning about the country.
Those who are going to vote, are doing a good thing by participating in the process. Those who are not voting are no less than others.
Leaving the post incomplete...So that I can add more!
Long Live the Dynamism of Life and Learning!
Long Live India!
