Celebrating Independence or Bollywood?

Come August 15th and a billion people in India will celebrate their Independence Day. The spill-over of this population, us – the Non Resident Indians and the Diaspora - will also not lie behind.

In the foreign land, Indians away from their motherland will raise higher the colours of a country that came into existence just 62 years ago – India!
While back home, the ordinary Indian will hoist his National Flag, sing the National Anthem and listen to the country’s leader speak of future, we here have different plans.

We wish to celebrate our Independence Day in style and glamour. So, as a representative of our beloved homeland, we invite our movie stars; sing the songs from Bollywood; and pay a meager amount of $25 to hear the words ‘I Love India’ being uttered by them.

This year, while Shahrukh Khan, Katrina and others will rock Chicago, New York will sizzle with Shilpa Shetty. Indians from around the US will flock to these cities to just catch a glimpse of these celebrities, dance to their movie tunes and savor the food in the various stalls.

While all this promises a great weekend, celebration of Indian Independence seems a little doubtful. The weekend would have been equally enjoyable with a fair or pop concert instead.

What is it about these movie stars that make them better representatives of India overseas? Is it their houses in Dubai and London? Is it their movies being shot in Melbourne, Zurich and New York? Or is it their vacation and shopping in Rome and Paris? Will an ordinary middle-class citizen represent India any less?

Why cannot we have a soldier guarding our nation on the world’s highest battlefield, on Siachen Glacier, representing India? Why cannot a farmer who depends on his oxen to plow his land represent India? Why cannot the social workers, who are ready to lay their lives to save trees, rivers and underprivileged people, represent the country? How about a Police constable, who has to face a terrorist with his heavy rifle?

Bollywood is not the only product with a ‘Made in India’ label on it. There is more to our country. A day like August 15th, with celebrations on such grand scale, let it act as a stage for us to showcase the real India, its achievements and the progress made. Let us all come together on this day as Indians rather than Bollywood movie fans.