August 15 , 2014
3.00 a.m
Dear diary ,
Disturbing you at 3.00 a.m isn’t quite me , I know . But last night I had a dream, it felt so real that at first it did not seem a dream at all . I can still hear her, every word of her’s as though they have been etched forever . Its Independence day today and I had gone off to sleep last night feeling particularly Indian. Not that the other days I don’t , yesterday was different.
As I slept ,a sense of uneasiness gripped me, I could feel someone at my feet , she was crying . Frightened, I opened my eyes to see a beautiful lady , ends of her garb torn and mud strewn all over her . She was looking so forlorn and tears wouldn’t just stop flowing .
She was Mother India , she said . Oh ! diary , I never ever even in my wildest dreams did imagine Mother India to look like the way she did . I sat up in bed and we started talking , if that meant she would get some respite, I was in. She grieved for her daughters who could not go out being sure of returning home safe . For her daughters who could not wear clothes they wished to wear without inviting at least one comment a day. For her daughters who could not fulfill their basic needs without being hunted for their flesh by human predators . What has she become ? she asked …. Her grief sure was infectious .
She felt ashamed that men who rejoiced in sadistic pleasures were being born everyday in the very land where her sons once fought with such staunch principles and values. Ashamed of the avarice and corruption that has conquered her land. Ashamed that some of her children were still feeding on rats to satisfy their hunger while some others see no other way but to end their poverty stricken lives. She felt bad that the world was so technologically advanced and there still wasn’t proper sanitation for most of her children . She told me the few privileged people did not represent her but the ones struggling to make both ends meet did .She was angry at the hypocrisy and discrimination that prevailed . And the brain drain , what fault was her’s ? she asked .
She was growing old and on her 68th birthday she felt sorry for the great men who died for her . Her heart went out to the lives still being lost trying to protect her and the families shattered . For what ? she asked . One last drop of tear fell and she looked at me .
I realised that she had not yet given up hope . She still believed in the goodness that resisted all evil. And like a phoenix , she was waiting to arise …..
Dear diary , I love my country so much and all I want is bring that smile back on her face . Like Gandhiji once said
Let me be that change I wish to see !!!!
lots of love
Shruti
This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. The prompt was
Awesome post.
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That was a very nice read, Shruti! You have mentioned all of Mother India’s concerns aptly.
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Thank you so much Vinitha 😀
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Powerful and thought-provoking WoW post. Hope change happens for better and the patriotic fervor stays forever, not just twice in a year.
http://vishal-newkidontheblock.blogspot.com/2014/08/wow-mother-india-visits.html
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The patriotism never fades ☺
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Wow. This is so powerful and masterfully written. I admit, being a foreigner to Indian soil, that what happens there only occasionally crosses my mind (the recent sad and disturbing news of attacks on the women there). Kudos for a great post.
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Thank you so much julie 😊
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Hello Shruti, very nice post and I like the way you have subtly and concisely covered all social evils. Though I’m having some difficult accepting the following statement, because no one is born evil.
“She felt ashamed that men who rejoiced in sadistic pleasures were being born everyday in the very land where her sons once fought with such staunch principles and values.”
Instead I recommend the following statement….
“The thought of men, who for their sadistic self gratification inflicted harm upon unsuspecting and innocuous victims wrenched her heart, and tears mingled with blood streamed down her pale face. There was a look of sorrow and confusion on her face, like on the face of a mother whose son was once a hardworking man with values and principles but was now treading on the path of debauchery towards a yawning precipice for self destruction.”
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Thank you so much for dropping by and also for the suggestion. Actually I din’t mean it literally that men are born evil but evil being born everyday in our country not by birth that is .
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Thanks 🙂 looking forward to read some more of your articles. God Bless!
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That’s sadly the state of so many countries in Africa, South America… 😦 Nice ending though. I have always loved that quote.
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Thank you so much there 😊
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