India celebrates 60th Republic day amidst high security

Although, India gained independence from the British rule on 15 August, 1947, the declaration of the spirit of independence became a reality on 26 January, 1950. It was this day when the Constitution of India framed by the Constituent Assembly of India came into force. Ever since then, this day is celebrated as a Republic Day all over the country with much fervor and enthusiasm.

In New Delhi, kaleidoscopic images of India's rich cultural diversity and the might of its military forces are displayed on the Republic Day. The spectacular celebrations include march past by the three armed forces, massive parades, traditional folk dances, and aerial shows by the Indian Airforce, and much more. Participants are selected from different parts of India.

However, the celebrations this time, which happens to be the 60th Republic Day, were not as grand as usual owing to the security concerns. Thick security was positioned at all the strategic places across the country and a surface-to-air shield was put in place in the national capital.

Mobile hit teams, anti-aircraft guns and sharp-shooters of the elite NSG were deployed at various locations while paramilitary and Delhi Police commandos kept a tight vigil along the route of the Republic Day parade. Furthermore, nearly 20,000 gun-toting policemen fanned out across Delhi, stepping up the security measures especially in the backdrop of Mumbai carnage. Owing to the security concerns, even the Republic Day celebration programs were cut down. This is the reason why we could see only a few tableaus and traditional folk dances this year.

The Republic Day of 2009 was also different in a way because this is the first time a Prime Minister skipped the January 26 Republic Day celebrations. While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh watched the celebrations from the hospital, Defence Minister A.K. Antony performed all his customary duties.

A complete strike was observed in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) on the Indian Republic Day, with businesses, offices, banks and courts remaining closed. On the other hand, the tainted promoters of Satyam Computers, Ramalinga Raju and Rama Raju, and the former chief financial officer Srinivas Vadlamani were ordered to stay away from the flag hoisting ceremony and other celebrations of the Republic Day.

Lohri: A festival to be Celebrated with love and equality

Lohri is fundamentally an agricultural festival, and is celebrated on the 13th day of January, a day before Makar Sankranti. Lohri is filled with fun and merry-making. While, it is essentially a Punjabi festival, it is celebrated in many states of North India as well. It also marks the culmination of winter, and people also believe that it is the time after which the biting cold of the winters begins to taper off.

For Punjabis, Lohri is not merely a festival, but is an example of a way of life. People gather round the bonfires, throw sweets, puffed rice, and popcorn into the flames, sing popular songs and exchange greetings. During the day, children go from door to door singing songs in praise of Dulha Bhatti, the Punjabi version of Robin Hood, a thief who helped the poor and fought for their rights.

Lohri holds a special significance for the newly weds and the newborns. The first Lohri celebrated by a new bride or a newborn represents a grand occasion. It is celebrated with great fervor and on a larger scale. Females attire themselves in heavy clothes and jewelry, while men wear attractive clothes and turbans. The festival is then celebrated with traditional dancing and singing around the bonfire. This was my first Lohri after my marriage and the celebrations were huge. Song, dance, fun, frolic, food, decoration, gifts....the list was endless. The entire atmosphere was filled with exuberance and excitement. As for my friend, it was her son's first Lohri and the celebrations at her place were also grand.

There is however, a sad story behind the celebrations of Lohri which tells us the intensity of the still prevailing gender bias in our society. And I became a witness to this discrimination because it happened in my own neighborhood. I was surprised to see that the first Lohri of my neighbor's daughter was not celebrated on a grand scale. When I questioned them, they sternly replied that it was only a girl child, and so it did not demand a big celebration. It is painful to see that people still discriminate between a boy and a girl child. They make their actions so apparent that even a tender mind receives a wrong message. When my cousin's daughter asked me why our neighbors were not celebrating their Lohri in a grand manner in spite of the arrival of a newborn, I had no answer for her question. I did not want to tell her that even a joyous festival like Lohri is targeted by people to display how they discriminate between the two sexes.

If the alarming trend of gender bias against female children is not arrested immediately, it is bound to have dangerous repercussions on the society. So not just a family, these notions need to be changed on a wider scale for creating an unbiased society for women. Let us all pledge on this auspicious occasion of Lohri to eliminate gender bias from our minds completely and make this world equally desirable for both a girl and a boy child.

Muharram: A festival of commemoration of the martyrdom of the good

I did not know the essence of Muharram until one of my Mohammmedan friends helped me understand the deeper meaning embedded in it. The word Muharram, as I have been told, is derived from 'haram' meaning forbidden and is considered the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar – which comprises four months.

And yes there is an interesting story behind Muharram like any other festival. It is said that Muharram festival is celebrated to honor the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet. The festival begins on the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar and lasts for 10 days. It is said that during this month only, the soldiers of Yazid, a Muslim ruler, surrounded Hazrat Imam Hussain, along with his family and followers at a place called Karbala in Iraq. In the days that followed, they were denied food and water and many of them were even eliminated. It is to commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Iamam Hussain that some people of Islamic faith also hit themselves with a sharp metal tied to chain to express their pain and sorrow.

Now, before you start wondering about the significance of this festival, Muharram is one of the four months of the year in which fighting is prohibited. So can it have more significance than in today's times when the Islamic faith is under scanner for all the wrong reasons. Personally, I do not think any faith that propagates hatred would have wider acceptance among the general public – be it Hindus, Muslim, Christianity or any other for that matter. Or else why do we take pleasure in wishing people across all faiths on the festive occasions. Why do we await those get-togethers and the sumptuous meals that are arranged during Id, Christmas or any other festival.

But while on the one hand, we are united by these religious celebrations, on the other hand we are also becoming witnesses to bloodbaths and war crimes that are carried out in the names of religions. The impulsiveness and hatred, that have its genesis in the wrong interpretations of the religious doctrines has led to horrendous and dastardly killings among people across all religions.

The ongoing war between the Israeli forces and the Hamas for instance is over a piece of land that each party claims to be the birthplace of their respective prophets! And how else are we to forget the recent terror carnages that India has been a witness to. And the recurring theme that runs across these carnages is the religious aspect – the terrorists taking pride in their brutal acts of mass murders.

The legends, cutting across all faiths, speak volume of the triumph of the good over the evil and I feel this ongoing tussle will continue and it is upon us to take on the baton of living with the good messages and yet be adamant when it comes to fighting the evil within us as also those outside. Or else that day will not be far when Muharram or for that matter any other religious ceremony will be marked by bloodbaths and fratricides.

Let Us Welcome 2009 Constructively by Saying “No” to Wild Celebrations

People all across the world have started making arrangements for the New Year. Year 2008 may have been a good year for some, however, for many it has not been so good. The reason being global recession resulting into large scale lay offs and pay cuts. As a result, for many the celebration for the New Year may be a low key affair. Back home, we are also going to witness less celebration owing to Mumbai terror attacks. In fact, most of the New Year shows which were supposed to showcase famous Bollywood actors and actresses have already been called off. This is indeed a great way to pay our salute to those who laid their life for the nation. In addition, security concerns have made the police more vigilant and so, most of the celebrations have been cancelled.

But, the thing that concerns me the most is the celebration that is planned for the New Year by the youngsters. Every year, we hear of some wild celebrations around this time. The most common feature of such celebrations is the involvement of young children. They smoke, booze, and dance the whole night, forgetting our old age value system. Celebration is not a bad thing, however, it has to be within the acceptable limits. How often we hear of sexual assault and sometimes, even molestation at such celebrations? The worst case is when young boys and girls drink and drive. By doing so, they not only pose a threat to their own lives, but also that of others. It is not surprising that most of the road accidents in India are the result of drunken driving. This is not restricted to only youngsters, but also grown-ups, who think that drinking is the only way to celebrate and rejoice.

In the past, we have also seen cases where indecent dance parties have been arranged by some influential people in their farm houses or 5-star hotels. For such people, these dance parties become an integral part of celebration. By hiring bar dancers, who in most cases come from financially weak families, they mock openly at our tradition, culture, and most importantly, our value system.

Are all these the right way to welcome the New Year? Instead of promising a great future for ourselves, we celebrate it wildly, without paying any heeds to our and that of others' well-being. This is high time that we all should start thinking constructively, and make our efforts to make 2009 a great year, full of prosperity, good health and growth. This is even more important as we are going through a bad phase characterised by economic slowdown, coupled with terrorist attacks on our soil. Let us all pledge to make 2009 a prosperous year for our nation, away from all insecurities that we have been living with during the last few months of 2008. This is possible by focusing on the current problems, and not wasting time in all those irrelevant wild parties.

New Year Resolution 2009: Learning From the Past Mistakes to Shape up The New

Come Dec 31 and we are all set to step into a New Year – year 2009. There will be celebrations, booze parties and all other pomps that each one of us would love to indulge ourselves. The reason is simple – bidding the past a wonderful adieu as we gear up to embrace the New Year. But, does year 2008 leave us with enough scope for celebration? Year 2008, indeed, has been not a very delightful year in India. What with the dastardly terror attacks in two of the nation's major metropolis? In retrospect, the series of five blasts that ripped through the national capital on September 13. The ghastly terror strikes in Mumbai, which took place on November 26 added salt to an already wounded nation.

The “finesse” with which the terrorists, who apparently belong to our neighbours carried out this barbaric strike is indeed a big question mark on our administration. Then again there is the global recession that is showing its ugly face even in India – even as our ministers are trying their level best to project an optimistic image of the same. Leave alone the small scale business, even the big corporate houses could not remain unaffected from this phenomenon. The result - thousands amongst us losing jobs at the snap of a finger. Not to forget the drastic pay- cuts!

Can we really slip into a celebration mood with so many of our fellow citizens succumbing to blasts and some being stripped of their daily bread, thanks to recession? May be yes, may be no. And even if it is yes, we need to analyse as to what are the reasons that we can celebrate the by-gone year for. No doubt, the terror attacks have left a dent in our national conscience, but there was a positive sign too. I found it amazing how the common man has taken the centrestage to get his heard voice through various mediums.

I was reminded of the historic sights that filled my history books – of a mass holding processions against the tyrannical British regime. It really touched me when I saw people taking to streets, posting blogs, holding mass protests to take up the cause of the safety and security of the common man. Such was their impact that even a crucial anti-terror bill was unanimously passed in Parliament – which is otherwise a house of the hooligans.

The government will be faced with a tough task this New Year. First, to come out of the question marks that is posed on the security scenario of the country. It has to adopt stringent security means to ensure that every individual feels free to move in any part of the country and rather not sleep on the threats posed to the nation. Second, on ensuring that recession does not mar the new hopes that the common man hinges on. This will happen only when there are more economic opportunities.

But I also feel, you and I have a major role to play when it comes to better ourselves as citizens as well as individuals. So, this New Year, let's all make the resolution – raising hopes in the minds of the people of a tattered nation by being an active and responsible citizen.

Ongoing global recession may cloud the Christmas Celebration

Christmas, also known as Christmastide is one of the major festivals of the Christian population that marks and honours the birth of Jesus Christ. Every year, it is celebrated on December 25 with great pomp and show. The celebration takes the form of gift giving, special prayers in the church, and not to forget, display of attractive decorations, including lights, mistletoe, Christmas trees, and so on. The popularity of this festival is growing everyday. This is the reason why Christmas is being celebrated with equal ecstasy by many non-Christians. For many, it has become a secular, cultural festival.

Exchanging gifts is the most important part of the celebrations surrounding Christmas. In European countries and other nations with Christian population, people begin to make preparations for this festival at least a month back. They start buying gifts for their loved ones. There are also many people who plan to go on a vacation to some distant place during this time. It would not be wrong to say that this is the time when they love to be extravagant. However, this year, the scenario has changed.

Global recession has resulted into large scale lay offs. Some global giants have already announced even more job cuts. Those who are fortunate enough to continue in their jobs are facing the threat of pay cuts. In fact, some big companies have already resorted to the path of pay cuts by a significant amount. As a result of all this, the heightened economic activity that we have always witnessed during Christmas holidays is likely to be missing this time.

People are not as excited as they always used to be during Christmas. The ongoing global recession, which has already hit the budget of every common man, is likely to restrict the celebration. People living in both developing and developed countries are equally hit. The retail industry which has always made huge profits on Christmas is all set to make huge losses owing to the declining purchasing power of people. Even the elite class that has always thrown big parties on the occasion of Christmas are feeling the crunch in their pockets.

A common man has already started looking for less costly alternatives for Christmas gifts. This is the reason why most of the companies are offering their products or services at highly affordable prices. With this low pricing strategy, they are hoping to attract buyers who are facing a tight budgetary constraint this time.

Id-ul-Zuha (Bakr-Id) Celebrated to commemorate those who lost their life in 26/11 Mumbai Terror attack

Id-ul-Zuha or Bakrid is one of the major Muslim festivals celebrated all over the world. It is celebrated in honour of Prophet Ibrahim, who willingly agreed to sacrifice his son for God. Thousands of Muslims offer their prayers for peace and prosperity on this auspicious day. Exchange of greetings and gifts is also a common feature of this festival, besides the sacrifice of goats.

This year, although Bakrid has been celebrated all across India, the celebrations have been kept much low profile. This gesture has not been shown by a handful of Indian Muslims, but every single Muslim in India, who strongly condemns the recent 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Addressing the attacks as unholy and completely non-Islamic, Indian Muslims joined their hands to fight against terror. They chose the auspicious occasion of Id-ul-Zuha to express their condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this barbaric attack.

Different news channels also captured images of people wearing black bands to show their protest against those handful of lunatics who kill innocent people in the name of Islam. They were also processions arranged by the Muslim community at many places to show their protest against terrorism and also to demand justice for the martyrs.

Special prayers were also organized in the mosques for peace. Some even went to the extent of waging a war against Pakistan. Although, this day marked the sacrifice of goats (an integral part of this festival) by Muslims all across India, preparation of special delicacies, exchange of gifts and a festive mood- all were missing from the scene. Like every other Indian, they too showed their support to the government to fight terrorism. Such a gesture by Indian Muslims show the greatness of our country.

This is the land where people from different religions live in peace and harmony. This is a big slap on the face of our enemies, sitting in different parts of the world, who think they can create unrest and tension in the name of religion. Likewise, this incident should also be taken as a learning experience by those who have formed a hatred towards the Muslim community. They should realize that by hating the people of their own country (on the basis of religion), they are destroying the foundation of our nation. Till date, all Hindu-Muslim riots were politically motivated, killing innocent people. Let us say 'No' to such irrational incidents. This is the moment of crisis, and we all need to stay united for the sake of our nation. We all are Indians and love our country equally, irrespective of our religion.