Jallianwala Bagh

13 April 1919

A black day in Indian history

Silent protestors men, women, children

Massacred mercilessly

Around 1500 killed and injured in a closed courtyard

Colonel Dyer, the butcher of Amritsar

Opened fire with his battalion

Not one spared or fled

The walls still bear evidence

To this brutal act

But the most painful of all is that

The victims were Indians and so were the hands that fired

It’s time to take a learning from history

Be united against divisive forces

As with all our differences and skills

We make a formidable force

And let’s promise ourselves

Never ever again to allow

A repeat of Jallianwala Bagh tragedy

and the horrors of history

Jai Hind!

Image from google

To a Brighter Future

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

ने मजसी ने परत मातृभूमीला सागरा प्राण तळमळला

O ocean take me back to my motherland, my soul is in pain.

This is a line from a very heart wrenching emotional marathi poem written by freedom fighter Shri Veer Sawarkar while in captivity which still brings tears to one’s eyes.

Such was the love for motherland of our ancestors and freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh, Sardar Patel, Tilak and many many more that they have borne unimaginable torture and sacrificed their lives for the glory of this country.

As rightful successors of the land we need to carry on their legacy. We need to contribute to the development of the country in whatever miniscule way possible so that our future generations can lead a better life than us. We need to impart the knowledge and cultural values to the next of kin. We are a country in which almost every individual is multilingual, is capable of multi-tasking and creating opportunities and the masters of ‘jugaad’. We should be able to pass on these skills to our children and not lose them in the name of development. Our traditions are unique and our own which can only be transmitted by us to our children, if not it will be lost forever.

Hence as children of the land and as service to our motherland we should be proud of our rich cultural heritage and wherever in the world we choose to be we need to strive to make this world better and more hospitable.

The next generation will remember us by the legacy we leave for them. Hence it’s time to choose wisely. Let’s vow to make the future brighter and better.

Image source