Patriotism in Changing Times
India is a country which saw patriotism at its best during the freedom struggle and immediately. after when nation was engaged in building itself.
Patriotism means strong love and support for the country. The intensity of patriotism has definitely diminished over the years. Patriotism is reduced to singing national anthem and seems to be meant for the schools. sport persons. armed forces and other security forces. It’s a matter of least concern to most. may be because the situations have changed and so the priorities.
The changes in the economic scene, the onslaught of western ways, the growing ideas of individualism, the shrinking boundaries due to modern ways of communication and globalization have definitely contributed to changing feelings or just fostered feelings of patriotism.
Today people are busy in their work, making progress. working here or outside and contributing their bit as global citizens. Indians are in most pans of the world serving-to them the meaning of patriotism is different. They support and work for the place where ever they live in.
Patriotic feeling now is very dormant. It’s there in a passive state. Once in a while there is a feeling or display of patriotism when there is a film released (story based on the country), when there was the Kargil conflict or when there is a cricket match. People then turn up showing their support by holding mini flags (tricolor) and painting tricolor on their faces.
As a wise man said when the country and world is experiencing an economic surge everybody wants to be part of it and secure one’s life. They do not have the time for the country. Country or its pride is only a concern of a few. Today, even the armed forces are finding it difficult to get young people to serve the country. Patriotism has taken a back seat.
The competition, corruption, the rat race to make it big in life has left no place for dear feelings for the country or its greatness. In their young day’s people do have such feelings but as they grow, they become ignorant of even important things related to our country. People do not bother or do not know the writer of our national anthem, do not bother to stand up during national anthem, feel embarrassed to sing our anthem even standing on the victory stands during medal giving ceremonies in sports meet, have little regards while visiting places like Jallian wallah Bagh, do not bother to attend independence day or republic day celebrations at school or at residential associations, take the lives of people serving the country for granted and so on. There are even instances where people were ready to sell valuable information concerning the country to other for a few dollars and position. People these days have to be taught to respect out historical monuments and symbols of our identity as a nation.
We do not mind injustice done to our fellow human beings who are less powerful, we close eye on child labour, we grease palms of officials to get our work done-all these indirectly has bad effects on our nation.
True feelings for one’s nation and fellow human beings of one’s land are important. ‘”Patriotism is not short, frenzied outburst of emotion but the steady dedication of a life time”. We need not show false patriotism or hide behind it.
