August Independence Day address at S.D.N.V., KOLKATA

Mr. Bimal Kumar Nopany, Dr. Samuel Raj, dear Captains, Vice Captains, Prefects teachers, parents and friends.

August 15th is not much of a holiday if, like any other day, we must rise early in the morning, put on our school uniform, gobble up our breakfast and rush off for school. A holiday is a day when we get up late, scan movie lists, eat some home-made delicacies, plan an evening outing and play our favourite game. Independence Day is not a festival-like holiday when we eat, drink and make merry. It is not a mere ritual of attending school in uniform, of belting out a few patriotic songs, watching the national flag unfurled and then coming home with some sweets and a paper flag pinned to the shirt front. Our independence is something to be treasured and not taken for granted. Isn't it high time that the entire focus of Independence Day celebrations changed?

On Independence Day we call to mind the sacrifice of many leaders who laid down their life on the altar of patriotism. We remember the indomitable spirit of thousands of Indian nationalists who faced the wrath of the British bullet to make our country free. This immortal spirit has been passed on through the generations and still burns brightly in the hearts of all Indians. It manifests itself whenever the country calls upon her sons for protection and defence. Many years after Independence in ensuing battles in 1962, 1965 and 1971, in Kargil and in Kashmir, the courageous sons of the soil have answered the call of their motherland with their lives.

On August 15th we recall the sacrifice of Tatia Tope the mighty General who was the first to raise his voice for the freedom of his country; the courage of Laxmi bai who, in 1857, led her troops to battle, with her child strapped on her back; the farsightedness of Tipu Sultan who could forsee the design of The East India Company to entrench itself in India. We contemplate on the 'Mahatma's' irresistable power of love, peace and truth and on Gandhian non-violence. We meditate on the unification process of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, India's "Man of Steel", who persuaded different princely states to join the Indian Union. We reminisce on the dauntless valour of Bhagat Singh who was executed and on Khudiram Bose who became an Indian martyr at 19, with the Bhagavad Gita in one hand and "Vande Mataram" on his lips.

We also call to mind Lokmanya Tilak' who highlighted through schools and newspapers that "Swaraj is our birthright" and the radical reforms of Dr. Annie Besant through The Home Rule League in India. Can we erase from our memories the major role Surendranath Banerjee played in enthusing youth to fight fearlessly for freedom, or, the patriotic fervour of Tamilian Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiyaar whose songs and writings in "The Swadeshmitran" and "Chakravartini" shook the mighty British administration?

It is not enough to peep through the corridors of time and admire the immortal and living spirit of our nation. It is time to make our patriotism a tangible reality. One such way is to look at the vision of our President and our Prime Minister.

No nation attains greatness without an energizing vision guiding it. Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, in his Independence Day address last year, had called upon the people to strive towards the goal of transforming India into a Developed Nation by 2020. This vision, according to Dr. Abdul Kalam, is based on the heightened self-confidence, rooted in India's impressive achievements in many fields. A key element of "Vision 2020" would be connectivity especially Knowledge Connectivity. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is endeavouring to make free and compulsory education for all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years a Fundamental Right. Adult Literacy Schemes have now been implemented in nearly 98 percent of the districts in the country. Fourteen Regional Engineering Colleges have been upgraded as National Institutes of Technology. A special thrust has been provided to address the educational needs of minorities. Our leaders see Independent India as a country with cent per cent literacy, a high knowledge quotient and a sustained knowledge connectivity.

On Independence Day I am reminded of the words of John F. Kennedy to the American nation. He said, "Ask not what America can do for you; ask what you can do for America." Our national heroes, our governments, our families and our schools have given us much. Isn't it now time to pay back our debt to society? Maybe we could adorn the mantle of courage like Laxmi bai and fight for freedom, not a freedom from British Rule but a freedom from selfishness and inordinate pride. Or we could follow the example of Tilak and free ourselves from the morally corroding influences of the West. Or would we like to celebrate the freedom of expression of Surendranath Banerjee and the independence of thought of Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiyaar. Some of us could manifest our freedom through the tenets of our faith as Khudiram Bose did or through our constant essays to develop peace and brotherhood through nonviolence and truth as 'Bapuji' did. In its own unique and conscientious way the Nopany Group of Schools has a tryst with destiny. It is determined to keep the lamp of knowledge burning. It will spread the light of learning amidst those who live in the darkness of ignorance, partake not just in literacy schemes but in wholesome educational exercises and upgrade the quality of its education. From spirituality to social sensitivity, from Yoga to Computers, from 'Bhajans' and 'Shlokas' to Western Pop, and from Montessori methods to University specialization, the Nopany Group strives tirelessly to "reach the utmost bounds of human thought", working and winning all the way.

Your school has made a choice. The time has come for you, dear boys, to make your choice? What will you do to keep the flag of Independent India flying? Can you sustain the freedom of your country by a Knowledge Connectivity that will keep you apace with the best in the West as you remain rooted and grounded in Indian tradition? Will you grow in a heightened self-confidence through which you will restore the glorious past of India when a beauteous halo encircled its brow and it was worshipped as a deity?

In some schools and offices August 15th is declared as a holiday. Is a holiday on August 15th necessary? When increased productivity is the need of the hour, why not hoist the flag in the morning and work an extra hour as a symbolic dedication to the betterment of India?