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It was on August 15, 1947 that India won it’s freedom after a very long battle for freedom. The first struggle for Indian Independence took place in 1857, and it took almost 90 years for India to attain independence. It is said that there is a silver lining to every cloud; the Indian freedom struggle is no exception.

The freedom movement gave birth to exemplary men and women like Rani Lakshmi Bai, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Mahatma Gandhi, and the list is endless. These courageous sons and daughters of India stood up tall against a system that would brook no resistance. They proved to India, and the world, that one person can indeed make a difference. All it takes is courage and will power.

Today, as India celebrates, its 61st Independence day, it seems to me that people have forgotten the lessons that history has taught us – lessons that were learnt at the price of the lives of great men and women.

An argument that is often forwarded against doing something truly heroic is : ” Oh, not everyone is born to be a hero!”

The truth, however, is just the opposite – we are all born heroes. As we grow up, we somehow manage to hide that hero inside us, or maybe the society hides it for us, and doesn’t want us to find it. But – and I am sure this is true for everyone – the hero within us raises its voice every now and then. For example, many a times when we see someone in distress, by the side of the road, the spontaneous feeling is to go and help that person. But, in a few seconds our brain begins to remind us – we have to go somewhere, the person could be pretending and turn out to be mugger, why bother when you have so many problems of your own, etc. etc.

If we act before our trained mind stops us, we actually go and help that person. If we begin to debate on the “to help, or not to help” question, it is often too late by the time the question is satisfactorily answered.

So, today, let us all (regardless of country, class, race or creed) take a vow to pay attention to the hero inside us, and also ensure that we listen to his voice every time.

Wishing India, and all Indians, a Very Happy Independence Day!