Republic Day Celebrations..

Today, on the 60th year of celebrating Indian Republic, one of my dreams came true when i was standing straight for the national anthem in the state Republic day celebrations parade at Kamarajar Salai, Chennai. I was dreaming this day ever since i attended the district level Republic day celebrations headed by our District Collector Jeevarathinam I.A.S., at the Police Race Course ground, Dindigul, 10 years back. Today, Myself and Vinodh reached the Kamarajar Salai near Mahatma Gandhi statue at 7.30 a.m itself and were waiting for the function to commence. The secretariat officials, Tamil Nadu State Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, CM Dr M Karunanithi and other ministers were coming one by one. The National flag was hoisted by our State Governor exactly at 8 am and immediately National anthem was played followed by the Quick March by Army, Navy, Air force soldiers followed by the Tamil Nadu Police, Fire men and various other police wings. Following the police it was N.C.C., guys who were marching with passion and discipline followed by the decorated vehicles representing the achievements of the Nation and the central and state people welfare schemes. A great moment indeed!
Photos taken with my mobile cam are here. While returning home, i was saying Vinodh some of my Republic day memories.

During my 8th standard, i was a cadet in our school N.C.C., Our School always participate in the Independence day and Republic Day celebration parades every year and that year we were practicing hard for the republic day parade from a week before the day. Every day, practice drills would be from 6 to 7.30 in the morning, at the police race course ground. Teams from Dindigul police, Striking force, Home guard, fire service and the representation from Dindigul NCC i.e., 14(TN) battalion NCC represented by our school MSPSM Hr sec School and St Mary's Hr Sec School. The practice parades were organized and headed by our district DSP Rajendran(He was later charged in Sivakasi Jayalakshmi case). It was the first time i was going to take part in the Republic day parade and i was eagerly waiting for the day after all the hard practice drills.

Finally on 26th January, we assembled at Race Course Ground early morning and our national flag was hoisted by our collector Jeevarathinam I.A.S.,exactly at 8 am followed by the march fast of various teams from different police wings and N.C.C.,. Every team marching has to salute turning to the right towards our collector and the Police SP Subramanian I.P.S., who were there to accept our respect to the flag and the Nation. It was a big ground and we have to march from right to left of the post and have to salute the flag for 24 steps(12 steps right of the flag post and 12 steps left). We were marching towards the post perfectly in a well disciplined manner and when heard the command '14 (TN) Battalion N.C.C., "Salute"', we saluted the flag at once. The moment, saluting the flag gave me an unusual special feeling and i felt that for the rest of the march. I knew that it was not because of over excitement or fear of marching. After competing the march fast, i thought the special feeling must be the satisfaction for getting an opportunity to participate in that function and doing it well. Almost all guys felt a similar feeling.

I attended the independence day and republic day parades next year. At that time also i felt the same special feeling while saluting the flag and i thought, in addition to the satisfaction, it must be the gratitude to my nation and the society for what has given to me. I was given good education, healthy environment, safe living, good social status etc., when many others were just dreaming of those things. But still i was missing some reasons behind that special feeling which i understood only during my college days, it was the voice of the nation and the society expecting to return back at least a bit of what i had received from it so far. I got good education, food, social status and everything from it and i must do something back to the society because not many are getting all these.

Thanks to all the discussions with my friends Ashok, Vinodh, Sabari or Bala in hostel days who all explained ideas on communism, democracy, helping others, religions in India, people's living conditions etc., in their own terms. Some others said giving education, food etc are the governments responsibilities and there is no need of showing any gratitude to the nation or the society as it has done only its task. There must be poor in the nation so that the tasks like cleaning toilets, sweeping etc can be done was one of the comments from a so called brilliant guy in the class. But clearly i understood that the special feeling must be the satisfaction, gratitude towards the Nation and the expectation of the society to return back at least a bit of what i had received. Wish the coming days allow me to work for that special feeling! Wish you all a wonderful Republic Day!