Yet, it failed to dampen our spirits on Janmashtami (which fell on August 14). The sea of people overflowed onto the streets of Mumbai and the festivity exploded. The drooping India was suddenly vibrant. Who would believe that the swine flu virus and dahi-handi were swaying together in the air. At least, we would. For, we are a nation of paradoxes and we revel in it. This is no easy art of living, especially with tags like “emotional country” or “soft nation”, we suffer yet know how to forgive. Even if someone decimates our population with an AK-47, we ensure that he gets a fair trial. How many nations in the world would manage something like that. But, somewhere in this weakness lies our strength. We value freedom – ours as well as those of others. Indian democracy has loopholes, but it’s not a failure. Freedom is misused in the country, but it still exists. We hate the khadi-clad but know we also can’t live without them.

In short, we know how to live with contradictions. The oxymoron is India’s elixir of life. A nation where one finds the co-existence of fear and faith, optimism and pessimism, joy and sorrow, hate and forgiveness. I quote these because they are not identifiable with any caste or religion. Instead, they undeniably run in the veins of each Indian. It is also beyond my comprehension how we manage to survive it all. However, like many I too complain and remark at such things. Fret and fume, muse and amuse. Still, I love the breath of freedom and also my country. Its patriotic fervor has a unique aroma. We tangibly feel it on January 26 and August 15, but almost invariably breathe it round the year.

To each one of you, therefore, I urge – love freedom, respect the nation. Even in a population of billion, we derive our individual existence and identity from these two words -

Jai Hind.