65th Republic Day Celebration in Assam: Some hits and a few misses

Celebration of Republic Day

Hope this Republic Day is not just another holiday for you all. I told my daughter to greet and wish everyone she meets today with a 'Happy  Republic Day!". She retorted with a question "what should I gift them maa?" I had to explain to her that this is not her own festival. Its everybody's festival. Is n't it our National Festival? She bit her tongue and went on the wish everyone...


It's not her fault. Most schools are closed today. Leave alone celebrating Republic Day with full enthusiasm. It just somehow crunches my spirit. We are Independent. Today we are celebrating the day when India became a Republic. We are still to have our rights as citizens of a free country. True. Among us there are many who are still denied of the right to education and basic civic amenities.   But why can't  those who have the access to the facilities that our Independent and and Republic status have ensured  come out of the comfort of their homes and devote a few minutes to the Nation. We have become cynic. But that is not going to help us in anyway.

Yesterday, while chatting with a few friends we were talking about this Day. One asked that are kids going to school today?  The answer was that almost all schools in the vicinity are closed.  Although our area is a peaceful and no organization has declared a Bandh (unlike each year of the last decade or so) nobody is going to celebrate Our 65th Republic Day.  Now we cannot even imagine the limit of damage that the 'bandh ' and extremist culture have done to our individual psyche as well as social mindset. Will it get reimbursed?

Lastly but not the least. Assam is featured in the much revered Republic Day parade in New Delhi. Dr Bhupen Hazarika, the Brahmaputra Bard was featured in two different ways in the Assam state tableau in Republic Day parade. Last year's fiasco is not already forgotten by our conscious citizen. SO this year we waited eagerly for the Republic Day Parade. But as luck would have it the cable connection has been interrupted for the last few days  and those guys could not fix it on time. Hope those who have watched the Program would share their experience with us.