Horizons Unknown, Oblivions Unexplored

60 years of Independence...are we really independent???

Throwing orselves into unknown oblivions might seem to be an inherently risky proposition. But, given the range of possibilities and the scope for excelling with them, the proposition must supercede all the apprehensions. Men of Honour are necessarily Men of Courage, Men of Virtues. And virtues are incumbently developed only by a range of experiences. some abominable, some rather exhilirating. No achievement ever would be as acclaimed had it not been put through the rigours and rhetorics of a wishful cult, a hopeful chance. It is in the journey and not the destination the actual sense of success lies with.

Today, most people bask under the aegis of their achievements, since many feel that it ultimately boils down to a result-business. Well, they often miss the crux of the journey, its ethical viability, its creativity, the innovations involved, the actuating persona required. Ignoring these may be a safe way to evade cynicism, but a deeper retrospect would reveal a sense of self-compromise. Choosing an out-of-box proposition would most definitely require a whole lot of abnegatory traits, but it is abnegation, the joy of life lies with.

The world might not had witnessed a scientific revolution, had Newton not chosen to give some thought to something as trivial as an apple falling down. The software revolution might've been shambles had it not been for people like Bill Gates or Steve jobs going out-of-the way in choosing their goals, in realising their visions.

In the indian context, our business world would'nt have had the impetus it enjoys today, had it not been for visionaries like the Ambanis, the Tatas or the Birlas. But a closer look at todays generation would reveal aberrant traits. None would want to take up the challange, for the fear of failure. Playing safe is the call of the day. Many of our fellowmen conveniently fuel the Brain-drain by choosing to flow with the current, never giving a trifle of impetus as to what difference it makes; what difference it could make. Every other day, we discover an Indian holding a key-position for an entirely irrelevant firm, with an entirely alienated community. I'm often left aghast by the way we immortalize such events, in exemplifying them to our younger generations. This is absolute indifference, absolute insolence. It boggles me to find none (well, not many) who'd actually read between the lines. Is it not obvious that these stewards of the battlefield with their intimidatind shields and overtly ornate spears, merely form the frontline of the army, only commanded by greater generals; fighting for somebody else's cause

We boast of Institutes which offer some of the best routines for Technical and Management sudies, yet never really manageto make ant significant contributions to the nation, with all the socalled intellect imbibed. We still have time for retrospect, if not remorse, to identify our strengths & weaknesses, Successes and blunders, for the future is a function of our thoughts and deeds.

60 years of independence, and it is time we concentrate on being independent to its true sense. The perfect gift for our mother-land on this occasion. Let us be Trend-setters. Let us be true humanists. Let us be true nationalists; true INDIANS