Tag: india

Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan” – Personal Connect with the Nation

“Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan” has become a precursor to the Independence Day celebrations every year. The programme was started as a part of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” on 12th of March 2021 and has continued to be the part of the Independence Day celebrations every year. People from every walk of life have been taking part in this programme enthusiastically as proud Indians since its inception.

The importance of being part of this “Abhiyan” was revalidated during my travels recently. My mind was still coming to grips with the realities of Operation Sindoor consequent to the selective killings of 26 tourists in Pahalgam after they were identified based on their religious beliefs. While 24 of the victims were Hindus, one was a Christian as he too could not recite Islamic verse. One was a local Muslim guide too.

The history of the country is full of sacrifices by people of the country struggling for Indian independence, first, and thereafter ensuring that we continue as a democratic nation with head held high and prosper at the same time. The signs of sacrifice are visible wherever you travel in the country.

Recently I was travelling from Jammu to Chandigarh by road and came across Banga town which is located on the Chandigarh – Jallandhar national highway. The town is famous as at a short distance from the town is located the ancestral house of Shaheed Bhagat Singh in the village of Khatkar Kalan. The government of Punjab has renovated the museum on the national highway that is dedicated to the Shaheed-e-Azam and his two other colleagues, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivram Rajguru who too sacrificed their lives for freedom of India. Shaheeds Sukhdev & Rajguru belonged to Ludhiana & Pune respectively.

The story and the sacrifices of the trio are very well known and as such I am not revisiting them. However, coming to be face to face with the photograph of Shaheed Bhagat Singh in his small nondescript house raced my imagination to those times & conditions that must have ignited the spark in the hearts & minds  of these youngsters to dedicate them to take the most difficult decision of their life for trying to pave the way for the freedom of India. The consequences of this decision must have been known to them  & they “drank the nectar of martyrdom” at a tender age of 22/23. Even today their names remain a blessing and a rallying point for all those who love Bharat Matta and desire to work for its all encompassing development.

My travel also took me to the National War Memorial in Delhi which has been laid out a fresh by the Modi Government. The grace, the aesthetics and the heritage as well as the tradition of the country have been fused into each other seamlessly and provide it with an aura of a “Tirath” – a place of pilgrimage. A visit through the memorial leaves you teary eyed. It also makes you proud and generates a feeling of indebtedness to those who laid down their lives defending our nation. Inscribed on the plates in the memorial are the names of the soldiers from the Indian Defence Forces who laid down their lives in innumerable battles that India had to fight with our inimical neighbours since 1947. India had to join the battles not only for maintaining its territorial integrity but also to ensure that the thousands of years of Indian philosophy, culture and traditions not only survive but also thrive to make a mark in the global affairs.

The recent “Operation Sindoor” carried out by  Indian Defence Forces ensured that the terrorist infrastructure across the border in a previously identified locations is demolished. This was the stated objective of the operation in which our defence forces came out with flying colours. India’s intention was not to escalate hostilities, but when Pakistan tried to cross the redlines defined by India it (Pakistan) quickly and decisively had to eat dust. Pakistan’s major airports and other assets were so badly mauled that their airforce was unable to fly the next day. They were compelled to buckle.

However, there were many casualties on Indian side, especially in areas along the Poonch, Rajouri axis where Pakistan used its artillery on the hapless civilian population. The damage was severe. While India went after the terror infrastructure based in Pakistan, Pakistan targeted our civilian population for the retaliation thereby bringing to the fore their evil designs once again.

During the period Indian government gave free hand to the Armed Forces to take suitable action against terror outfits in Pakistan, I came across a post by Smt. Meghna Girish (while she was visiting the National War Memorial, Delhi) on the X platform. This was 3rd of March 2025. She wrote a very touching message which is reproduced herein;

“While paying respects at the National War Memorial last week noticed that the last name engraved is of Braveheart Capt MV Pranjal SC. Our government has given responsibility and free hand to our Armed Forces in terms of ‘mode, timing and targeting’ to avenge our innocents. Let us keep faith with patience. Not push to have many more names of Bravehearts in @Salute2Soldier. Those who have lost know the value of soldiers coming back safe. Jai Hind ki Sena.”

Smt. Meghna Girish’s son, Major Akshay Girish Kumar, was martyred during the Nagrota terror attack on November 29, 2016. He was martyred while leading a Quick Reaction Team of the Indian Army to counter terrorists who had attacked an army unit in Nagrota (near Jammu). His bravery and leadership in rescuing trapped families was crucial and well acclaimed, but he succumbed to injuries sustained during the attack. Smt. Meghna Girish, in-spite of her insurmountable personal loss, has devoted her life to stand as a source of strength to families of soldiers having lost their kith and kin during the wars/terror related incidents.

This post and my lived experiences during last few months and my moments at Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s ancestral house as well as the National War Memorial once again compelled me to think of the thousands who gave up their lives for this Nation, for all of us, so that we could live comfortably in our homes, do our errands & help in nation building in whatever small or big ways we can.

The month of August is on and we shall be celebrating our Independence Day on the 15th. It is important and incumbent on us that we don’t only rejoice and celebrate the great day but also remember those who gave up everything of theirs to keep us secure with a sense of pride for the nation. Let’s remember Shaheeds Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. Let’s also remember thousands of those like Major Akshay Girish Kumar and Capt. MV Pranjal who never came back to their families but got their names inscribed in the plates of the National War Memorial so that Bharat Matta is able to hold Her Head High. Let’s also remember those whose names must have been added to the Honour plates in the National War Memorial after Operation Sindoor.

Let’s salute thousands of mothers like Smt. Meghna Girish who lost their sons and obviously everything but are ensuring that the unfathomable grief of those like her is marginally made lighter by their untiring efforts. It is not an easy task anyway.

I must admit that I don’t personally know Smt. Meghna Girish, but through her X posts have realised that she is a brave person with lot of conviction and commitment to the families of the armed forces and soldiers.

In the month of August, the best way to remember them and to show our gratitude to the martyrs and to those who lost everything for the Nation is to fly our national flag at our homes, our offices, our business establishments, our parks, our cars, our buses, our trains & wherever we can.

Let’s rally to the call of the PM Modi and join “Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan.” Let’s make “Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan” a success.

Jai Hind; Jai Bharat

The difficulty of being Shri Ram

22nd of January 2024 is going to be a day written in golden letters in the history of Bharat in general & Sanatan Dharma in particular for on this day Shri Ram will return to His magnificent “worldly home” situated at the place of His birth. This has been possible because of a continuous & consistent struggle & sacrifices by the devotees for close to 500 years. It was an incessant struggle for centuries that took the shape of effort by individuals, collectives & mass movements & finally in the form of the adoption of legal recourse that eventually found its closure on 9thNovember 2019 after the judgement delivered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. 

It is hard to believe that “Ram Lalla”, the “Maryada Purushottam” was denied his own “worldly home” for this long & that too in a land where He has continued to rule the hearts & minds of a vast civilisation for more than 8000 years. Shri Ram has always been present in the consciousness & subconsciousness of every Bhartiya, be she/he from north, east, west or south or from any caste, creed, culture, linguistic or religious denomination. Bhartiyas continue to revere Him as an embodiment of renunciation, fair play, model governance (Ram Rajya) & to top it all, an embodiment of “Maryada.” For Him renouncing the throne of Ayodhya & journey into the jungles (banwas), as per the wishes of His father, was as kosher & normal part of life as His coronation after His triumphant return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravan. He had no remorse at the loss of the throne, nor any delight on His coronation. Worldly attachments had no meaning for him. He was only attached to His Dharma – the path of righteousness. 

During His “banwas” He considered the journey through the challenging jungle pathways, mountains & plains, along with Shri Sita, His wife & younger brother Shri Lakshman, as normal as strolling through the paths of His garden in the Royal Palaces of Ayodhya. Like He didn’t resent the loss of the throne of Ayodhya, similarly he wasn’t upset because of the difficult & treacherous terrain & dangers posed by the ever present “rakshas” that He would encounter during His travels across the subcontinent. He faced the challenges of life, unperturbed under all circumstances & was thus called “Maryada Purushottam” – the most disciplined & greatest amongst men – by the Sanatan civilisation.

When Shri Ram along with His wife Shri Sita & younger brother Shri Lakshman had to leave Ayodhya for a 14 year “banwas” thousands of years ago, He must have felt the first pangs of losing His home, hearth & comforts. 

Shri Ram had just left Ayodhya & had crossed river Tamsa, Ganga, Triveni (Prayag) & Yamuna along the way when He met the great sage Valmiki. Rishi Valmiki was overwhelmed with emotions at the sight of someone whom he knew was “Divine Parmatama” & yet was carrying Himself as a simple wanderer in the forests. Rishi Valkmiki was a “trikaldarshi”, someone who had the spiritual power to sift through the past, present & the future. After bowing to the sage & paying respects to him Shri Ram narrated the reason of His sojourn into the forests. They conversed about “Dharma.” Eventually, like any commoner, Shri Ram asked Sage Valmiki to advise him as to where He should find an abode for Himself in the jungles. 

Sage Valmiki was pained & bewildered by the question. He wasn’t expecting this question from someone whom he knew was an “Avtar” of Shri Vishnu. He was aware that Shri Vishnu had chosen to be in a “panch tatva” body because of His own will to rid the earth of the negative forces. The Rishi went speechless in reverence & after gathering his composure He submitted to Shri Ram in great humility that this question has caused a “dharam sankat” for him. How could he show Him (Shri Ram) a place to live in, knowing fully well that He is living in every being & every nook & corner of the universe & thus there is no space devoid of Him. 

But the great Rishi Valmiki wouldn’t have allowed this opportunity to pass. He must have wanted the posterity in Bharat to remember that Parmatama has His own ways of making home amongst the populace & will choose a space of His own choice. So, where should Shri Ram live? Rishi Valmiki prays & suggests that He (Shri Ram) should find an abode in the hearts of the people who are devoid of anger, pride, attachment, greed & deception. He advises Him to find abode in the hearts of those who are not unnecessarily exuberant on attaining success or are cowed down by difficulties faced by them in the process of helping others. He advises Him to live in the hearts of those who consider fame, or infamy as the same when they are treading on the path of righteousness. He further prays that Shri Ram must live in the hearts of such people who treat other women, the “matra shakti” with the same respect & love as they would to their own mothers, sisters & daughters. 

Sage Valmiki tells Him further that He (Shri Ram) should live in the hearts of the people who are not envious of those who have prospered nor delighted at the discomfort of the others & live with those who love Him more than their lives & consider Him to be the companion, father, mother, guru & the master. Sage Valmiki advises Shri Ram to live in the hearts of the people who discard the bad qualities of their own & pick up the good ones that they may find in others & at the same time anchor their lives on ethical principles, employ good skills for a living & stick to “Maryada” during their sojourn on this earth. He further advises Shri Ram to live in the hearts of the people who abandon “Jaati-Patti”, fame, riches & comforts of the world for His sake.

However, Rishi Valmiki wasn’t unaware of the situational limitations of Bhagwan Shri Ram. He was omnipresent as the creator & One who energised the universe, but in human form He certainly deserved a place to live in. He advised Him to take abode in Chitrakoot, a beautiful place surrounded by mountains, forests, river, water bodies & where flora & fauna was in abundance. Shri Lakshman, the Rishis, the tribals & the forest dwellers of Chitrakoot erected two huts for the new guests. One for Shri Ram & Shri Sita & the other for Shri Lakshman. The huts were built lovingly & with great care out of the wood from the forest trees & covered with bark of the trees, leaves & grass. This was practically the first abode of Shri Ram, Shri Sita & Shri Lakshman in the forests, after they left Ayodhya. Goswami Tulsi Dass in Ramcharitamanas describes the beauty of these huts. Anyone conversant with Ramcharitamanas will realise that the huts built for Shri Ram, Shri Sita & Shri Lakshman in the forests of Chitrakoot was much better than the torn out & filthy tented accommodation in which “Ram Lalla” lived in recent times. 

Today the doings of Mir Baki & Babur have become a matter of the past. Ram Lalla, the Maryada Purushottam, is moving to the newly constructed temple at His birthplace in Ayodhya, but Manthra & Kekyi in multiple “avatars” are still there & leaving no stone unturned to vitiate the joyous & “Ram-maye” atmosphere prevailing in the nation. 

Khardushans &  Kaalnemis will also play their role.

Those who are not equivalent to a speck of a dust of the feet of Shri Ram & may not be remembered a day after they leave their positions of power or probably this earth are abusing Shri Ram, who continues to be the soul & body of Bharat for eons. He continues to stay in the collective memory of Bharat – undiminished & flourishing & He is one of the strings that binds together the multidimensional & multicultural Sanatan Dharma.

Herein lies the difficulty of being Shri Ram!

It is a different matter that whenever a Ram is born there always is a Ravan. However, when the time comes for renaissance, the Parmatama sends Shri Ram, accompanied by His “Ansh” in the form of Sita, Lakshman, Bharat & Shatrughan. Urmila, Mandavi, Shrutkeerti, though less spoken about, but without them Ramayan wouldn’t have been complete. Parmatama, without fail brings in assistance from the likes of Hanuman, Sugreev, Vibhishan, Angad, Jamvant for a good cause & even such small creatures like a pair of squirrels who participated in construction of the Ramsetu connecting Bharat to Sri Lanka.

Shri Ram ensured through his exemplary conduct throughout His life that He had a corpus of good wishes & sincere prayers for Him that came handy in times of adversities. Nishad Raj Guh, Jatayu, Sampath, Matta Shabari, Matta Ahilya & several other saints, tribals & forest dwellers created a wave of goodwill for the good cause of Shri Ram & eventually all the positive forces joined together to defeat the mighty Ravan. 

While the negativity continues to raise its head in some pockets in the country let’s hope & pray, on the occasion of “Pranprathishta” of the temple in Ayodhya, that the positive forces shaping up in the country continue to prevail & firm up so that Ram Rajya becomes a reality in Bharat.

Ayodhya & Ram Rajya as narrated by Goswami Tulsi Das in Ramcharitamanas

I went to Ayodhya for the first time around 2004. That was the time when Ram Lalla, the “Maryada Purushottam”, was housed in a temporary makeshift temple that was covered by a huge, filthy & torn out tent. Since it was monsoon season rainwater was dripping into the area under the tent. It was given to understand that the temple administration had requested the designated Hon’ble Court for permission to repair the damaged tent & that is where the issue rested.

As per court orders the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) had dug up the entire area around this temple to look for remnants of the old temple on which the mosque was built in 1528/29 CE by Mir Baqi on the orders of Babur after demolishing the existing Ram temple. One had to walkover a path that was dug up on both sides with trenches as deep as 3/4 meters. For safety of the worshipper’s menacing iron barricades were installed on both sides of the path. 

The passage to the makeshift temple was through a cage like structure that was covered on all the three sides (two sides & the top) & one could barely walk through it in a single line formation. It was a walk through the cage with monkeys “sitting, stretching, prancing & dancing” overhead bemused at the caged “homosapien cousins” passing underneath.

I went to Ayodhya a second time around 2015. The trenches around the makeshift temple were filled up, but filth was all pervasive. Poverty was visible all around, as was during my first trip & commercial activities in the rundown & ramshackle marketplaces were as minimal as it possibly could be. Lucknow was all glitter & businesslike while Ayodhya was a nondescript town that would go indoors very early in the evening as there was nothing in particular to do for the local populace except visiting some small & big temples.

However, in spite of limitations of infrastructure & other shortcomings there was a constant rush of the pilgrims visiting the temples in the town. They came from all parts of the country. They were from J&K, Assam, Gujarat & Tamilnadu. There was quite a rush at the Palaces of Kekayi (Kanak Bhawan) & Dashrath. Hanuman Garhi was bustling with the Bhakts with pilgrims chanting Hanuman Chalisa & other verses from Ramayan in groups around the “Parikrama” of the temple. We also went to Saryu River where pilgrims were taking holy dip in the river & praying to “Parmatama” in their own ways. The banks of the river were as unclean as they could probably be.

The sight of the Awadh Puri, so dear to Shri Ram, was pathetic to say the least. This was a far cry from Goswami Tulsidas’s description of Ayodhya of “Maryada Purushottam Ram.” How could there be Ramrajya in the ramshackled Ayodhya?

Goswami Tulsidas describes Ayodhya as a beautiful city on the north of which flows the holy River Saryu. The waters of the river are very clean & there are several majestic “ghats” on the banks of the river where the royals & common citizens come for daily chores, prayers, recreation & getting physically & emotionally recharged at the sight of the pristine river. Some of the “ghats” are built for tending to the horses of the cavalry & there are others that tend to the elephants. There is no mud, sludge or slime on the banks of the river. Along the river there are several “ashrams” where saints & divine personages are busy in their “Tapasya & Aradhana” in search of “Gyan & the Ultimate Truth.” The riverbanks are full of “Tulsi” shrubs. There are several beautiful temples on the banks of the river that add to the beauty of the river.

Students – vidyaarthis – are busy with their Gurus who teach them the intricacies of life – from the mundane to the higher levels of knowledge & the truth. 

Royals & citizens have built amazingly beautiful parks, “udyans” & gardens where multiple kinds of flowers, plants, trees, creepers, herbs & shrubs are grown. These gardens are full of flowers & greenery throughout the year. They attract the bumblebee – “bhaunra”, butterflies, birds & animals of various hues. The buzzing of bumblebees is soothing to the visitors & the citizens alike. 

There are peacocks, swans, pigeons & cranes everywhere that beautify the city of Ayodhya. Children raise pets. The pet birds are generally parrots & mynas. Children teach them to speak “Ram, Raghupati, Janpaalak” etc – which are some of the other names of Shri Ram.

The palaces, roads, streets & crossings are beautifully laid out. Markets are also nicely placed & their beauty is beyond description. Prices of goods in the market are such that everything is within the reach of every citizen. Cloth merchants, jewellers, goldsmiths, businesspeople in general & “money exchangers” are honest & believe in ethical dealings. Men, women, children, young & the old are of happy disposition. They are beautiful, healthy, well built & virtuous. 

The town has several beautifully carved out “bavlis”. There are several ponds, lakes & wells that provide clean water for the general populace. The steps to the “bavlis”, ponds & lakes are artistically & aesthetically laid out & there are several step wells too. Ponds & lakes are populated by several kinds of flora & fauna. The chirping of birds is mesmerising. Healthy lotus flowers are providing a spectacular ambiance to the water bodies. 

Raja Dashrath’s palace is magnificent. The ramparts & the walls are fabulous. Several beautifully painted pictures, depicting the lives of the Ikshwaku clan of “Maryada Purushottam” are painted all across the walls. The “attaries” – spires – & “Kalash” of the palaces are so high that they seem to be touching the skies. The floors & pillars of the palaces are beautifully laid out. Beautifully carved & laid out “dehris” are set in several places to light up the palaces & houses of the citizens. Streets & other pathways of Ayodhya are also lit up in a same manner to make life easy for the citizens.

As soon as Shri Ram occupied the throne of Ayodhya there was joy everywhere; the sorrows of the citizens vanished as did the division, discrimination & differences between the people. During the reign of Shri Ram there was no fear or sorrow. Generally, the citizens were healthy & sickness would not touch them as competent “vaids” were available to treat them. Consequently, none would die young & none was in any physical pain. People were competent, educated & “gyanvan.” During “Ramrajya” none was affected by the natural calamities or any other worldly misfortune. Everyone respected & loved each other & stayed within his/her “Maryada.” It seemed as if Indra too operated within his “Maryada” for there was never a very heavy downpour nor scarcity of rainfall. 

There was no poverty & none was sad. People were knowledgeable, skilled & deception was unheard of. People were large hearted & always ready to help & support others in need. The citizens paid special attention to herds of cows. Consequently, there was no dearth of milk & milk products. The fields were always full of crops & the farmers were content & happy. New mines were found from where precious stones were excavated. Natural resources were utilised in a manner that did not impact the nature’s balance.

Truth, charity & piety were the cornerstone of “Ramrajya”. There was no crime in the kingdom of Shri Ram. Using a combination of “saam, daam, dand, bhaey & bhed” the kingdom ensured that the crime vanished from Ayodhya. Consequently, one wouldn’t hear the word called punishment – “dand” – as no one was ever required to be punished.

The taxes were collected very subtly. They would not pinch the citizens. It was said that the taxes in “Ramrajya” were collected in the same manner as the sun gathers water from rivers, ponds & oceans, very subtly, by the process of evaporation & then returns it back to the earth in the form of rains for keeping the life on the planet going.

My visits to Ayodhya were a disappointment because I didn’t see the Ayodhya of Goswami Tulsi Das’s description anywhere. True the “disputed structure” couldn’t be touched till the issue was settled in the courts, but what prevented the powers that be from developing Ayodhya town to the glory as described in the Ramayan?! It was a ramshackle town when I visited it in 2015.

Going back to “Ayodhya & Ramrajya” as described by Goswami Tulsi Das in Ramcharitamanas, I’m sure that I’ve not been able to touch every aspect of the greatness of Ayodhya & the rule by Shri Ram in “Treta Yug” over his kingdom. However, on the auspicious occasion of the “Pranpratishta” of Shri Ram at Ayodhya on 22nd of January 2024 let’s all rejoice & pray that our great nation is able to imbibe the spirit of “Ramrajya” in which there is prosperity all over & following “chaupai” from Ramayan comes true:

दैहिक दैविक भौतिक तापा, राम राज्य नहीं काहुहि व्यापा ।

सब नर करहिं परस्पर प्रीती, चलहिं स्वधर्म निरत श्रुति नीती।