Today marks the beginning of the landmark year for India. It is known as the platinum jubilee, though there is some confusion regarding the exact nomenclature. But as Shakespeare put it, what is in a name, right?
There was this idea of singing the National Anthem. Got to know about it a little too late, at about 8 p.m. Practised it a little and tried to sing it. Actually, it was a good try. Well, I sing rather OK. That is to say, nobody runs away, faints or feigns sleep when I sing. Given hence that grand-n-vain need to improve on my first attempt, I decided to give it a second try.
Suddenly there was the instrumental karaoke, and I was totally flabbergasted because I never sing with a karaoke, and surely not without practice. So!
Anytime any such fiasco happens, I acutely remember Aai coz she liked (being my Aai, no alternative!?!) my singing! Aai herself sang quite well, Papa was more a listener though he loved to hum Natya Sangeet. His favourite most was "parvashata pash daive" (the fate has tied me to dependeency/non-freedom), a song that was once upon a time used by the drama people to awaken the common man in pre-Independence India.A form of cultural critique initiatd by Lokmanya Tilak who inspired and ignited such brilliant dissent.
Tonight is to remind ourselves of that great saga of the freedom struggle. And as ever Aai-Papa because they never gave up on the sense of honour, idealism and self-respect, the immediate aftermath of Independence in/to our nascent nation. On the eve of the Platinum Jubilee, hence in every sense of the term, let me end with "Ma, tuze salam"!
pratima @ bliss it was in that dawn to be alive/But to be young was very heaven!
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