A Republican’s riposte

Pammy aka Prema Singh, my best buddy is busy making plans about how to spend her “hard-earned” holiday on Republic Day.

“Holidays come hardly for people working in corporate houses. Republic Day is one such rare occasion. And, I don’t want to miss the manna from heaven,” smiled Pammy while noting down things to be done on the D-day.

I was a bit annoyed with her almost “hysterical” behaviour on the prospect of enjoying a “holiday”. I couldn’t stop myself from asking her if Republic Day means anything more to her than just a holiday?

“You’re right! Republic Day is just another holiday for me. Where is the voice of the public, the aam janata in Indian Republic. Their voices are nothing less than chaos to be silenced by teargas and lathicharge,” said Pammy, unable to control her angry outburst to my question.

“In India, the world Republic has nothing to do with public, the people. In India, public has been obliterated from Republic”

“It’s just a holiday for many of us.”

“You are just another typical corporate executive, enjoying American dollar pie as salary,” I said, making up my mind to enter into a verbal duel before our regular patch up dramas.

“It’s no mean achievement to be a Republic for 60 long years with a democratic government at the helm of affairs. The Constitution of India is the longest and most exhaustive constitution of any Independent nation of the world today. We’re proud owners of words like sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, as enshrined in our Preamble,” I tried to give her some “gyaan” on what does it mean to be a “Republican”.

Pammy laughed and winked.

“Yes, we are just owners of few heavily moralistic words, which have never been implemented.”

“India is corrupt. Here, scores of children die of hunger, families of brides pay dowry to marry off their daughters, artists bribe their way out to win awards at glitzy ceremonies. If this is a Republic, I am sorry to be called a ‘Republican.’”

Today, I too was determined not to be cowed down by Pammy’s usual verbosity, the thought crossed my mind quickly.

“So, why don’t you take up the reins of the country in your own hands and turn it into a heaven.”

“Yes, I wanted to. I wanted to end poverty, provide education to all children, equality to all women, homes to homeless…I wanted all good things in my country, but my countrymen failed me, and now, I am failing my country,” tears of agony burst from a dormant volcano even before Pammy could end her thoughts.

Along with Pammy, I too cried. Agreed that we both failed to make India a true Republic —one obeying too many rules, the other breaking all rules.