The world awaits...

8:10 pm, 14 Aug 2007, here in Amsterdam. 11:40 pm in India. 20 minutes to the biggest event of the year - the celebration of independence of that vibrant beautiful fractured powerful country - India.

60 years ago to this day, Nehru said "Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long supressed, finds utterance...."

It has been 60 years since India freed herself from the ravages of English domination; 60 years since the most civilized nation on earth got rid of that most malignant notion of "white man's burden"; 60 years since her soul "found utterance". And now she finds herself poised on the brink of taking over the world; taking over the world not by deceit or violence or "divide and conquer", as were done by lesser civilizations, but taking over the world with intelligence, tolerance and peace. The world herself awaits in joy, for it is only fitting that the most civilized nation should take her over.

It is time also for the young generation of Indians to stand up; that generation which grew up free, free not only of foreign domination but also of any near memories of foreign domination, the generation that had access to the best education, the best opportunities, the broadest, widest experiences of life. Time for them to stand up and take over the country; time for them to tell those old potilicians to retire and let go of the reins; time for them to demand a President we can respect; time for them to tell their Prime Minister not to accept a honorary Oxford degree and go all queasy about it; time for them to outmanouvre those English-inspired politicians who still exploit of beautiful nation with "divide and conquer".

The world waits, and India journeys, inexorably, towards a better tomorrow; a tomorrow she only can deliver...

Happy independence day, fellow Indians..