It has been 65 long years since that historic day, when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave his famous speech – Tryst with Destiny – on the All India Radio, to commemorate India’s Independence from the British. Today, after 65 years, on our Republic Day, people from all over the world glorify our great nation, referring to it as an example of development and touting it as one of the culturally richest nations in the world. We are considered as the fastest growing nation in the world, with an unprecedented improvement in our GDP, employment and development in the past few years. However, is this true? To what extent can we call ourselves an independent and developed nation? India is a mixture of cultures, a vibrant and eclectic collection of people, religions, societies and lives. And with all the benefits of this kind of a culture, there will be a number of shortcomings as well.

The streets are cluttered with shops and stores everywhere. There are small temples every 10 meters. One notices the co-existence of the traditional and the modern, of the rich and the poor. A Nike megastore next to a paan shop, a poor cobbler mending shoes on the street and talking on a mobile phone – all this, along with the deafening noise, variety of smells in the air, numerous people bumping into you and wide array of shops is too much to take in for anyone. All the remaining space, if there’s any left, is occupied by the very holy Indian cow, or perhaps the not-so-holy stray dog, cat, goat, buffalo, bull, monkey, sheep, camel, horse, hen or even a pig. Also noticed are the huge number of homeless people and beggars on the roads. One is deeply pained to see small children and old people begging for alms on the street. In the neighborhood high-rise glass buildings appear out of nowhere in the middle of the street, probably a new software technology park set up by a foreign company.

This cricket crazy nation's political system world renowned for its gripping screenplay and storyline is the subject of every single newspaper in the world. The system filled with corruption right up to its roots, one which cannot be removed easily. It will take an extremely long time for the government to rectify itself. And it all can begin only with an effort from the citizens.

Today, 65 long years after we attained Independence, we can clearly see that we are still faced with an endless list of problems which does not require any reiteration. The simple solution to this extremely daunting task lies in the hands of the most important segment of our population - the youth. It is the future citizens of India who will shape the destiny of our nation. It is only the proactive effort of each and every citizen that can help us overcome all these difficulties. India is easily the most vibrant nation in the world. We are definitely the most culturally diverse and self sufficient nation in nearly all ways. Yes, we cannot say for sure if we are a developed nation and if we have been successful in combating our socio-economic problems. But we definitely have made progress. And on this Republic Day, we, as citizens of India must pledge to work towards the upliftment of each and every individual, and ensure equality among all people. We must encourage and spread awareness about the hazards of dumping wastes and the drastic effects it can have on the environment. Equal rights must be guaranteed to the girl child, the needy and the poor and to the aged. And this ominous task can be achieved only if we have faith in our people, and a strong dedication and love towards our great country, India.