Tendulkar, The Flag and Respect for the Nation

Sachin Tendulkar recently found himself in the midst of a controversy - for cutting a cake, of all things. The Indian High Commissioner to Jamaica had arranged for Tendulkar to cut a cake decorated with the Indian National Flag. A television news channel ran a scoop on this "disrespect" to our flag. The BCCI (Board of Control of Cricket in India), in turn, felt it necessary to defend Tendulkar - by pushing the blame on to the High Commisioner. A Union Minister got into the act by saying the person who commissioned the cake should be held responsible. And now Tendulkar may be charged for this disrespect.

Am I the only one that finds this situation completely ridiculous? It was just a cake, for goodness' sake! To blow something which was conceived out of good intentions so totally out of proportion is, I feel, indicative of our misplaced priorities. I think we Indians are a confused lot when it comes to what really constitutes national pride. And if our laws say that this is unacceptable, maybe it is time we changed the law.

As a counterpoint, the American Flag is freely printed everywhere – on T-shirts, on bed sheets, even on swim wear. And yes, for the 4^th of July, the American Day of Independence, a lot of cakes with the Stars and Stripes get baked, cut and eaten (I've eaten some myself, and not gotten into trouble with the law either. Then again, I'm no Tendulkar).

In contrast, how many Indians do you know that actually celebrate our Independence/Republic Day?

Every 4^th of July is celebrated in most American households and in virtually all communities across America. At the end of the day friends and families get together, to celebrate the day with a traditional barbecue meal. Perhaps a guest who fought in any of the American wars (set aside George Bush' ill-conceived Iraqi war for the moment) reminds the younger generation of the sacrifices that were made by the generations past, for the freedoms that Americans enjoy today. How many Indians do you know that give our Independence Day more consideration than the fact that is a holiday?

One of the most stirring Independence Day celebrations that I had the privilege to be part of was when my husband and I were vacationing in Seattle. Since it was the 4^th of July weekend, we decided to go to a park attached to a public library, to be part of the celebration. Every single person there was dressed in red, white and blue, the colours of the American flag. The roads leading to this event were packed with people proudly waving their flags. There were parades where little children performed, their parents beaming with pride. There were charity drives for the war veterans, where people donated freely. And endless food stalls set up by volunteers (regular people, not shop owners), with home made food mostly in the colours of red, white and blue.

And when a disabled World War II veteran got up to share his experiences, people weren't ashamed to let tears openly flow. After his speech, there a long line of people patiently queued up to shake hands with this veteran, to hug him, to thank him for his sacrifices. And when the festivities came to an end, the gathering rose as one, put their hands on their chests and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and spirited sang the National Anthem. People broke up from the gathering with flags printed on their hats, clothes, bags, tattooed on their bodies. I don't think disrespect to the American flag is what these people had in mind.

The Republic Day celebrations from my childhood that come to mind are the endless, boring speeches by politicians atop the Red Fort in New Delhi. Not quite the way to incite the masses to patriotism. It didn't work for me then, and I sure it wouldn't work for me now (if I could ever get myself to watch it again).

What I would like, is to be able to wear the colours of my country with pride. Instead of being constantly reminded of what our country was thousands of years ago, I'd like to be able to feel pride for what it is today – a tolerant, accepting, patriotic society.