(Online Course) Essay Writing Skills Improvement Programme: Essays on Cultural issues & Personalities - Why should we proud of being Indians?

Why should we proud of being Indians?

I am proud of being an Indian. But for what reason? Is it for the simple reason that I am a creation of the Indian soil? Or, is it for the reason that the Indian soil uplifts me? Certainly not for these reasons only. Someone else can take pride in being an Indian for these reasons, but the reason of my pride is that my country, India, makes Sahishnuta [for bearance], Sahansheelta [tolerance] and Sarvabhaumik Swikriti [universal acceptance] the basis of identity of its inhabitants. Furthermore, I am proud of being an Indian because Ahimsa [non-violence] in its perfect state is accepted as the supreme value in day-to-day living here.

It is evident that forbearance, tolerance and universal acceptance, along with Ahimsa, are the parts and parcels of the lives of the Indians. On the strength of these values India accorded refuge to all those who became the subject of atrocities and were oppressed in their own respective continents or countries. Without any cast, creed, colour, gender or religion-based discrimination, India adopted all those who reached to its land for the purpose of taking shelter. This is, in fact, the Indian Way, established centuries before. This is foremostly the subject of pride for me and lacks of other like minded people.

I am proud of being an Indian because my country granted refuge to those Jews who became victims of atrocities of the Romans and after the destruction of their holy place of worship by them reached the Indian soil for shelter. They not only got refuse here forever, but also the permission of earning their livelihood. Deprived of freedom in their own motherland of Iran, Zoroastrians [Parsis], the followers of Spitama Zoroaster, who conveyed the great message of monotheism, when reached India to take refuge, Indians accepted them with joy. It is a long list of such refugees. The names of several human-groups and tribes are there in that list, who attracted by the sweet-smell of the Indian soil, reached here from time-to-time during the last four thousand years.

I am proud of being an Indian because the Dravidians, the Aryans, the Shakas, the Kushanas, and the Hunas are the inhabitants of India. The Greeks, the Europeans, the Mongols [including the Moghuls], the Tatars, the Turks and the Arabs are on the Indian soil. The blood developed in all continents of the world flows in the veins of India. A pleasant combination is it that people come from all continents in India and stay here with pride? They try to convert themselves to become Indians and to follow the Way of India.

I am proud of being an Indian because not only so-called high families-born great men, sages and saints have added to the honour and pride of the country, but the so-called low families- born Maharshi Valmiki, Saint Ravidas, Mahatma Kabir and Sain too have added to India's honour; they too have contributed towards the glorification of the country. Furthermore, they have also filled their compatriots with ethical values, morality and dutifulness in great measures. Like Brahmin-class born Vashishtha or Kshatriya-class born Vishwamitra, Mahavira, Gautama Buddha and Nanak, Dravidian Rishi Tiruvallur has also added to the honour of the nation through his great message for humanity. Moreover, so-called Shudra-family born Saint Tukaram is not the least than any of his contemporary so-called high-class born saints and sages. In every age virtuous people were born to accord proper knowledge of dharma and also to convey the true message of the Indian Way. Doubtlessly, they go forward for the welfare of all-high or low, they purified the soil of the country and became the voice of India.

I am also proud of being an Indian because seeds of democracy have been in existence in social, political and economic structure of the country since ancient times. The large-scaled interest of people has been in the centre at the time of taking decisions. Mutual discussion, harmony and cooperation have been the basis of implementation of decisions.

India is the largest democracy of the world. Democracy builds the political structure of the country. Freedom, one of the fundamentals of democracy, is the ornament of citizens of India. Everyone has the right to free speech here. In this regard India is not behind any of the democratic nations of the world.

It is India that allowed Late Benazir Bhutto to present the case related to civil liberties of her compatriots on its land. It is India that provided the opportunity to Asma Jahangir of Pakistan to obtain support and cooperation on the question of human rights violation in her country. It is India that accords freedom of speech to Taslima Nasrin-a social writer of Bangladesh. The whole world knows that the Dalai Lama is staying in India for decades and from the Indian soil he struggles for the freedom and rights of the Tibetans.

In spite of displeasure of mighty China, Indians extend their support to him. Pro-democracy leader of Burma [Myanmar], Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest in her own country, receives people's support in India. Hundreds of her supporters stay in India and from here they struggle for the development for democracy set up in their homeland.

I am also proud of being an Indian because all those scholars, who influenced by cultural heritage of India reached from time-to-time to its land, received due respect and honour. Whether it was Megasthenese [350-290 B. C.], or Fa-hien, Hieun Tsang [603-664] or I-Tsing or anyone else, the Indian Way and thinking attracted them all. After accomplishing their tasks of gaining knowledge and particularly collecting valuable information of  instincts of Indians, they reached back to their native countries with never forgettable memories. India proved to be the greatest centre of knowledge and spiritualism for all of them. They all accepted Hindustan to be
the Jnanaguru and spiritual leader of the world.

Being an Indian my pride increases when I find that a pilgrim of the Indian Way Moghul emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar is accepted as an ideal in this country; Annie Basant is elected the President of the Indian National Congress; Mecca-born Abul Kalam Azad, in presence of stalwarts like Gandhi, Lajpat Rai, Motilal Nehru and Chitta Ranjan Das, is nominated to preside over the Congress session at the age of 35 years; Mountbatten holds the post of the Governor-General of India even after its independence from Great Britain.

 Being an Indian my pride multiplies when I meet the reality of inhabitance of followers of almost all chief religious-communities of the world on India's soil. They are secure here. They receive the cooperation of true followers of the Indian Way at the time of distress. 

It may be a question mark in any other country of the world on the existence of followers of any particular religious-community, but in India all along with their chosen faiths and beliefs are safe. Four of the major religious-communities of the world-Hindu [Vedic], Jain, Boddh and Sikh-  have been established or developed in India and doubtlessly they are safe here. Four of them- Jews, Zoroastrian, Christian and Islam-have been established in Arab or the Middle-East Asia. The followers of all of them too are in the bosom of Mother India and they are also safe here.

Two religious-communities-Confucian and Taoism-have been established in China and followers of both of them, along with the followers of Shintoism-a Japanese-born religious-community, have all possibilities for them in India. Moreover, the followers of newly born community of Bahais are also safe and sound in India.

Being an Indian it is also increases my pride that centuries before human-divinity was made the basis of the principle of national and universal acceptance in India. The source of all around visible peculiarity is the human-divinity. Therefore, human beings have been accorded supreme in the creation.

Everyone, no matter what particular religious-community or class he belongs, is equally revealer of divinity. And it is the result of this very recognition that on the basis of his or her religious- community, creed, colour or class not a single human being from any part of the globe has been denied entry to this land. All received opportunities for their progress and welfare. This great and unique principle has given such an extension to the glory of India that one of my European friends, like a honey-bee, desires to take a seat on deep-rooted, juicy and prosperous tree like India. Influenced by Indian chivalry, harmony and hospitality she desires to come to this land
time and again. Is it the least to add to my pride being an Indian? No, it is enough to do so. Furthermore, she is convinced by the Indian way. She praises for this way and going deep to this way rejoices and feels rich.

Thus, on the whole, I can say in brief that the reason for my pride of being an Indian is the Way of India and its chief features which I have mentioned. It is possible that many may not agree with my brief opinion about the Indian Way. In practice they may perceive something different from my views. But, the true Indian Way is the one which I have discussed.

Certainly that way is not a narrow or restricted one. It is full of comprehensiveness. It is a harmonious one. It is the nurturer of the basic culture of this country. It is devoid of any discrimination. Isolation, detachment, discrimination, fundamentalism and narrowness have no place in the true Indian Way or the vision. If someone tries to connect it with any of them, he, doubtlessly goes against this way.

In other words I can say that such a one is not a true Indian. He is selfish, and in spite of hiding him in the shadow of Indianness, he does not follow its way and vision.  Why should we be proud of india?

• It is the only society in the world which has never known slavery.

• India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.

• The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than  10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects.

• The University of Nalanda(later destroyed by mogul emperors and we lost most of the scientific knowledge we had) built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

• Sanskrit is considered the mother of all higher languages. Sanskrit is the most precise, and therefore suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.

• Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization. It is the only system which takes the holistic view of the person being treated.

• Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by her wealth and was looking for route to India when he discovered American continent by mistake.

• The art of Navigation was born in the river Sindh 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.

• Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.

• The value of "pi" was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians.

• Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were  propounded by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BC during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).

• According to the Gemological Institute of America, up until 1896,India was the only source for diamonds to the world.

• The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra. According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 BC a beautiful lake aptly called 'Sudarshana' was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.

• Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was reportedly invented in India.

• Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery.

• Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipments were used. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.

• When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in the Sindhu Valley Civilization.

• The name `India’ is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the  Sindhu.

• The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name `Hindustan’ combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.

• The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara temple at Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The shikhara is made from a single ' 80-tonne ' piece of granite. Also, this magnificient temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola

• India is.......the Largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest country in the world AND one of the most ancient and living civilizations (at least 10, 000 years old).

• The game of snakes & ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat.' The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. Later through time, the game underwent several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.

• The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after levelling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.

• India has the most post offices in the world !

• The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over a million people !.

• The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan Mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.

• There is no religion as Hinduism, there was this Vedic system of life and people had freedom to choose their own god. This Vedic system or sanatana dharma was just a way of life and the name Hindu came from the Sindhu River, which means people who live  beyond river sindhu, so anyone living in India is literally Hindu, but now this does not hold any value. We have divided our system to a great extent to be repaired.

• The real name of India (as in satyuga) is Bharat or Bharatvarsha.

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