My unforgettable patriotic memories

It's the Independence Day....India's biggest secular celebration....a day bestowed on us thanks to the unconditional sacrifices and relentless struggle made by millions of deshbhakts. But with the passage of time, the fervour for our motherland has dimmed. Yet when prodded a little deeper, there is a chest of jingoistic memories, waiting to be unraveled, which brings about an upsurge of respect for our Motherland.

A few of our telly celebs share with us some of their patriotic memories which makes their heart swell with pride for our glorious Bharat!

Maninee De: I remember my childhood days when Independence Day was a very important day. At school, we would conduct rallies, hoist the national flag and hold an elocution competition, wherein participants would go on stage to speak about what it feels to be an Indian. At home, my parents used to hold an Independence Day dinner to commemorate the freedom struggle. I remember guests coming over wearing traditional Indian attire; men in white kurtas-pyjamas and women in pristine white saris. My mom would prepare a special biryani, which resemble our national flag. Though I would have loved to carry on this custom, my work schedule doesn't permit it. To be very frank, this day has become more of a holiday. But I have made sure that Diyanoor (my daughter) is aware of the day's importance.

Chaitanya Chowdhary: Independence Day was fun when I used to stay in town, and I vividly remember attending our colony celebration wearing a kurta-pyjama. The day would commence with the flag hoisting ceremony, followed by lunch in the building. The fun aspect was the different kinds of races that were conducted, and I used to win the first prize in the sprint competition. This year, I have no clue about what I will be doing, but will definitely catch up on the parade on TV.

Jaya Bhattacharya: An incident which I vividly remember is that, once when I was at Goa Bhavan, I saw a guy seated at a distance, having food. After a little while, his cell buzzed, which played our national anthem. Being a proud Indian, I believe that the anthem commands great respect. So I lost my cool when I saw that man unperturbed, and thus gave him a good piece of my mind. As per my belief, love for our motherland should not be restricted to just one day, while the rest of 324 days we don't give a damn about patriotism or Independence.

Suresh Menon: I remember, during my school days, we students would polish our shoes and be spic and span for the assembly. Our Hindi teacher would give us commands for the parade and the principal would talk about our country and about the freedom fighters who sacrificed their life to gain freedom for the future generation of India. This was followed by the distribution of sweets. I also relish the celebrations in my colony as we would decorate the stage and the pole for flag hoisting, which would be done by a senior citizen. My mother would prepare special lunch and payasam. This day would also mark the beginning of the rehearsals for the Ganesh Utsava.

Mita Vashist: Since my father was an army personnel from the artillery section, I spent my childhood days in remote jungle-like areas. Preparation for 15th August would commence many days prior to the actual event. I still remember, all the kids from the army camp, including me, would painstakingly make the Indian flag and also made sure that it is kept carefully even after the celebrations. Beside, those were the days when there was no access to television. But on this particular day, some patriotic film would be showcased it in a huge hall for the jawans, the army officers and their family. It was an altogether different experience. This Independence Day, I will be going to Bhopal to attend a dance performance by a 70 year old lady, who was actively involved in the freedom movement.

Sumeet Sachdev: My only memory of Independence Day is watching the movie Gandhi on Doordarshan when I was in school. Those were the days when Doordarshan was the only medium for entertainment, and telecast of films was a weekly affair.Besides this I'd also watch the Independence Day parade with my family back in Delhi.This year as I am caught up in shoots, I have not made any plans to celeberate the Independence Day.