Keep the flag flying

History and legend will grow around this day. It marks a milestone in the march of our democracy. A significant date it is in the drama of the Indian people who are trying to rebuild and transform themselves. Thus spoke Dr S. Radhakrishnan on the night of August 14-15, 1947. In the dawn that followed it was difficult not to be euphoric. Eyewitness accounts speak of how Union Jacks in their hundreds came down all over the country on August 14, signifying the end, not just of an empire but a mindset nurtured over several hundred years of servility and servitude. They describe how the streets of Delhi became wide rivers of people who came together, on foot and on bicycle, to share a moment of unity and freedom as the Tricolour, with the Ashoka wheel at its heart, was unfurled from the towering ramparts of the Red Fort.

It is sometimes difficult, in these times, to remember those scenes of unadulterated joy as sniffer dogs, security men and bomb disposal squads swarm these very same streets. When high security conditions prevail in every state capital of the country and reports of terrorist attacks keep coming in with sickening regularity, the celebratory mood may appear to diminish. But it is precisely in times like this that the nation has to remember the moment Independence Day commemorates and the values that it stands for. The inhuman stratagems of the terrorist cannot be allowed to cast a shadow over this event, just as 53 years ago the stratagems of fanatics in the turbulent Partition days were not allowed to triumph. Even as Jawarharlal Nehru spoke about the nation8217;s tryst with destiny in Delhi, Calcutta was being consumed by another tryst 8212; this time with communal violence. That was when Mahatma Gandhi told angry, rampaging mobs, 8220;You wish to do me ill. And so I am coming to you. I have come to serve Hindus andMuslims alike8230; I have nearly reached the end of life8217;s journey. I have not much further to go. But if you again go mad, I will not be living witness to it.8221; He did not live for much longer, the madness consumed him.

This is a historic legacy. This legacy of unity in the face of divisive forces is one that stood India in good stead in the years that have gone by, and should stand her in good stead in the years to come. It is against such abackground that General Pervez Musharraf8217;s unequivocal message must be considered. Speaking on the occasion of Pakistan8217;s Independence Day celebrations on Monday, he pledged continued support for the secessionist uprising in Jamp;K or, in plainer language, promised to support cross border terrorism. The message India should send him must be equally unequivocal. This country will be flexible in its response to the possibility of peace, just as it will mount an adamantine resistance to the possibility of terror. The spirit of Independence Day, which celebrates the country8217;s unity and integrity, will continue to live on.