14 August...
A Friday...
Independence Day celebration in our office...
No, we are not Pakistanis. Our office is in Mumbai, and we are all very much Indian, thank you...
But next day would be a Saturday. The blessed weekend...
And what's the point of calling it an "Independence Day" if we are asked to report to office on that day, especially if it's a Saturday?
So we were celebrating our Independence Day one day in advance. Tri-coloured balloons hung from the ceiling. Little paper flags, that we all found placed at our desks in the morning, now adorned everyone's chests. A small flag was hoisted on a makeshift little pole in our lobby. (And I am sure the same must have been true for almost every office in India. Being Patriotic appears to have become a fashion nowadays, I think. The enthusiasm with which offices everywhere celebrate the event one day in advance proves this, does it not? Otherwise, why not just let everyone celebrate the Independence Day in their own independent ways on the actual day itself? Why does it have to be an office event?)
Our HR sent us a broadcast to please stand up together at 12 noon, and sing the National Anthem to honour the upcoming Independence Day.
12 noon came and went, and nothing happened. Maybe they were planning to play the national anthem on the office speakers but were unable to do so due to some glitch. So another broadcast told us that the event was postponed till 12:30.
As the small hand of the clock pointed upwards and the larger one pointed straight down, we got the final broadcast to please stand up and start singing, pronto.
Most of us, busy earning our daily bread, were caught off-guard. It was nearly a full minute before, one by one, we all stood up...
And just remained standing like that...
I was looking at the guy opposite me. He looked at me briefly. Then looked down at his desk. Everyone was looking around, or some were trying not to. Some looked confused, some amused. We all were waiting for someone to start singing. And we would all follow suit...
But no one began singing... The dumb silence stretched on for more than a minute. It was as if we were standing in silence paying our respect at someone's sad demise. I almost felt like laughing. But the very next moment I felt guilty about it. I was nearly red in my face. I wanted to start singing, but couldn't find the guts. I don't know why... Finally my neighbour got frustrated and sat down. Some of us followed suit. I whispered to my neighbour "What was that about? Shouldn't we be singing??" A student of the same "Old School" as I am, his frustration was clear as he said "Someone should have at least started..."
Finally something came over me. Before I could lose my suddenly discovered modicum of courage, I said, "Come on, at lease we should start..." We both got up. Most of my colleagues were still standing. I looked at my neighbour. But he stayed silent. So I let go of my qualms and started singing. And everyone followed suit. It was like a balloon had burst...
Once upon a time, we used to sing the Anthem with a pride in our voices (this was more than two decades back when I was in school). Standing at attention, backs ramrod straight. Words used to flow out of our mouths loud and clear. Time was when I knew each and every word by heart. Today, I don't remember a few words. And I am sure same is the case with my colleagues. For we were all mumbling the Anthem, not really singing it out like we meant to with our whole hearts. Voices were subdued, words unclear. All of us couch potatoes, standing with slack backs and a slumped lazy posture... It was like we were performing just another ritual - doing it for the sake of doing it.
We finished singing the Anthem, and as I sat back, I considered what had happened. I mean its our "National Anthem", for crying out loud. Should we not be proud of it? Proud enough to sing it naturally and without hesitation? We don't mind sharing conspiracy theories about it over the social media. We don't mind being forced to sing it every time we go to the Cinema Halls, for no good reason at all. But why do we feel so hesitant to begin singing our own National Anthem???
A Friday...
Independence Day celebration in our office...
No, we are not Pakistanis. Our office is in Mumbai, and we are all very much Indian, thank you...
But next day would be a Saturday. The blessed weekend...
And what's the point of calling it an "Independence Day" if we are asked to report to office on that day, especially if it's a Saturday?
So we were celebrating our Independence Day one day in advance. Tri-coloured balloons hung from the ceiling. Little paper flags, that we all found placed at our desks in the morning, now adorned everyone's chests. A small flag was hoisted on a makeshift little pole in our lobby. (And I am sure the same must have been true for almost every office in India. Being Patriotic appears to have become a fashion nowadays, I think. The enthusiasm with which offices everywhere celebrate the event one day in advance proves this, does it not? Otherwise, why not just let everyone celebrate the Independence Day in their own independent ways on the actual day itself? Why does it have to be an office event?)
Our HR sent us a broadcast to please stand up together at 12 noon, and sing the National Anthem to honour the upcoming Independence Day.
12 noon came and went, and nothing happened. Maybe they were planning to play the national anthem on the office speakers but were unable to do so due to some glitch. So another broadcast told us that the event was postponed till 12:30.
As the small hand of the clock pointed upwards and the larger one pointed straight down, we got the final broadcast to please stand up and start singing, pronto.
Most of us, busy earning our daily bread, were caught off-guard. It was nearly a full minute before, one by one, we all stood up...
And just remained standing like that...
I was looking at the guy opposite me. He looked at me briefly. Then looked down at his desk. Everyone was looking around, or some were trying not to. Some looked confused, some amused. We all were waiting for someone to start singing. And we would all follow suit...
But no one began singing... The dumb silence stretched on for more than a minute. It was as if we were standing in silence paying our respect at someone's sad demise. I almost felt like laughing. But the very next moment I felt guilty about it. I was nearly red in my face. I wanted to start singing, but couldn't find the guts. I don't know why... Finally my neighbour got frustrated and sat down. Some of us followed suit. I whispered to my neighbour "What was that about? Shouldn't we be singing??" A student of the same "Old School" as I am, his frustration was clear as he said "Someone should have at least started..."
Finally something came over me. Before I could lose my suddenly discovered modicum of courage, I said, "Come on, at lease we should start..." We both got up. Most of my colleagues were still standing. I looked at my neighbour. But he stayed silent. So I let go of my qualms and started singing. And everyone followed suit. It was like a balloon had burst...
Once upon a time, we used to sing the Anthem with a pride in our voices (this was more than two decades back when I was in school). Standing at attention, backs ramrod straight. Words used to flow out of our mouths loud and clear. Time was when I knew each and every word by heart. Today, I don't remember a few words. And I am sure same is the case with my colleagues. For we were all mumbling the Anthem, not really singing it out like we meant to with our whole hearts. Voices were subdued, words unclear. All of us couch potatoes, standing with slack backs and a slumped lazy posture... It was like we were performing just another ritual - doing it for the sake of doing it.
We finished singing the Anthem, and as I sat back, I considered what had happened. I mean its our "National Anthem", for crying out loud. Should we not be proud of it? Proud enough to sing it naturally and without hesitation? We don't mind sharing conspiracy theories about it over the social media. We don't mind being forced to sing it every time we go to the Cinema Halls, for no good reason at all. But why do we feel so hesitant to begin singing our own National Anthem???
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