Search This Blog

Jan 26, 2006

Rang De Basanti

Photo courtesy www.india.gov.in.
For more information about India's national flag
click here

What does this National flag mean to us? What does dates like 15th August and 26th January signify?

One of the review of Rand de Basanti talks about how the youth (in India) have been projected to "... have no feelings for their country. India is a no-hoper where corruption is rampant, and nothing can be done to salvage the situation, they believe. " But the same guys during the course of the film "..as they play some historical characters.." is shown to change "... their perspective about the present, and their own role in it..".

I cant verify whether this reading is true as I dont believe reviews and I am yet to watch the film. But if this is so then it will be worthwhile to watch Rand de Basanti.

Any of you who chance upon this post of mine should visit www.india.gov.in. Some of us can write a 10 page critique of the site. However I would not like to deride an honest attempt towards creating India's first National Portal.

In a recent conference I had the opportunity to hear Dr. N. Vijayaditya, Director General, National Informatics Centre the man behind the effort. I was touched by what he said. I had worked very closely with another government agency NRDC (National Research Development Corporation). Since then I started respecting these government bodies who are at the forefront of formulating policies that shape the future of the nation.

I think the significance of these dates like 15th Aug and 26th Jan lie in the fact that they offer us opportunities to pause and think about relevant things about our country. Many of us in our blue collar environment have no idea how difficult it is to manage and run organisations like CSIR, NRDC, NIC etc. The vastness and diverseness of the country poses the biggest challenge. They are not in the business of running a business but in the business of running a country.

Very few of the best minds chose to opt for this path. But there are honest, intelligent and brilliant minds who have chosen to take up these jobs and take them very seriously. We should all try to get informed ourselves and generate awareness about them.

But organisations like these need the best minds of the country, people who are ready to realise that they can make a huge difference. These jobs offer something more than our blue collar occupations. The satisfaction to have made a difference to the course of the country....

Dont we all talk of job satisfaction these days??