Aditi Shrestha Instagram – वन्दे मातरम 🇮🇳🤍 As India celebrates its 78th year of independence, I have a confession to make. We’re taught to recite jana-gana-mana & vande maataram from a very young age as a symbol of respect for our motherland but do we really mean it? do we really feel proud to be Indians when distressing news of heinous crimes, poverty and natural disasters consume our minds for a while..?
I want to take this opportunity to express how proud I am of my country which is constantly developing. I’m optimistic for a brighter future but for that we NEED to be honest with each other. Posting a story with 🇮🇳 on 15th August & 26th January won’t cut it. So here are my expectations of how a TRULY independent country should feel like for me & how I need to be a responsible citizen as well-
• Women Safety – as an Indian woman I wish to feel free and safe in my own homeland and the recent Kolkata news has shook me to my very core. We NEED stricter actions.
• Employment Opportunities- i’ve always said that every woman ( or person ) must be financially independent and for that we will need the right education & skill set that prepares us for various jobs.
What do I do as a responsible citizen to contribute?
• Know my rights, educate myself and others around me, especially the men in my life to respect women not because they’re your mom or sister. But because they’re humans who deserve basic respect, safety, protection and support. It’s the men of our generation that can bridge this gap of gender inequality.
• If you’re someone with a roof over your head, internet connection and 3 meals per day then consider yourself privileged because many Indians do not have what you have. What can you and I do? Take responsibility of 1 person other than your family, for me it’s my house helper/worker’s children who are extremely dear to me and I fund their education every year.
There’s a lot to be done but there’s a lot we can do too 🤍 Proud to be an Indian but will be even prouder if we all took charge of whatever we can contribute in our respective capacity each day and hope for a better 79th year🇮🇳 | Posted on 15/Aug/2024 11:52:26
