Page 22 - Seniors Today - August 21 Issue
P. 22
Nostalgia
The joy of celebrating liberty
Independence was a different cup of tea when India was a young country,
reminisces Prabhakar Mundkur
“Long years ago we made a tryst with of memories. I remember celebrating it in
destiny, and now the time comes when we school with my classmates and teachers.
shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in The Independence Day Parade was a very
full measure, but very substantially.” – special occasion.
Jawaharlal Nehru Also in many ways my mind goes back to S Kumar
life in the 50s and 60s. It was a simple life.
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru There was no internet and smartphones.
delivered his famous Tryst with Destiny One had to struggle and go on a waiting list
speech to the Constituent Assembly close to get a telephone connection until MTNL
to the midnight hour on August 14, 1947. started this new scheme called OYT (own
The speech went down in history as one of your telephone) which required you to pay a
the most significant speeches of the 20th deposit that hastened the process of getting
century. Independence Day is an emotional a land line. I can’t quite remember the exact
date. It is the most cherished symbol of year but it was sometime in the 60s when I
liberty, capturing the convictions of many remember the price of petrol as Re 1 per litre.
hearts and souls. For me it is also a walk So you could give a Rs 5 note to get 5 litres.
down memory lane. It is one of the three We only had two cars to choose from those
national holidays along with Republic Day days, the Fiat and the Ambassador. My
and Gandhi Jayanti. family owned a 1956 Landmaster, the model
For most of us Independence Day is full previous to the Ambassador. Great work
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