The country we live in plays a significant role in shaping up our values and how we perceive situations and associations with groups of people. Soldiers protect the country’s border and even go to the extent of sacrificing their lives to protect their motherland. However, every civilian is equally big a patriot and there are many who do their bit to show their love for their motherland. While some help the poor and the needy, some spread the message of literacy, while many do their bit to save the environment. Ahead of the 73rd Independence Day, Orissa POST spoke to a few youngsters to know the role they play to show their love for their country.
Jharsuguda-based Payal Patel says, “Patriotism means loving your country. However, that doesn’t mean blindly believing in some faith that is harming society. One first needs to be a responsible and sensible citizen. In India, we still live in a patriarchal society. Although we talk of women empowerment, women in my village follow age-old customs that are unscientific. In my village, menstruating girls were made to sleep in cowsheds or in a separate room for seven days. Nobody was allowed to come in contact with them and they were not allowed to enter the house until the cycle was complete. They were treated like untouchables. Their plight disturbed me, and I wanted to change society’s approach towards menstrual hygiene. I visit different villages to create awareness on menstrual hygiene.”
Jyoti Rekha, who grooms competitive exam aspirants, says, “Everyone should do something in his capacity to show his love for his country. We should stop finding the flaws of our government. Instead, we should work towards the development of our country. I provide free coaching classes to competitive exam aspirants who belong to poor families. I started this after I noticed that they drop out of school after completing basics education.”
Babool Das, a Bhadrak-based businessman, says, “A patriot is one who is loyal to his motherland. I love planting saplings whenever I see barren land. I don’t think anything before doing that. Maybe I do it because I love my motherland.”
Sound engineer Anadi Puhan, says, “There is a patriot inside every person. I am a sound engineer but I also write songs to raise awareness against black magic and witchcraft, which is still prevalent in our country. We have made such advancements in medical science and still believe in such things like black magic and witchcraft. I want to make people aware that we shouldn’t believe in superstitions.”
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP