INDIANS TOGETHER

As a nation, collectively, we are Adivasis, Atheists, Bahais, Bos, Buddhists, Christians, Dalits, Hindus, Jains, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Tribals, Zoroastrians, and every possible grouping. We are Brown, Black, White, Yellow, and green with envy, magar phir bhi dil hai Hindustani.

Every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, culture, and religion represents our Motherland. We see God as one, none, and many and in every form: male, female, genderless and non-existent, being and non-being, nameless and with innumerable names.

We are proud of our heritage—a multifaith, multicultural, multiregional, and multilingual society where we have come to accept and respect every way people have lived their lives. For over 5000 years, India has been a beacon of pluralism—it has embraced Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baha’i, and Zoroastrianism to include in the array of the indigenous religions Hinduism, Tribal traditions, Dalit, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.

We may consciously start thinking and acting as one person, one person within a nation, a community, and one globally. It’s like home when we are conflict-free. I do hope each one of us purges any bias towards the other. There is joy in being free from ill will. Try to be free from this day forward, free from anything that prevents you from being a part of the whole.

Our combined philosophies believe in one world; Hinduism describes the world as Vasudhaiva Kutumbukum, the whole world is one family, the idea of Ek Onkar(one) in Sikhism, you are all created from the same couple, as Quraan and Torah put it, and Jesus embraced everyone regardless of who anyone is, Jainism gave the idea of Anekant Vaad, and Buddhism had us focus on living a happier life. Similar philosophies are grounded in all our religions.

A few don’t follow their heritage and resort to thievery, loot, murder, bulldozers, rioting, rapes, infanticide, and other evils that destroy the fabric of society, but a majority of every group goes about their way, living their life with struggles and ease and don’t even bother others. We should build upon the 99% of the population and make every effort to bring the rest into the pluralistic fold of humanity.

On this day, and every day from here forward, pledge yourselves to talk about “I am an Indian”—and not Malayalee, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi… or Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Isaee. Don’t expect others to jump and say the same; give them the time, and if you are consistent for at least a year, you will see others emulating you.

India led the freedom movement. Since 1947, every country has been liberated from colonialism. Indian democracy is a shining example of a people’s peaceful transfer of power.

We are inherently secular and economically capitalistic. We believe in a “live-and-let-live” lifestyle, which is the essence of capitalism. We respect everyone’s right to eat, drink, wear, or believe in whatever they want to follow in pursuing their happiness. After all, God created each one of us to be a unique being with our own thumbprint, eyeprint, taste buds, religious buds, and DNA.

Through the years, we have expressed the highest degree of maturity in handling extreme situations; the more divergent opinions we hear, the larger our heart grows, the bigger our embrace would be, and we can cushion more differences. Let’s continue to honor that there is always another side to the story, as finding the truth is our responsibility. I am proud of my heritage and am proud to be an Indian-American.