Style, Fervour and Colour @ India’s Birthday Day Bash

"At the dawn of history, “India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike, she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals, which gave her strength. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that wait us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this
opportunity and accept the challenges of the future?

The appointed day has come – the day appointed by destiny – and India stands forth again, after a long slumber and struggle, awake, vital, free and independent. The past clings on to us still in some measure and we have to do much before we redeem the pledges we have so often taken.” The much awaited day was Friday, August 15, 1947, and these words spoken by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru echoed in the ears of the Independent India. The entire nation had stayed awake to witness the historic event ushering in the freedom of India at the hour of midnight. As a repeat of the words spoken by Nehru, the Garden City College family came together to celebrate the birth of Independent India. It was a bright and colorful day as Prof. V.B. Coutinho; President Governing Council Garden City College, hoisted the Tri-color national flag on the an occasion which was graced by the presence of Dr. K.C. John, Principal Garden City College, Prof. C.K. Senthil Kumar, Principal Garden City College of Physiotherapy, the teaching and non- teaching staff, and the entire student community.

To add glamour to the day there was a parade staged by the NCC students, management students, GCC Security and the Commando trainees. After hoisting the flag, Prof. Coutinho inspected the Guard of Honor mounted by the troupes followed by a match past. As an expression of love for their country, the NSS volunteerspresented a song describing the beauty of India and their love for the country. In his address to the gathering, Prof. Coutinho said that India’s independence is a matter of pride to all of us and since sixty seven per cent of this India’s population are youth, it is our responsibility to honor our freedom and protect it because we have the potential to fulfill the dreams of our country and carry forward the vision of transforming India into a developed nation. “This occasion helps us show our respect to our country.

The message we should carry from this celebration should be carrying forward the torch of freedom in our nation. As the rest of the world slept, at the stroke of midnight, India stepped out as “New India” and discovered herself again. Nehru’s words ask us whether we are worthy of that freedom. Many people have died while protecting our freedom and the question we need to ask ourselves is; what have we done to protect and promote that freedom,” said Prof. Coutinho Prof. Coutinho also encouraged the people around to make the Indian flag a part of their lives.

He said that Mahatma Gandhi showed that the Indian flag is the life of any Indian and that people should be ready to protect and die for it. “The tricolor flag has the colours of saffron standing for purity and spirituality, white for peace and truth, green for fertility and prosperity and the Ashoka wheel which represents the dynamism of a peaceful change. Hold the flag of this nation high to show the love you have for your nation, worship your flag. Let us love our country. We should respect, sacrifice, purify and contribute to the growth of India,” said Prof. Coutinho. In his concluding remarks Prof. Coutinho asked the student community whether they had sacrificed anything for their country.

He said that every student’s sacrifice must be seen every day in campus through obedience to the regulations, respecting the faculty and attending classes. He also stressed the fact that although students may not participate in the Legislature they can turn darkness in to light through their obedience, protection of the environment, and dressing decently as these things train them on becoming good citizens of this country We would also like to join Prof. Coutinho in posing a question to the leaders of tomorrow’s India; where are the youth of India and are you prepared to fight for this nation? Jai Hind, Victory to India and Happy 61st Independence to Mother India!