Many schools and colleges across the State have decided to observe the
Pledge Festival, a mass movement against terrorism, on January 15. The idea is to promote love for the country in each individual while unleashing a sense of hatred against corruption and terrorism. And the brain behind the festival is journalist-turned-lawyer Biraja Mahapatra, president of Build India Group – a New Delhi-based civil society.
As a part of the festival, the morning assembly in schools would be ushered in by bells, conch blowing and sirens together. The students would then recite the pledge of allegiance to the country either in English or in their respective mother tongue. This would be followed by cultural events with nationalism as theme.
Though the festival has been celebrated by civil society members and lawyers, this year Build India Group had decided to focus on students. “There are over 27 crore students across the country. If all of them join the move and voice their angst against terrorism while pledging their loyalty towards the country, it would be a grand step towards nation-building virtually, without spending any money,” said Mahapatra.
Moving on to the identity aspect, Mahapatra feels the need of the hour is emotional integration. “India is a country of festivals. I feel we should have this pledge festival as a national festival where at the stroke of an appointed hour, every Indian takes a pledge.” He feels this can work as a force to create a sense of patriotism towards the motherland and hatred against corruption and terrorism. “Even a child can point out to his father if he deviates from the pledge creating an emotional impact,” Mahapatra said.
The pledge goes like this: We the people of India today do solemnly pledge ourselves to the service of our nation with honesty, sincerity and commitment; always keeping our nation’s interests paramount in all that we think, do or say, for the greater glory of this land. “The modicum of such a festival can be discussed. It should be a secular festival to be celebrated religiously,” he adds.
He said the one rider is that the festival must be truly secular and in no way hurt the sentiments of any community or religion. This shall be a festival for all Indians, by every Indian for all time to come. “Let January 15 be a day of love, harmony and peace,” Mahapatra said. He has appealed to the media, entertainment industry, other educational institutions and the Government to take the idea forward.
Principal of SCS College, Puri, Dash Benhur said the college has decided to put up a large banner on the day where the pledge will be written on one side and the space on the other side will be left for students to write down their opinions on patriotism, corruption and terrorism. “The students will read out the pledge from the banner in the morning session and after the signature campaign, the banner will be put up on the college campus. We also plan to organise a lecture on nationalism on Jan 15,” Dash said.
In Jatni, Bibhu Mohanty, a Karmaveer Puraskar awardee, said the Jatni High school, Jatni Girls High School and Railway High School have also decided to celebrate the festival. The pledge will be read out in assembly of all the schools, he said. Plans are on to organise cultural programmes on the theme as well.
Mahapatra says the term Hindustan is yet to be accepted by Indians themselves for the whole of India. The idea of a pledge festival dwelt upon him when he migrated to Delhi as a journalist. He was one of the many non-Hindi speaking people who face discrimination when they come to live in Delhi. A writer had once told him that if he did not know how to speak Hindi, he had no right to live in the North. This was the instance that made him think about promoting “Indianness amongst Indians”.
diana@expressbuzz.com