In my childhood, Independence Day began before sunrise.
Mother would lay out my freshly washed uniform, a small plastic flag, and a red rose for my pocket.
Holding my father’s hand, I’d walk to school, passing rows of flags fluttering in the wind.
In the school yard, when the headmaster hoisted the flag and Jana Gana Mana filled the air, I didn’t fully understand the meaning.
But today I know the joy I felt then carried the colors of generations of sacrifice.
Mother would lay out my freshly washed uniform, a small plastic flag, and a red rose for my pocket.
Holding my father’s hand, I’d walk to school, passing rows of flags fluttering in the wind.
In the school yard, when the headmaster hoisted the flag and Jana Gana Mana filled the air, I didn’t fully understand the meaning.
But today I know the joy I felt then carried the colors of generations of sacrifice.