Dear America,
Let me wish you a very happy 4th of July, the day you declared yourself independent from your colonial masters, Great Britain in 1776. Now you and I have shared a very special relationship over the years. I have no hesitation in saying that you have contributed immensely to my intellectual growth as a person. Even though I discovered you a bit late in my life, but through my tireless efforts I have made up to a large extent for the lost time. Some years ago, when India was a dull place for ideas and inspiration, I found solace in your literature and popular culture. In not more than 600 years of your history, the way you have attracted the best and the brightest of the whole world at your shores is without parallel. The dynamism of your people underpinned by the puritan code of delayed gratification and a sense of protestant work ethic have generated unprecedented wealth for your people and quality of life that is the envy of most other nations on the planet. If the 19th century belonged to your erstwhile colonizer Great Britain, then it can be said without a shadow of doubt that the 20th century has been well and truly yours.
Whenever the quirks of history have thrown a crisis your way, from civil war to the civil rights movement, from great depression of the 30s to the financial mess of the wall street a few years back, not to mention the ghastly tragedy of 9/11; the intellectual robustness of your people and the technological resources at your disposal have made sure that you have always ended up on the right side of history.
Of course your society also has its cruel aspect, its dark underbelly, and I'm not blind or impervious to that, but then what society doesn't? But on balance, you've done well for yourself. And today is not the occasion to go into all that anyway. Today is the day to celebrate and cherish the fearless spirit your adventurous people. Happy Independence day.
Let me wish you a very happy 4th of July, the day you declared yourself independent from your colonial masters, Great Britain in 1776. Now you and I have shared a very special relationship over the years. I have no hesitation in saying that you have contributed immensely to my intellectual growth as a person. Even though I discovered you a bit late in my life, but through my tireless efforts I have made up to a large extent for the lost time. Some years ago, when India was a dull place for ideas and inspiration, I found solace in your literature and popular culture. In not more than 600 years of your history, the way you have attracted the best and the brightest of the whole world at your shores is without parallel. The dynamism of your people underpinned by the puritan code of delayed gratification and a sense of protestant work ethic have generated unprecedented wealth for your people and quality of life that is the envy of most other nations on the planet. If the 19th century belonged to your erstwhile colonizer Great Britain, then it can be said without a shadow of doubt that the 20th century has been well and truly yours.
Whenever the quirks of history have thrown a crisis your way, from civil war to the civil rights movement, from great depression of the 30s to the financial mess of the wall street a few years back, not to mention the ghastly tragedy of 9/11; the intellectual robustness of your people and the technological resources at your disposal have made sure that you have always ended up on the right side of history.
Of course your society also has its cruel aspect, its dark underbelly, and I'm not blind or impervious to that, but then what society doesn't? But on balance, you've done well for yourself. And today is not the occasion to go into all that anyway. Today is the day to celebrate and cherish the fearless spirit your adventurous people. Happy Independence day.
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