“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,
where knowledge is free, where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.
Where words come out from the depth of truth,
where tireless striving stretches its arms toward perfection.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
into the dreary desert sand of dead habit.
Where the mind is led forward by thee
into ever-widening thought and action.
In to that heaven of freedom, my father,
LET MY COUNTRY AWAKE!”
These words by Rabindranath Tagore have never ringed truer than now as India advances into its 73rd year of independence, a bittersweet moment, as the two new union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh are born. India is a land of the amalgamation of diversities of race, culture, language and religion, where people co-exist and reside in harmony despite their differences. This year, IIM Rohtak followed the theme of Unity in Diversity for the Independence Day celebrations at its campus.
As the clock struck 7 AM, the campus came alive and the pathways bustled with students, dressed in a multitude of vibrant colours, making their way to the designated area to observe the hoisting of the tricolour by the Director, Professor Dheeraj Sharma, despite the downpour. As the flag unfurled and fluttered, the national anthem played and a sense of pride washed over the crowd as it sang along to the tunes of Jana Gana Mana. Everybody then moved to the seminar hall, where the Director then addressed the attendees, now seated, as he spoke about the inherent sense of helpfulness and brotherhood that we Indians share, citing inspiring examples he knew of people from when they worked in defence.
This was followed by cultural performances by the students of the PGP10 and IPM batches where both batches displayed exuberance as they presented an impeccable drama, a song and a dance performance each, leaving the crowd feeling energetic and awestruck. An engaging and meaningful activity was organized, where various participants from the batches left their colourful palm impressions on a huge map of India. The diverse student body, where almost every state of the country is represented, was reflected on the map as students left their impressions on their respective states.
Although the nostalgia of their home was evident especially for the first year PGP students, the collectiveness and unity too were reflected on the map as a whole, and in the smiles of the students.