On Republic Day

I read this great post today, by greatbong which made my eyes watery. Link followed by the excerpt:

"My father, a professor at IIM Calcutta is going to retire in February. So on his last LTC, Baba and Ma went to Andaman Islands---both for some peace and quiet (they deserve it for having brought me up) as well as to visit Andaman Cellular Jail----the place where my grandfather (my father's father) , Jyotirmoy Ray [his picture in the Cellular Jail museum on the left] spent 4 years of his life [his sentence was for 7 years commutted to 4 as part of an amnesty program] as a political prisoner (He was part of the revolutionary movement in Bengal and transported arms to the revolutionaries). He died in 1991.

This post is based on a mail my mother wrote to me after coming back from Andamans"

Here's the full article.

Reading this, emotions swelled. A thousand things crossed my mind. Only yesterday night, I didn't care much if it was republic day in India. Perhaps I don't much now. A little shame. Dhikkar Hai Samaan. I know I will forget this read in a while, and go back to the available comforts. I realize that those very comforts, the freedom that I am so used to everyday, I have, because perhaps a great grandpa fought for it, with all he had. Logically, I have concluded long ago, that all thoughts are for self-interest, for self-service. Yet, this is a story, which stirs my thoughts, for all things considered noble. It makes me feel, that I owe atleast a silent reverence to this great grandpa, unknown to me, but to whom I belong. For his givings, may have enabled my freedom, my comfort, all I am.