Oh My Beloved Country, I Offer You My Heart: Don't Ask Anything Else

Republic Day Special: Some Popular Patriotic Songs And Their Relevance
1. Aao bachchon tumhein dikhayen jhanki Hindustan ki,
Is mitti se tilak karo ye dharti hai balidan ki.
Translation: Come over kids, I want to show you some visual delights from India,
Mark your forehead with this soil as vermilon, this is the land of sacrifice.

Rashtrapati Bhavan Illuminated for Republic Day

Dharavi at Mumbai Illuminated by Sunlight

Commentary: You may use the soil from a clean place like the one shown in the first picture, but avoid the soil from places like the second one because it might be highly pathogenic.

2. Mere desh ki dharti sona ugle, ugle heere moti,
Mere desh ki dharti!
Translation: The land of my country produces gold,
It produces diamond and pearls,
The land of my country!
Commentary: This is not always true. Apart from some rare incidents of discovering hidden treasures of an erstwhile king or a nawab, you will only find ordinary rocks beneath the top soil. If the songwriter has used precious metal, diamond, and pearls as metaphors for farm produce, then it is highly misleading. As most of you might be aware that the farmers are barely able to sustain themselves on farming.

3. Ye desh hai veer jawanon ka, albelon ka, mastanon ka,
Is desh ka yaron kya kehena, ye desh hai dunia ka gehna...
Translation: This country belongs to the brave, independent, and vivacious people,
Friends, it beggars description, it is simply the jewel of this world!
Commentary: Some of those brave, independent, and vivacious people are also responsible for dacoity, murder, rape, and various other crimes.

4. Jahan dal dal par sone ki chidia karti hai basera,
Woh Bharat Desh hai mera, woh Bharat Desh hai mera…
Translation: Where golden birds perch on each and every branch,
That’s my beloved India, that’s my beloved India!
Commentary: The golden birds are too heavy to fly and provide for their brood, or to sing and delight others. They keep on accumulating gold, getting heavier each day, thus breaking the branches of the tree, under which 27% of world’s undernourished and 35% of world’s illiterate people have taken shelter.

Jahan satya, ahimsa, aur dharam ka pag pag lagta dera,
Woh Bharat Desh hai mera, woh Bharat Desh hai mera.
Translation: Where truth, nonviolence, and piety prevail at every step,
That’s my beloved India, that’s my beloved India!
Commentary: Truth and nonviolence are two of the great ideas, meant to be placed high above the sea level. We don't want to bring them down to the ground. But piety—yes, it's a reality. We like to dwell in the make-believe world of pseudo piousness gleaned from a host of religions.

5. Hothhon pe sachai reheti hai jahan dil mein safai rehti hai,
Hum us desh ke wasi hai,Hum us desh ke wasi hai jis desh mein Ganga behti hai.
Translation: Where truth resides on lips, where purity dwells in hearts,
We are inhabitants of the land,
We are inhabitants of the land, where the river Ganges flows.
Commentary: The first line sounds sarcastic, but the last line is true. The great Ganges flows through my country, and it is not a name of a disease as had been expounded by Glenn Bleck, who has been decorated with the title of 'Mad Man' by the Time Magazine.

6. Hum layen hain tufan se kishti nikal ke,
Is desh ko rakhna mere bachchon sambhal ke...
Translation: We have rescued this boat from a deadly storm,
My children, do keep this nation safe and sound!

Boat in Watercolor

Commentary: My kiddos, mere bachchon, you are not doing the job well! I can see that the boat is in a bad shape. Have you been using its wood for cooking or heating your homes?

(Pictures Courtesy: 1. Rashtrapati Bhawan-Wikipedia Commons, 2. Dharavi- blog.magnumphotos.com, 3. Boat in Watercolor- gallerybythegreen.com)