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A Day On My Own Path Toward A Successful Future

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Every day on my way to school in Baroda, Gujarat, India, I witnessed the women on the streets draped in dirty, torn saris with small babies at their waists begging for money. Ironically, while entering my own path toward a successful future, I was simultaneously witnessing people who had their unfortunate fate already written--the untouchables and the homeless. One morning before the rickshaw arrived to take me to school, a riot broke out in my colony between two religious divisions, Hindus and Muslims. I remember chaos in the entire neighborhood and people running everywhere, trying to find safety. My father rushed me into the house with my mother, while he and the rest of the men in the neighborhood stayed behind to ensure that we were …show more content…

Moreover, I didn’t experience any violent riots; instead, the city transformed into a quiet ghost town in the evenings.
Today, even though I live in the United States, I occasionally receive news of these riots from my relatives living in India. Moreover, there are constant news headlines highlighting political corruption, terrorist bombings, healthcare disparities, and issues among the citizens due to social caste and status. All of these contribute to the further splitting of India, a nation whose freedom fighters risked their lives to free India from British imperialism and keep the nationalistic spirit of “Bharat Mata,” or “Mother India,” alive. The freedom fighters united the citizens no matter their caste, religion, or creed. After India gained its independence, however, these cascades of internal problems led to more and more disunity. This essay analyzes how even though the freedom fighters fought hard for Indian Independence, their struggles and accomplishments seem to be shadowed by the political, religious, and social divisions and turmoil present in India today; however, the music of A.R. Rahman (specifically the songs “Desh Mere Desh” and “Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyaara Hain”) aims to not only help understand these problems, but also encourage “Hindustanis” (citizens of India) to once again unite with compassion and nationalistic vigor,

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