PATRIOTISM
You see the map of India? It gives you an idea of where we are placed as a country
in the world as a whole and South Asia in particular. It shows you our neighboring
countries in comparison with ours in size, location etc. It tells you how you as a
citizen of our country should make sure that our country stands tall in all aspects visà-vis others and work hard for that objective. All these things go to make you a
patriotic citizen of our country.
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John F Kennedy, former President of the United States of America said: “Ask
not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country”.
That is the spirit of patriotism.
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Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest Presidents of the United States of
America, said: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like
to see a man so that his place will be proud of him”. This is another way to
portray the spirit of patriotism.
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Charles Jefferson, eminent thinker and leader, said: “A man is a true patriot if
his heart beats true to his country”. This shows how patriotism has to come
straight from one’s heart
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In a nutshell, patriotism is love and devotion to one’s country. This brings it
very close to what Jefferson said above.
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Motherland: That is how every patriotic person calls his/her home land. The
country is like a mother to all its citizens: loving, caring and affectionate. The
citizens are duty bound to reciprocate these sentiments and even be ready to
make supreme sacrifices for Her. By the way, some European countries use
the word Fatherland (patri = father) but the spirit is the same.
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Patriotism gives you two major strengths: self-respect / pride and a sense
of belonging. Self-respect is very important for anyone to lead a decent,
dignified life. Patriotism makes sure that this sentiment is strengthened in a
noble manner. Likewise, belongingness gives you an ongoing moral support
to whatever you attempt to do for the society.
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Motivation: To do and to achieve anything in life, you need a driving force
coming from inside you. That is called motivation. Others may encourage and
support you but ultimately you have to motivate yourself to work hard and
excel in your area of work. Patriotism is a great motivator as it adds to your
sense of pride and positive direction.
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National flag: The national flag is a great motivator for all citizens. It is the
duty of every one to make sure that the flag flies high and majestically which
is a grand sight to see and derive great energy to work for the country. The
national flag has enormous power in this regard. Hoisting the national flag is a
supreme symbol of triumph and achievement. When Mount Everest was
“conquered” in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay, they made it a
point to hoist the Indian flag atop the peak, to send a message of national
pride and achievement to the whole world.
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The national flag was designed and put together after much deliberation and
deep thinking. It has the following features with their own messages of
symbolism, according to Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President of
India and a great scholar
o Saffron: renunciation, sacrifice
o Green: soil, plant life
o White: path of truth
o Ashoka chakra: wheel of dharma
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There are strict rules about how to make the flag, hoist and handle with
respect as per Flag Code of India 2002 e.g.
o
o
o
o
o
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Official flags are to be made of a special type of khadi
Hoisting should always be in the morning
You must take it down before sunset
The flag cannot be used as drape or dress
No tampering or disfiguration is allowed in order to preserve the
sanctity and dignity of the flag.
National anthem: Along with the national flag, the national anthem carries
supreme importance in the understanding and practicing of patriotism.
o The anthem is the first of 5 stanzas of poem written by Robindranath
Tagore titled “Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata”.
o It was first sung on 27 December 1911 in Calcutta (now Kolkata) session
of the Indian National Congress.
o It was chosen as our National Anthem on 24 January 1950 just as India
became a Republic in its own right and got out of the British Empire that it
was before 1947.
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Important things to know about our national anthem:
o Correct pronunciation and musical intonation are a must
o Full concentration of mind very important while singing. No joking or
fidgeting allowed
o Time taken to sing : 52 seconds
o Meaning to be explained, understood and clearly brought out while
singing
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It is the duty of every patriotic citizen of our country to
o Salute the flag and remain in saluting position till the singing of the anthem
is completed
o Sing the national anthem openly and loudly along with others
o Stand up in attention when the national anthem is played
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A good patriot will always cheer those working for the country. For example, if a
game is going on between the motherland and another country, a patriot will
always cheer the players of his own country.
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A patriot will encourage everyone serving the country in some form or the other,
be it space research, agriculture, manufacturing in factories etc
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Every hard working sincere person is a patriot. Respect him. Help him in every
possible way.
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A country cannot make progress without the driving force of patriotism.
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A patriot will always be ready to make sacrifices for his country. The supreme
sacrifice is of the soldiers who are ready to die for the country in the battlefield
and come to the rescue of civilians affected by floods and other disasters risking
their own lives in the process.

Great patriots have helped us in getting independence from foreign rulers and
against foreign invaders. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel,
Subhash Chandra Bose, Rajendra Prasad, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw are
famous examples whose life stories must be read by each and every patriotic
citizen.
Home work / assignment
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Learn / teach someone to sing Jana Gana Mana with correct pronunciation,
music and timing
Write a one-page essay on all the good things that are there in our country
Write a one-page essay on our national flag