Independence Day

A God-save-the-joke look at a nation of 1.2 billion loyal subjects to the British queen.

This time around, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh punched his fist forward and raised his voice by more than a notch as he said Jai Hind thrice and urged the audience to repeat after him.

Like an heirloom, elders bequeath August 15, 1947, memories to their grandchildren. Hema Rawat writes. HT Next I-Day special

We have all sung the national anthem. It is a song that can never be sung without feeling a sense of pride. Moreover, Jana Gana Mana inspired many people to take up the cause of independence some 65 years back. Harsha Baruah & Anushka Bhartiya report. HT Next I-Day special

Most people want to belong. So whether it's belonging to a religion, a sports club or a nation, the idea of being part of a collective has provided an overwhelming number of people with the comfort of numbers.

Becoming what they wanted to be sans lineage or godfathers, the outsider taming unfamiliar terrain, is an idea that appeals to the young.

India’s 2009 Lok Sabha election was the world’s largest electoral process, yet, almost half of India’s young voters did not step out to cast their vote.

It’s a generation that loves television, hang out with friends and shop, enjoys Bollywood films and filmy music, doesn’t exercise too much, isn’t at all enamoured of smoking or drinking and is either hostile or indifferent to drugs.

Carte Blanche? India's young generation is patriotic and not as rebellious as one would think, finds the HT-Gfk Mode August 15 survey.