The many reasons we love this year’s I-Day

One would assume we love Independence Day today because (1) we get a holiday, on a Tuesday; (2) the kids get genuinely excited about dressing up as freedom fighters, singing the national anthem, and being part of the flag-hoisting ceremony, leaving most adults to our own peaceful, patriotic devices; (3) like on any other festival like Christmas, Diwali or Valentine’s Day, business is swell on I-Day – barring that of alcoholic beverages, which, for some reason or another, was considered by the fathers of the nation as going against the general celebratory mood of finally being free to do whatever one pleases; (4) it would have been awkward if we had remained a British colony in 2023 – especially when Britain itself has become considerably Less Great – thanks just to one voluble Wren & Martin-swilling lot of Indians believing that Indians are rubbish at governing India; (5) it’s the perfect day to rewatch the 1996 blockbuster Independence Day and its 2016 sequel Independence Day: Resurgence, despite the movie having aliens try to take over Earth (read: America) on an odd day, July 2, 1996, and driven out two days later – instead of aliens leaving Earth (read: India) on August 15, 1947.

Such assumptions should also include the high possibility that everyone in this country loves this country above all other countries, and it’s her birthday.