Independence Day Of India -2017 - I Love My India Poem by Bernedita Rosinha Pinto

Our schools are the same
our classrooms are the same
our books are the same
but our homes are different,
some of us live in big houses
some of us in little huts dwell with the same peace;
our homeless on the streets sleep and survive
our prosperous in the sunshine of success thrive,
our filmstars in movies act, gain fame and entertain
our politicians in the glory of leadership rotate
our pathways intersect when we have elections
our happiness accelerates when we have celebrations
but our tranquility remains intact everday
as each one to his home, his family and work dedicates
each one to his customs and traditions confers.
Our schools are the same
our classrooms are the same
our books are the same
but our spirit of ­­­­patriotism never changes
together we stand, together we comply
to strengthen our nation, our tomorrows
each one to his work runs to earn his daily wages,
like those street sweepers who work to keep our roads clean
like those bus drivers who co-ordinate our conveyance;
the railway Stations are our meeting points
the airports are our departing points
life keeps moving, care keeps discerning
as our farmers sow the crops
rice, wheat, bhajra, gram, mustard and much more,
garlic, ginger, onion and tomato in our fields they grow
fruits aplenty, vegetable aplenty all in the sunshine they reap
to feed billions of our people of our country
to help them evade their hunger and poverty.
Our schools are the same
our classrooms are the same
our books are the same
but our thoughts are never different,
each morning on the same playground we meet
at our school assembly our national anthem we sing;
our sense of unity invokes countrywide fraternity
our attitude reveals respect and tolerance
towards every friend, every neighbour
irrespective of class, status and color;
our reactions are placid
our co-existence is indisputable
as people from various states, various religions
in harmony exist next to each other's door
participating in each other's joys and sorrows.
Our schools are the same
our classrooms are the same
our books are the same
our mother-tongues are different
yet we learn in one common language our lessons
of culture and history, of science and healing
of mathematics and statistics
our economy sustainable and silently enduring;
our dreams are so unknown to each other
yet our intentions propel solidarity and brotherhood
our brotherhood is so undeniable
we are always proud to say - we are Indians
we never refrain from identifying ourselves as indians
whether we are stand atop the Himalayas
or whether we take a holy dip in the Ganges;
our schools imbibe in us the light
of love and tolerance;
our forefathers have instructed us
to respect every indian, to help every indian
whether he is rich or poor
whether he is lost in turpitude or in a desert.
Vast is our country with many cities and villages
which speak their own dialect
but our hearts, our lips shout in one voice
and clap with two hands
when our national team wins an international cricket match;
our religious freedom is our gift from our constitution
our worship is our individual adherence
that each one in his eyes reveres his own God.
Our schools are the same
our classrooms are the same
our books are the same
but our freedom is our teacher
our rights are our syllabus
our independence is our principal.