In Pursuit of a Billion Dreams and More

On our 71st ‘tryst with destiny’, let us pledge together (again) to make a strong nation, but not at expense of people; stand tall, but not on the corpses of dead children; speak up without stifling the voices of others; follow our religion (or not) without undermining others’; love ourselves without hating others; fight prejudices without fighting prejudiced; build a united nation without homogenizing all the diversity; be proud of our soldiers without making them excuse of every problem; respect traditions and ancient wisdom without compromising our ability to question and reject toxic practices; be a proud nationalist without becoming a chauvinist or xenophobe; develop without damaging environment or exploiting people; build a country where women aren’t only mothers, sisters, daughters or wives but have their own independent identities; undo historic injustices; distinguish privileges from entitlements; create a fair, just, equitable country where everyone has freedom and opportunities to build lives they have reason to value.