INDIA CELEBRATES HER INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

August 15, 1947 is a milestone in Indian history but I can't bring myself to call it Independence Day. India as a place, a people and a construct has been a powerful influence on global trade, culture, religion, academic study and philosophy for thousands of years. To define its "independence" as something that started 60 years ago seems inadequate. Nevertheless, I'm in awe of the courage it took to overturn centuries of outside rule. It was a time of pain and bloodshed too. Today I feel respect and pride. (Pics of Gandhi and Nehru from 1946 courtesy of Rhoda D'sa.)