Aye mere watan ke logon…

15 August, people take some time out to pay homage to all those who laid down their lives for the peaceful life we are leading today. Most we can do is to remember them on few of the occasions and acknowledge their great doings. We all have had the heart-wrenching experience of learning about their struggle of pre-independence period; let"s hear it from our youthful tele-India what they think of the changing face of India, today.

Avinash Mukherjee, child artiste (Jagdish of Balika Vadhu)

We can live peacefully today only because of the heroes in the past who had sacrificed their lives. I genuinely salute all of them on any day. This year due to Swine Flu my school is closed, but I will go for flag hoisting ceremony in my colony. As part of this country that is freed on the cost of the lives of many brave leaders I make sure I don"t dirty it by littering here and there. I have actively participated in the program 'each one plant one" ran by my school, where we had gone from door-to-door to make people aware of the importance of planting trees.

Vibha Anand actress

For me freedom is to live life without any restrictions, but it does not mean waywardly. I salute and thank all the heroes of the past for sacrificing their lives to give us this wonderful free country. I am proud of my country for various reasons, one of them being the warmth about which a foreigner once told me. If I could do anything for my country, I would like to work towards its bright future that is to educate underprivileged children. My favorite patriotic song is Aye mere watan ke logon as it"s a tribute to all the freedom fighters.

Sarvar Ahuja actor

For me freedom is to dream freely. We are responsible to pass on this freedom to our next generation, for that matter we should also free a part of Kashmir that is intruded for the next generation. I can"t do much for the country, but at least can keep my country clean and that I do sincerely. I completely believe in 'Save Water" campaign and do not waste water at all. In crisis time, I would not hesitate to stand for my country against any giant. On Independence Day, I make sure to give 5 minutes of my life in the honor of all the freedom fighters and join the flag hoisting ceremony held nearby. My favorite patriotic song is Yeh desh hai veer jawaano ka…as it is sung in the praise of the country and its people. Major concern in our country today is that if one person becomes rich, there are10 who decline to poverty. Other crisis that we are dealing with today is corruption; in fact it has become a part of our lives. We do carry extra buck to bribe the officials before entering any office. If these problems are fixed, India is the best place to live.

Gaurav Gera, actor

Freedom to me is the reason we are living with our heads held high today. We should not take this freedom for granted, as we have got it easily, but someone in the past generation has struggled for it. I make sure that I attend flag hoisting ceremony in my colony every year. I am proud to be an Indian, not for the sake of it, but I have witnessed the growth from the time I was born. I see lot of change from then and today in this country. This growth has been possible only because we have been heading the right way.