Independence Day Prayer Service August 2010

Theme: Let us build the mansion of noble India 1. SOME STATE-WISE SITUATIONS IN INDIA (Dress students to represent the following characters below. Dress them according to their tradition. Put a placard of the states name round their necks. Let each student come forward and deliver the following statements.) Kashmiri: Life is so dangerous in Kashmir. There is violence, killing, of innocent people. Theres no peace there. Maharashtrian: Oh! Id is approaching. Theres going to be a Hindu-Muslim riot. Therell be communal blood-shed. Bihari: Look! Here, we are struggling to earn our daily living. Theres poverty, starvation. Independence is of no value to me. Arunachal Pradesh: Theres no equality. There are a lot of caste-riots. The rich people exploit us. We are crushed. Theres no justice. Rajasthani: So many of our youth are unemployed. Theres frustration, crime, robbery. Orissa: Floods and famine every year. We are struggling. The Government is least concerned about our welfare. Goan: Theres corruption, bribery everywhere. I cannot find a job. I do not have a Godfather who is close to a politician in Goa! 2. STUDENT PANEL (Let six students be seated as though in a conference, on stage and let the prayer leader get them to respond to the commentary below.) Prayer Leader: Friends, we have just gone through a glimpse of various situations that are haunting our nation. Every morning as we glance through the newspapers, we see violence, riots, killings, crimes, terrorism and communal disharmony. Is this the India that you and I want to be in? Rise up! We are the future of this nation: The torches that will build the mansion of noble India. What can we do to build the mansion of noble India? (Let the students seated on stage say the following statements clearly, slowly and loudly.) 1. Learn to tolerate people of all religions in the class-room and around.

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Develop the habit of treating everyone equally forgetting your own background. Learn to share things so that you break the walls of selfishness and learn to be of service Be sensitive to the needs of the poor so that a little bit of poverty can be eradicated in your own little way. Be just in what you say and do. So that values of justice are sown in your heart Cultivate a strong feeling of patriotism so that love and loyalty to the country is more important than self.

3. SIGNIFICANCE OF TRI-COLOUR & CHAKRA (Prepare a green, white and saffron piece of cloth or paper, and a blue chakra. Let a student bring each piece on stage and as the reader reads a commentary pertaining to each colour, let the student place it on the background - or on a board on which is drawn the map of India.) Prayer Leader: 1. Green symbolizes new life. Greenery brings coolness, calmness. Let us ask the Lord to bless all our states and Union territories of India so that food-grains and agricultural activities may prosper thus enabling all our fellow Indians to have their meals and eradicating starvation. 2. White symbolizes peace and purity. We ask the Lord to bestow peace upon our Nation and to inspire our leaders to tackle the Indo-Pakistan relationship tactfully. We also ask the Lord to enlighten our Youth to develop a spirit of fraternity that will block them from committing acts of violence. 3. Saffron symbolizes advancement and prosperity. We have definitely advanced scientifically and technologically. Let us therefore ask our Lord that all advancements may be used to glorify and beautify his surrounding and not be used for destruction and disasters. 4. The Chakra represents the hard-work done by every Indian. May the Lord bless every citizen of India with good health and happiness. May the unemployed youth find jobs. 4. INTERCESSIONS Prayer Leader: Let us now put our petitions before the Lord. Your response will be Lord, bless my India 1. We pray for our leaders, that they may work selflessly with dedication for the welfare of all. 2. We pray to the Lord to save our Nation from national calamaties and disasters. 3. We pray for amicable solutions to the external and internal problems that our country is facing. 4. Since our students and youth are the future pillars of this mighty nation, whatever values they pick up will, bloom in the years ahead. We therefore pray for our youth and students that they may cultivate values of service and love.

5. CONCLUDING PLEDGE (To be repeated after the leader) This independence day / I wish that my country women and men including me/ Will remember the greatness of India and its values / while striving to do well materially/ Will contribute to the country / (whether from India or outside it) Will stop blaming politicians and the system / and take responsibility for bringing about change Will strive to root out all evil from our society / whether those linked to caste, / regionalism and corruption, / female infanticide and intolerance, / and whatever it is that divides us. Will take our lives seriously / and stop the chalta hai (its okay) attitude Will strive towards excellence in all spheres Will strive to uplift those weaker than us / whether physically or materially Will promise to bring about / one positive change to the lives of others / however big or small Learn to be happy always and spread this happiness around the world Jai Hind! 6. FINAL SONG: Bless our Country Lord God of Power and Might (or any other patriotic song)

This Prayer Service is edited with minor adaptations and is taken from RAYS Magazine Vol. 29 July-August 2002. No. 1 Pledge is adapted from a prayer by Naresh Agarwal - naresh.blogsome.com/.../a-prayer-for-mycountry-this-independence-day/ Organized by: Amrut Dhara, Don Bosco Animation Centre - Kapadvanj, Gujarat