MUMBAI: Republic day has become a mere holiday today with hardly anyone watching the parade. TV actors talk about how one can inculcate the feeling of patriotism in youth today. 

Vijayendra Kumeria: I think the youth respects the country for sure, there is no doubt about it. But yes, the element of patriotism is less. I believe to inculcate the idea of patriotism in our youth, we need to first start from our homes by talking to them how important it is for everyone to love the country. The values of our country, culture & traditions should be talked about. Schools and colleges should also have a healthy atmosphere which somewhere should inspire the students to think about the country’s development first and then one’s own development. 

Mohit Malhotra: I absolutely agree but there’s always a way to have an incentive for people to watch the parade. Since everyone loves Bollywood and entertainment, if it could be integrated with the parade, people will love to watch it. I actually celebrate this day by watching the parade. I call friends over and have a get-together and we all watch the parade. It’s great to celebrate our patriotism for the country while encouraging the progress the country is making with each passing day. 

Arun Mandola: Fewer people are watching parade these days. According to me, the parade should be telecast on every channel as this will help remind people about patriotism. These days, the youth is busy on social media and we should telecast the parade on social media too. I usually watch some patriotic movies and make pakoras. 

Sanjay Gandhi: Republic Day is a very big day for all Indians. We all get to connect with the nation. Some watch patriotic films at home, some celebrate in their societies. The day starts with patriotic songs on the radio. It's full of energy. People go out to meet friends. I do the same and celebrate and I wish the best for my country ahead because nothing is important than our country. If our country is safe, then we are safe. 

Amal Sehrawat: I don't think so youth today is very patriotic and the biggest example of that is when a soldier is martyred, the entire nation expresses their grief and gratitude and donates money to his family mainly through social media. There is no personal touch anymore. I think we should work on that. 

Kettan Singh: Patriotism means to love your society. You can start by keeping your surroundings clean. Also, so many people out there have no idea about the significance of the 26th of January. It is important to educate them. Our patriotism isn't a measure of our hate for Pakistan or hate for people we don't agree with. Rather, it’s a measure of how much we love and respect our country and its people, whether they agree with our thoughts or not. 

Sanjay Gagnani: Republic Day has merely become a holiday. The best thing about this day, I would say, is the feeling of patriotism. But this cannot be intentionally put into someone. You cannot force someone to feel patriotic. Whoever feels patriotic, they express it by doing good for the country. Even small things like keeping the surroundings clean, helping fellow citizens, not doing anything that harms the infrastructure or creates pollution… go a long way. Being a good fellow citizen to everyone and respecting everything about our country is also important. 

Param Singh: I usually participate in flag hosting in my building and at my area garden /park and fix one small flag on my kurta as well. I wear desi kurta pyjama the whole day. I even sing the national anthem and watch a small parade by small kids in my building. I think today’s youth should inculcate things like no littering, keeping our streets clean, voting and believing more in the government. Kids who don’t know about Republic Day should read the constitution.

Shashank Vyas: I have grown up hearing songs like Aye Mere Vatan Ke Logon and I used to actively participate in all the Republic Day activities in my school. The youth needs to be educated about the sacrifice which so many leaders like Mahatma Gandhi to Bhagat Singh made. I surely catch up on patriotic films on television which are telecast on 26 January. 

Sharad Malhotra: It is true that we no longer watch the parade and for most of us, it is only a holiday. But still, I like to hear patriotic songs on Republic Day in the morning and even attend the flag hoisting that is held in my building. The youth surely should be aware about the sacrifice our great freedoms fighters made for our country. More films like Rang De Basanti should be made. There should be street plays on patriotic stories.

Heital Puniwala: While there is a general belief that today’s youth is not patriotic enough that this is not true. He adds that today the youth is logical, and as long as they can see progress, they will stand up for the country. “Who said that Republic Day has become a mere holiday? That is not true. Today’s youth might not look so patriotic as they question everything. When anything uneven happens in our country, they question it. Today’s generation needs proof of everything and everyone, which is okay. Social media is really helping the youth feel for their country and its citizens. “Thanks to social media, the youth are connected to our country. Abroad, in places like the US, London and many more, these countries are more developed than us because their social media is more powerful than ours. That’s the reason why Narendra Modi Ji is customizing everything and making everything digital so that our youth can connect more with the country.  

Aastha Chaudhary: I have a ritual, on 26th January and 15th August, I watch the live telecast of the parade and the speech. I love watching the way our Indian Air Force performs. I feel, for today’s youth, patriotism is only for some period of time. They feel posting for in favor of government or against the government is patriotism. If you really want to do something for your country then instead of cribbing you should follow your duty as a civilian. Instead of criticizing the government, do things that you can do personally like pay taxes on time, follow rules and regulations just for the sake of our country.