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We must learn to separate the government from the nation. While our relationship with the government may be transactional, our relationship with our nation is anything but. The ashes of our forefathers are part of the heat and dust of India. The symbols of this nation are our roots that bind us, mostly with love and sometimes with duty. And trees with the weakest roots fall first.

Like it or not, this is a global world only on social media. You might use terms like “global citizen” for yourself, but that just means you have more frequent flier miles than the next person. You still need a visa to enter a country. We have borders. You may not like it, but those borders must be guarded. That man who guards the border believes in a cause. And he believes in it deeply enough to stand in harms way while I send a Tweet in the middle of a debate, or you snuggle up with coffee and sit in judgment.

A soldier is not better than a teacher or a trader. But he is equally important. And so are the values he holds dear.

Where the anthem is played is something that the courts or the government will finally decide. That is not up to us. But when the anthem is played, we must stand. That is our duty. Our anthem is a potent symbol of a living nation. It is the soul of our nationhood. It is the very definition of our freedom.

And freedom is not free.

Read full article here:

http://www.republicworld.com/s/19569/if-you-cant-stand-for-the-national-anthem-dont-expect-me-to-stand-for-you