imagE-nation

As we are on the threshold of another Independence Day Celebration of our nation, let us thank God for the mercies that the Almighty has bestowed upon us as a republic, throughout last year.

On July 15, 2010, while re-affirming India’s growing economic strength, the Indian government brought out a symbol for Indian Rupee that would reflect and capture the Indian ethos and culture. The symbol is a combination of alphabet ‘R’ in English and ‘र’ of Devanagari script. It is announced that this symbol would soon be introduced on computer keyboards and banknotes in India. It is expected to take a year or two for it to be fully implemented. However, experts opine that implementing a new currency symbol can be a costly enterprise. For example, when the euro was introduced in 1999, it cost Europe's biggest companies more than $50bn to update their computer systems to tackle the changeover.

Nevertheless, the ethos this symbol represents, should urge us towards a ‘psychological changeover’ in terms of our patriotic and social responsibilities. In the new symbol, the parallel lines on top (with white space between them) make an allusion to the tricolor Indian flag depicting a sign of equality which symbolizes the nation's desire to reduce economic disparity. As patriotic Indians, let us be reminded of our commitment towards safeguarding the sovereignty of our nation. Any thought or word or action that impairs the secular, democratic and socialistic fabric of our nation, be it terrorism, religious fundamentalism, cultural nationalism or extreme regionalism, ought to be avoided at any cost. Moreover, as responsible citizens, it is also our duty to foster equality and justice, fighting against all agents of discrimination and disparity. We must channelize all our efforts towards the goal of taking the country to a higher level of all- round national development. We cannot recline till we accomplish our goal which is not at all possible as long as the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ continues to increase. Such ‘psychological changeovers’, or transformation, to be precise, need not be expensive or costly but definitely precious and valuable.

Nonetheless, as Christians, our responsibility and commitment do not end in our earnest patriotism; rather it extends to our loyalty to the Kingdom of God. When Pharisees asked Jesus if it was lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Rome, He held up a coin and asked whose image was on it, and the Pharisees replied that it was Caesar's image. Then Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Jesus tells them to give to Caesar that which is due to Caesar and give to God what is due to God. What is due to Caesar is the coin upon which his image is engraved; similarly what is due to God is we ourselves, who are created in His own image. Yes, we are His Currency. God Himself is the monitory authority; exchange rate is His own life and the monitory policy is not one of accumulation, rather sharing. And our currency symbol is Cross, the mark of divine love.

Let us give to God what is due to Him and our nation what is due to her. Let us commit ourselves for the cause of the CROSS and uphold the ethos that the new Rupee symbol represents. Let us revere and worship our Lord who gave His life for us; let us also remember and respect our foreparents who gave their lives for our nation.