This huge national flag, made at the Koragram Udyog at Borivli which provides Khadi flags all over India, will fly atop the Mantralaya on August 15.

Hariprasad Chaurasia

"There is nothing like independence for a country. Freedom gives people confidence and self respect. We have achieved them and now we Indians are free from an inferiority complex. We are able to hold our heads high with pride. As an artist, I wish for a better world. A world which is free from corruption and full of respect and values.

The last five decades have seen a gradual change in music, its style and the attitude of people towards it. It is no more confined to a particular family or gharana. It has spread in different forms and people from all over the world, belonging to different communities and with varied interests have welcomed and accepted it with open arms.

Of course in the early '50s music was not so commercialised as it is today and therefore we were deprived of listening to legendary artistes. But thanks to the growing music industry, music has reached all strata of people. Our young people have taken to music in an amazing manner.

I had come across a poem which echoes my feelings on this occasion and I would like to share with the readers. It runs as follows: If there is righteousness in the heart/ there will be beauty in the character,/ If there is beauty in the character/ there will be harmony in the home./ If there is harmony in the home/ there will be order in the nation./ If there is order in the nation,/ there will be peace in the world."

Kelucharan Mahapatra

"AS a boy when I studied dance and instrumental music, I did not know what the meaning of the word nation was or what was meant by independence. But when I came of age, I realised that only an independent nation can hold its head high -- with dignity and self respect.

As an artist, I cannot fathom all the complex issues politicians have to face, but I sincerely wish that there should be no corruption and people should be happy. I hope good sense will prevail. I am a great devotee of Lord Jagannath. For me, he is real, not just a concept. When I dance, I dance for him. Dance, for me, is a means to reach my Lord. My bhakti, the feeling of devotion and dance are one. My dance is a form of worship."

Ravi Shankar

"No one wants to live under a bond. Most people will give their lives to achieve independence. Having achieved it, indeed India is immensely proud, and has earned self esteem and progressed in several directions. In my book, My Life, My Music, I had observed that we will watch with growing concern the onslaught of industrialisation. But we should attempt to preserve our values and learn from our past.

Like other sensitive souls and my artist friends I am distressed with the decline in values, on all fronts. Politics and corruption have become synonymous with the nation. Of course there are a few exceptions where a handful of people are trying to uphold values. Globalisation has come too soon but I have faith in our people to survive and overcome difficulties.

Music has been a sadhana, a life-long continuous search for that elusive element which we are unable to define. In the last 50 years our music has crossed national borders and reached people world over.

Its inherent strength, superb quality and, above all, spiritual aspect have great ability to bring peace and harmony. That is what I have experienced at every stage. Young people have taken to Indian classical music with great respect world over and my experience has been very rewarding.

I see our music has a great future on account of its time-honoured guru-shishya parampara. It not only teaches the art but also passes on values and makes one a better human being. Peace and harmony through music is our hope for the betterment of the world."

Kalanidhi Narayanan

"Who does not want to be independent? Independence from any bondage is preferable, for it allows one's soul to flower. Then one spreads happiness all around. Our scriptures say, `sarve janaha sukhino bhavantu' -- let all be free and therefore happy. As an independent nation, India has gained great stature and we all have to work to see that in independent India we achieve our goals. Dance for me has been a blessing.

After marriage, I had discontinued it. But I started again from 1970 and since then it has been a means of reaching out to others, teaching the subtle emotions, experiences and communicating through songs of great poets.

Dance mirrors eternal truths, the highest values of life and passing this message to the younger generation means a lot to me. Bharat Natyam has several layers: physical beauty, abstraction, depiction of love, shringara suggesting the union of the soul with the super soul.

And the bhakti, the devotion for God through dance is real, palpable and genuine. In India, it has been a means of worship and be it any form Bharat Natyam, Odissi or Kathak, this quality of spirituality through the carnal physical self, the body with which a dancer expresses herself, is a very rare thing. I experience this spiritual joy when I am dancing and I strive to give a similar experience to my audiences. Dance means life to me."

Shivkumar Sharma

"Today India is the largest democracy in the world. We have got total freedom of press and judiciary. The country has become self sufficient in many fields. Although there are some problems, a lot has been achieved.

As far as Indian Classical music is concerned, there has been a tremendous change in scene. Earlier, Indian Classical music was patronised only by kings in their courts. But the post-independence era has seen Indian Classical music coming to the masses.

Today, the real lovers of Indian Classical music are the middle class people of our country. Secondly, Indian Classical music has become global in the real sense. Our music is appreciated and respected all around the world for its spiritual and peaceful qualities.

In the last couple of decades, a most interesting thing has happened many of the young people in India have started appreciating and showing a keen interest in Indian Classical music. Many of my listeners are young people."

Birju Maharaj

"We are fortunate to have got independence and it is our responsibility to maintain it. And it is this sense of responsibility which will free us from corruption, give us strength to sacrifice our gains for the future generations of our country. We will transmit to them values of life.

I do not despair at the present state, but I do feel sad. What I see all around can be very depressing. But I hope things improve after 50 years of independence.

For me Kathak is my life. A legacy which our family has inherited for the past seven generations from our ancestors. Therefore it has a special relevance for me. And since childhood I have had a fascination for Lord Krishna. He is my favourite devata, a benevolent god. Kathak and Krishna are inseparable to me.

Both in its abstraction and interpretation Kathak brings me closer to Krishna. There is no division, no difference between what I dance and what I worship be it abstract tala or a song in praise of Lord Krishna. It is the same feeling, a heightened sense of consciousness that pervades me and I realise that the audience also feels elevated at that moment.

Dance is such a powerful medium. You cannot lie or fake any feeling of devotion in dance while you are performing. Even if you try to fake any emotion or feeling, you will be exposed in the end. Call him Krishna, god or what you will, he will elude you then.

But if you are sincere about what you are feeling and what you are trying to emote, then you will take your audience with you to greater heights and they will experience exactly what you do when you dance."

Kishori Amonkar

"Frankly speaking the independence and its aftermath do not present a rosy picture. At times one wonders if one was better off then, than what one is today. But then again, there is nothing like being independent. A nation which is not under foreign rule has self respect which leads to self realisation.

I look at the musical journey with mixed feelings. India has a great tradition, a great legacy. I am conscious of what I have inherited and am still struggling to find light. Enlightenment comes through study and I am still in search of that vision of the raga-ragadarshan.

I have discarded the ornamentation from my vocal music and am in search of pure notes. What an amazing treasure we have! Our music leads us to abstraction and to spirituality. And I experience this greatness everytime I sing.

I have been studying the ancient texts, which have also helped me grow. Where else, except in India, the Rasa theory, the understanding of the relish can be found? The joy, which the musician and the listener enjoy, is similar to a spiritual experience."

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.