15th August is a day when dreams of every Indian turned into reality and lit a candle in the lives of those who struggled for it. This day was celebrated with a sense of freedom and a feeling of oneness at IMT. Various cultures, religions, values and traditions were enthusiastically brought onto a common platform of patriotism symbolizing “Unity in Diversity.”

IMT woke to the first ray of the sun, saluting the day which marked the national pride by hoisting the tri-colored flag. The youngest student of the batch, Ms. Saswata Singh was the lucky one to get the chance of untying the nationalistic fervor, which ignited the patriotic spirit in everyone present.

The hoisting of the flag was followed by the a few words by our director, Dr. V. Panduranga Rao which were very enlightening. He read out an oath which highlighted the various responsibilities of both a student and a citizen. The oat taken was: As an IMTian and a global citizen, I will lead with integrity I will manage with good faith I will uphold national interest in all that I do I will not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those who do I will uphold the letter and the spirit of the law of the land I will strive to uphold the ethical values of business and society I will act with justice to all I will be honest about the risks we face I will invest in myself and my profession I will take responsibility for my actions I will place the team I work with before myself I will try and provide equal opportunity to all those around me I will strive to create sustainable economic, social, and environmental prosperity worldwide I take this oath freely and upon my honor “The happiest moments we ever know are when we entirely forget ourselves” -Swami Vivekananda This saying aptly describes the environment created on that day. The day brought along with it a lot of joy and happiness symbolizing freedom. Various activities and events were planned across the day. All the students had put in their heart and soul into organizing the events. The students cheerfully participated in all the events. Entertainment sprang to life with songs and dances that brought in a lot of color, enthusiasm and liveliness. Soon after, an eye-candy, that is the “Ad-mad” show kicked in. This show which was an initiative by “Aurom” the communications club, was a combination of creativity and joy that spread like a wild fire. Three groups of students presented their creative ideas to present advertisements. This was followed by a cricket match organized by “Circle of Sports” the sports club. Students and faculty members took part in the match.

Delicious food was served throughout the day and a special lunch was organized by the “Mess Committee”. The best part was the snacks section which included a spread of different varieties of Chaats and ice creams which were relished by the spectators of the cricket match. Eating with friends sitting under a tree kept up the energy levels and the light hearted spirit.

Post lunch session started with a debate competition organized by Aurom on the topic “Mercy killing-is it justified?” The event was judged by faculty members and Dr. Aruna Koneru, an academician and author in the area of business communications. This well attended event was an educating experience not only because of the debate presented by the competing teams but also because of the active participation by the audience after the completion of the debate. The event was concluded by giving feedback to the participants and declaring the results. Ms. G. Amrutha and Mr. Thakkar Lakhan Magan were declared as the winners of the debate.

After relishing hot snacks and tea everyone proceeded to participate in the kite flying event.

Students took active part in all the programs and made the entire experience, a memorable one. As the saying goes, “All good things come to an end,” the celebrations wrapped up leaving every member of IMT with a lot of pleasure and a deep sense of patriotism. Independence Day was celebrated in its true spirit with a lot of enthusiasm.

Along with the fun and joy, comes a feeling of responsibility that we, as tomorrow’s leaders hold towards our country. The present situation of the country forces us to think if this is what our freedom fighters have laid their lives for and are we really living up to their expectations? The answer would be an obvious no. There is a lot of scope for improvement of the present scenario of the country and we, as the future of the country are in a way responsible for giving back the society a share of what it has been giving us, to shape the nation and give it a label of a ‘developed country’ rather than that of a developing country that it holds.