August 12. “Button, why is August 15 a bank holiday?”

“India celebrates her independence on that day.”

“Independence from whom?”

“From the British who ruled us 63 years back.”

“On my way to the office this afternoon, I saw two young girls selling paper flags at traffic signals and was amazed at their entrepreneurial skill—she had with her paper flags of all sizes—from the tiniest one to the much bigger flags. She had also found a thermocol sheet on which she had pinned the tiny flags to prevent them from slipping and falling. But what saddened me was the fact that here were these young kids who were just street smart without being educated, trying to eke out a living by selling different products on different days.”

“What is this skill you are talking about?”

“The skill of an entrepreneur because they make different products to catch the eye of  buyers– from balloons to papier mache vases and sculptures, garlands, paper toys, etc.

“But how can you tell that these girls aren’t educated? Maybe they are selling these products to earn that extra buck!”

“Since India is the most illiterate country in the world, my point is that these young girls are out selling the freedom flag without, perhaps, knowing the history behind that flag. What interests them, maybe and I hope I am wrong, is the fact that with each flag they sell, they will earn that extra bit of money to buy themselves a vada pav for dinner.”

“That’s unfortunate and, at the same time, very clever because at the end of the day, they need to put some food into their bellies. Not knowing the history behind the flag is of no consequence to them!”

“You have a point there.”