A NEW INDIA ..?? A mail sent by Dean IIT Madras, about a real Indian (Worth reading it)

Dear Friends,

Here is a personal experience, as well as a moment of national pride,which I want to share with you. Hope you find it worth the time youput in reading it :"In the middle of 1965 India-Pakistan war, US govt - then a closefriend of Pakistan - threatened India with stopping food-aid(remember "PL-480"?). For a food deficient India this threat wasserious and humiliating. So much so that in the middle of war, PrimeMinister (Late) Lal Bahadur Shastri went to Ram Leela Grounds inDelhi and appealed to each Indian to observe one-meal-fast every weekto answer the American threat. As a school boy, I joined thosemillions who responded to Shastri ji's call. I continued the fasteven when the war was over and India became self sufficient in food.Hurt deep by the national humiliation suffered at the hands of the USgovt, I had vowedto stop my weekly fast only when India starts giving aid to USA.It took just 40 years. Last week THE day arrived. When Indianambassador in Washington DC handed over a cheque of US$ 50 million tothe US govt, two plane loads of food, medical aid and other reliefmaterials were waiting to fly to the USA. Time to break the fast?With no bad feeling about the USA, and good wishes for the Katrinavictims, this humble Indian feels proud of the distance India hascovered in 40 years. Let's celebrate a New India!"- Vijay Kranti.