A celebration of nationhood
FROM READER MANORAJ RAJATHURAI
The National Day Parade (NDP) will be here again tomorrow. And I have been fortunate enough to witness every single NDP since 1966.
It is something to be proud of. It is proof of how far we have come, working together as one.
It still sends shivers up and down the spine, gives one goosebumps and sets the pulse racing.
Nothing else is such an expression of our inner strength and our diversity. It shows us how much we have achieved in just 51 years.
Not many can lay claim to such a meteoric rise, from Third World to first, in such a short time.
It has been an incredible journey, and the way it has been captured at the NDP over the years is to be commended.
Our parade continues to feature new and advancing technology each time, denoting how we will always have a firm hand on the future.
It gives us a chance to appreciate our capabilities, especially in defending our nation, to celebrate our rich cultural heritage in song and dance, and to reaffirm the need to stand together and share and help each other.
Nothing can be more heartfelt, or tug at one's heartstrings the same way.
The fireworks display at the end comes as an explosion of light showing us the way forward, the infinite possibilities if we all apply ourselves as one to the tasks ahead.
We must continue to innovate and forge a steel-like grip on what we have managed, adding to it to ensure it can never be broken, regardless of the challenges posed from time to time internally and externally.
The urge to reminisce will be strong as we remember the parades of the past.
But as we hurtle towards SG100, many of us who have witnessed it all so far will no longer be around. It is time for a younger generation to take over and keep the flag flying.
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