As it is said the imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, American President Donald Trump has finally shed all the pretentions of America leading the world in setting the trends and traditions, and has pragmatically copied what is the single most signature celebration of India – its Independence Day combined with its Republic Day, which combines equivalent of America’s declaration of Independence from Britain on July 4, 1776.

Trump for the first time in the history of America, the oldest democracy and the very first to have thrown out British rulers after a fairly bloody war, has included a military parade and presidential speech to celebrate American freedom!

On both Independence and Republic Days India puts up its military might on the showcase, with great pomp and show. There is no equivalent of India’s display of military and cultural show in the entire world to celebrate its independence. Autocratic communist countries like China and former Soviet Union paraded or parade their military as a show of power, but no free country shows the pomp and show that India does.

President Trump has decided this year to begin the tradition of parading military might with tanks and airplane flyovers on July 4, and with plans to actually give a speech from the Lincoln Memorial, in an uncanny resemblance to Indian Prime Minister’s speech from the ramparts of Lal Quila in Delhi.

Many in America have criticized Trump’s latest initiative as politicization of a patriotic day when Americans celebrate it only privately, barring some parades by school children. The celebrations mostly involve picnicking with family and friends, and fireworks and festivals by cities and towns, with American flag displayed everywhere, from lawns of individual houses to businesses, but no official celebrations by government officials as it is a national holiday.

Indians, on the other hand, have their schools open and children participating in various patriotic activities along with teachers and even parents and families. The Independence is officially celebrated by the elected government officials unfurling the Indian flag, and making speeches in a nationalist fervor.

The central government of India organizes a major event at the Red Fort, and all the military marchings and salutations, with unfurling and flag and a prepared speech by the Prime Minister of the country. This tradition was started by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, on the night of August 14-15, 1947 with his speech ‘India’s tryst with destiny’.

Some American presidents like Truman, Nixon, Ford, and Senior Bush, have given speeches on July 4^th, but not from a national monument specially prepared by the day, and certainly not with military display.

Those who criticize military display ostensibly to avoid politicizing US military must first realize that Americans fought a bloody war with British for 8 years after the declaration of independence, which contrasts with India’s peaceful transfer of power under which British were in fact urged to stay for more than two years until India got its constitution formalized. So, actually America has more reason to display its military might, as that was crucial in attaining the independence.

Trump who wants to emphasize America First policy is logically making the independence day a nationalistic rallying point with patriotism, and is branding it ‘Salute to America’. To those who accuse him of making a non-partition sacred holiday into a political platform for himself, It sad that even Americans with so much experience with democracy forget that the President is the president of the entire nation, not just for a political party. He ought to lead the nation as its leader, without being made to defend the obvious – that the office of presidency is a political office.

It is strange that India with so much political fragmentation had never heard of politicization of its Independence Day! Democrats must be more pathetic than Rahul Gandhi’s Congress Party!!And that would mean no hope for them in 2020!

Did President Trump really take the cue from India? No one really knows, as it is really hard to figure out where he gets his cues on anything, but given his penchant for think India like “India is doing great. Nobody talks about it”, and also given that India is the only country for whose Independence Day Trump actually dialed up India’s Prime Minister on August 15, 2017, his first after being elected as the President, it is quite possible that he noticed how India celebrates its freedom.

There are several other countries in the world which celebrate independence days, like Australia, France, Norway, Mexico, Israel, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Korea, Bangladesh, etc., but most never get any attention from President Trump, or perhaps a twitter message to a country like Israel.

Most other countries celebrating independence days include picnics, fireworks, some cultural events festivals, and parades. A few like France have military parades, but India is an entirely different class when it comes to display the whole military might. India’s celebrations also include a very well orchestrated speech by its  Prime Minister, which follows an Independence Day eve message from its President.

Trump, who has been a presidential candidate on and off since 1988, basically decided seriously to run for President in early 2015 when he did not renew his Apprentice show contract in February 2015. That was about the time President Obama was the Chief Guest at India’s 65^th Republic Day in Delhi, and it will be almost impossible to believe that Trump did not watch where President Obama was doing what.

He must have been fascinated by the sight of salutes by military class, and also by the overflying Indian air force planes, which may have been the origin of his latest foray in getting on the nerves of left and liberals in the United States.

The left argument that independence day is not the time to show military hardware doesn’t hold water when that is the signature of celebrations in Mahatma Gandhi’s free India! Let’s hope or even egg on Trump to copy from India the display of cultural diversity of America’s wonderful people at the next Freedom Day in 2020!!

Happy 4^th of July!!