The sight of orange white and green together makes my heart swell with pride every time I set eyes on it. Every single time.

The tricolour always has the same effect on me. Weather it is swaying peacefully with the wind high up on the post or fluttering passionately in the stadium when the India wins a match. Even when it quietly perches itself on my chest as part of my uniform.

I grew up in a country where patriotism is a major blood component. It flows freely in our system spiking the plasma with the required awesomeness. The tricolour is the symbol of that awesomeness.

Belonging to a generation which is confused about patriotism as it is about a lot of other emotions I have been subjected to a lot of remarks and questions. One being what does being a patriot really mean? I can now sum up all that I think in one line.

A patriot for me isn’t the guy who buys a tricolour on the Republic day but he is the one who picks it off the road when the celebrations are over.

The orange on our national flag signifies courage and sacrifice of the martyrs who got us the freedom we take for granted. The white is for peace and truth. The green stands for faith. The blue chakra in the centre represents spirituality. But the flag means differently to each person who looks at it.

Patriotism was handed down to me as legacy. For someone one whose first words “Jai Hind” the emotion rides higher than any other.

I am extremely proud of my country, the flag and everything it signifies. I hope I can make the tricolour flutter in pride for me someday.