How does it feel to be born on I-Day?

Birthdays are always special, but for those, as chance would have it, who celebrate it on Aug 15 - India's Independence Day – it's a double joy. And their loved ones cannot concoct stories of forgetting their birthdays.

IANS spoke to a few of lucky ones on the eve of India's 67th Independence Day.

”It is a kind of good feeling. There was never need to ask for a leave to celebrate my birthday, as it was always a gazetted holiday.” Sindhu Kumar Sharma a civilian electrical engineer in a defence establishment told IANS joyously.

He will turn 53 on Thursday.

For Piyush Dhaniwal it's a mixed feeling as liquor vends remain closed Aug 15.

“On a serious note it is a burden to remember all your friends' birthday but my friends cannot get an excuse to forget mine” said Dhaniwal with a smile.

He works as a product product manager at the Electronic Arts gaming company.

For some, it is purely a time to celebrate but for content writer Dikshita Sur, it is a time for her to introspect about her own independence.

“As I am born on Independence Day, the day our country got freedom, it gives me an opportunity to introspect on how independent I am socially, culturally and religiously,” said Dikshita who is turning 30 and is excited about the new phase in her life.

While sharing an anecdote, scriptwriter Chime Lhamu Lama, whose father also celebrates his birthday on I-day, said: “It's always been nice to celebrate dad's birthday on Independence Day. I remember as kids, when me and my sister used to make silly jokes about how he was born with a flag in his hands.”

Her father, Tulku Ugen Chencho Lama, who is a Buddhist monk, will turn 57 on Thursday.

“As a child in Shantiniketan he usually got lucky because he was known by all since his birthday was on such a special day and he luckily got a few opportunities to hoist the flag in the university grounds,” Chime added

However, people born the day after the historic day feel they unfairly missed out.

“Not like I was born on the 15th, so there is no special feeling. But yes, people find it a lot easier to remember the date as it falls right after a big day for the country,” Anuj Mahat,a banker with HSBC, told IANS.

“I missed by a day. I keep telling my mother,I should have been born on the 15th,” Sameer Shah, who will turn 13 on Aug 16, said with a laugh. - IANS