It fills me with a great sense of pride to belong to a country as rich with tradition and history as India. Growing up in India has made me realise the true value of patience and perseverance -- virtues that are necessary to achieve success in any chosen field.

India has always been a great source of inspiration and it makes me proud to know that I am a part of India and hopefully will be a part of shaping India's future.

Our freedom did not come easy -- it was a long and arduous struggle with dedicated people uniting together to fight for a nation's freedom.

To me, Independence Day is a time to reflect, remember and respect India's hard won freedom, for it did not come easily. This freedom has allowed our nation to grow to new strengths and has slowly forged together a diverse array of people.

Sandesh Kadur is presently based in Brownsville, Texas and works with the Gorgas Science Foundation. He spoke to George Iype.