In Kashmir and the north-east, away from the main celebrations, TV and newspaper reports are dominated by concerns over security and reflect a pervading sense of unease.

[India's] biggest achievement as an independent modern country is its vibrant political democracy. Its biggest deficit is its inability over six decades to overcome the largest mass of poverty and deprivations in the world.

As we mark the 60th year of Independence, there is more to be proud of than ashamed... there is hope on a scale that is probably matched only by what was there in 1947. Now, as then, there is a can-do spirit in the country. Now, as then, the shackles of the past seem to have given way to finally allow us to make the elusive "tryst with destiny".

There's plenty to look forward to. The next 60 years, hopefully, will be better than the last. There is much to celebrate... a change for the better has at last happened after decades of gloom.

The main political contests have been conducted within the democratic framework, not about it. The Indian democracy has also given enough confidence to its marginalised people - women, tribals, Dalits, Muslims - to launch their specific struggles on their own, without seeking any outside mediation, and by making use of the democratic option.

The India Story is as seductive as a self-improvement book that proffers nirvana in three easy steps. ...And yet, after 60 years of Independence, India simply cannot shake off her past. That's why six decades of democracy cannot erase tribalism, feudalism, colonialism, phoney socialism. Happy birthday? Not quite.

As the near total absence of the zest for the celebration of this national festival in the Kashmir region is somewhat understandable for the reasons too specific and too obvious, the waning enthusiasm even in Jammu region and particularly in the winter capital with each passing year is certainly disquieting.

If the militant groups in the region have something to really cheer about, it is their ability to frighten away the people from Independence Day celebrations and thus keep the younger generation detached from the significance and cause of the day. When will there be a new freedom - from fear?

We have to live in the present and prepare for the future. So, it is high time that we forget the dark bloody chapter in the history of the sub-continent and try to remember and highlight the instances of hope and humanity for which both the [Pakistani and Indian] communities can be equally proud of.

BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.