A Thought on the Eve of Independence Day,

India will be celebrating 78^th ‘Independence Day’ on 15^th August 2024. All county men will enjoy the celebration, listen to Prime Minister’s address, participate in various functions and mostly remember our heroes who struggled for Indian Independence. All will be happy. Then they will wait another year to celebrate the Independence Day again.

But question is why do we celebrate ‘Independence Day’? Is it to remember that our country gained freedom on this day? If yes, then our country must be free since that day? Is really our Country free?

Let us ask ourselves thus question. But then define what a free country is. The simple definition is that India is no more ruled by foreigners. Is it true? In this global polity, there are lot of global dictums which are imposed on India, and the country must follow.  May it be some sanctions, or UN restrictions and many other global consequences. In fact, in a global context, no country is free from foreign influence or foreign imposition, be it bilateral or multi-lateral.

I have a different definition of a free country. A free country belongs to free citizens. That means we must be free citizens. Are we free? Let’s check in some of the aspects.

1. For a free country, the polity must be free. A polity completely reflection of its public or citizens. Are we politically free (or independent)? Ask yourself. You will be politically free if you don’t follow any family based political party, dynastic political party or even a cult political leader. If you are following any of those then you are biased and dependent on such parties or leaders to make your narratives. You become biased on such narratives presented by those. That means you are not politically independent, and your point of view created out of bias. So, you are not free rather follower of a party or leader blindly. During British rule, many too believed in British narrative. What’s difference now.
2. A free country must be corruption free. A country can be corruption free, if its people are corruption free. Now let us ask yourself, are you corruption-free? You are neither giving bribe nor accepting bribe in cash or kind? You are not taking away opportunities deserved for others just because you have money and power? You are not jumping the queue just because you are influential? There are lot of other aspects where you can check your honesty. Point to note, that in India, corruption is deep-rooted. We even try to bribe God for favours to us.
3. A free country means, all its people are free. That means alone I or you can’t be free people. Everyone of the country must be free. For our individual level, we must ensure, people surrounding us must enjoy their freedom too. Now ask yourself, have you restrained yourself not to infringe freedom of others. For example, if I scream loud in a public place, then I am infringing the freedom of privacy of others. If I litter a public place, then that’s infringement to other’s freedom of living in a clean place. This can go on and I know everyone knows what it means to infringe the freedom of others.

I just pointed out three aspects, but I am sure, you can find out lot of other aspects to make ourselves to be free people in order make our country a free country. I know all these things are easier said than done. There comes the Independence Day.  Before celebrating the Independence, day, we must give a thought to what we have done in last one year. We must do an audit or our acts, conducts and practices for last year. We have to assess how we fared in our attempts to make ourselves as a free citizen. Well, there would be many lacunas. But then we can make resolve to correct in the coming one year till the next Independence Day. Some success will make us deserve to celebrate on the Independence day where us lacunas would transform into resolves to make us more responsible.  

Happy Independence Day.