Its India's 63rd independence day, and there is a celebratory wave running through the country. At the same time, i see an increasing amount of cynicism. People are questioning the quality of this freedom, the increasing restrictions on it, even questioning why we need to be free at all ("one world, ainnit??") and if we say common language/culture/history entitle us to be free from 'foreign' rulers like the British...going by that logic, the sikkimese, the tamil, the kashmiri and various others would much cherish their freedom from an ethnically and culturally different 'Indians' controlling and running the show from the remote Delhi.
We dont have absolute freedom, but then absolute freedom is a Utopian myth. Freedom is always relative to the past or to the contemporary situation elsewhere. We're politically more free than we were in 1947, economically more free than we were in 1990, in every way more free than our bretheren in Myanmar,North Korea, Pakistan.
We're certainly right to celebrate our freedom. Just look around. That the naxal movement that spoke up for a farmer's right to determine use of land owned by him was given its due respect till it became off-track secessionism (try that in Chechnya) . That We are vocal about right to love and marry as we choose (try that in Afghanistan!) ; women's right to drink in public(try in Saudi Arabia!); to sing & dance and read what we choose to ; that our constitution guarantees fundamanetal rights, and the proper recourse if theyre flouted. That all the above is done by people we elect into office and we dont have to look up to foreign rulers for an approving nod.
So we celebrate our freedom and independence.But its step by step,not a giant leap. Steps to get it, steps to protect it and steps to make it even better. Today is a token celebration of a goalpost, all that we've achieved, all that which is free and correct about our country.The idea is not to sound jingoistic or content, but we should cherish what we have as we concurrently strive to make it better
Jai Hind!
