The Century Times

(Free Country, Captive Citizens)

India is celebrating her 60 years of Independence today.

But what exactly “independence” mean? Are you really independent? How different is it from pre-independence era? These are some of the questions I was pondering over today. What have we earned as a common man after sacrificing a lot in the struggle for Independence? In retrospection did we gain more than what we lost in the freedom movement?

Well, we got the political independence on 15th August, 1947. But as an individual, I don’t feel independent most part of my life! We are not yet free. Not free from fear, not free from worries, not free from the survival problems, not free from the feelings of insecurity, not free from the dangers and perils of antisocial elements and terror. Independence has only given us with a different system of Governance. We had only one chance to opt for the system of Governance, when we chose to be Democratically ruled. And since then we had a new form of Government system in place. But more or less, it has merely replaced the Government and not the Governance by and large. Both Governance system has some positive as well as some negative aspects. I conclude this if I look at the achievements of all the Governments pre and post Independence era. Crime, poverty, education infrastructure, business, economic growth, public transport, social evils ……look whatever, everything was there earlier too as well as today. Of course, their magnitude and penetration figures have changed a bit (some positive and others negative). But this would might have been the case under any other political system as well. Had British continued to rule till this day, perhaps, we would had achieved the same rate of Growth (with a little deviation either positive or negative). Its true that under them, some other growth avenues could had been considered more important and less emphasize could had been put on many other aspects. But somehow I believe that overall growth rate would had been almost same.

So the ultimate question is what is the purpose of Independence? Is it to achieve more and more economic growth or social upliftment? And how will you define social upliftment for that matter? For me the goal of social upliftment means a society with perfectly happy and content individuals without any feeling of fear or insecurity in them and collectively working inculcating good values and character for their spiritual upliftment. Of course this might seem a idealistic picture but we should have a clear sight on our goal, only then we can find a path leading to it.

Our country has attained its independence but its citizens have to still attain their liberalization. And how can a Country be called Independent if her citizens are not so? Hence, I wish her citizens to sincerely make efforts to attain independence at the individual level and help the complete society to get there. Perhaps this will be the best gift to your motherland on her birthday.

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