HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

 

On 15th August, 1947 India made her 'Tryst with Destiny'. On this day, the 200- year old British regime on Indian soil came to an end and by the Independence Act, 1947 the then Governor-general of India, Lord Mountbatten declared her a free nation. This year, our country celebrates 75 years of her freedom from foreign rule and very naturally comes the concern about what actually this means to the Indian youth.

India, in the mid-18th century started to become a part of the British Empire and gradually became one of the biggest British colonies in the world. This foreign rule and dependence was fought against and we achieved independence after a lot of struggle and movements. After all these years of gaining freedom, we surely need to analyse how far India has come along the way of her progress as we entered in the 21st century. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, in his speech as the first Prime-minister of free India, said: "A moment has come, which but comes very rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance…..we end today a period of ill-fortune and India discovers herself again." So, post-independence, it was the journey of a long suppressed nation towards freedom, development and enhancement.

Independence day, as of now, should not be carelessly surpassed as another holiday of our yearly calendar, as many of us, young people, would most likely tend to do as we don't often feel the sufferings our freedom heroes had to go through to bring us a free motherland, because to have a nation's own formed government to rule her people is not the complete definition of independence – it is just only a part of it. In these years, India has definitely progressed and evolved as a strong nation in the world's map, but a country's development should never become stagnant. We still have much more to do, a great many obstacles to bring down. Being a free nation, we need to liberate ourselves from the caste and religious biases in which we often indulge. Freedom means being free from the shackles of every vice that may hamper our development and cripple our mind-set. The youth of this country thus bear tremendous responsibility of acquiring a broad vision. We have to remember that we are fortunate to have born in a free country; we don't have to fight for our intrinsic rights --- which our predecessors have already accomplished, so our goal lies in enhancing our land's richness and growth. We, the young Indians are the future and the sentiment and inspiration of patriotism should naturally imbibe from our forefathers and not fizzle out with the years passed. Till now, we have achieved fair progress in industrial and service sector growth of our country. But, India lives in her villages and improvisation of rural India and the agricultural sector of our country will open a new arena of overall progress of the nation of one billion people. We need to understand that education and opportunity should be accessible as much as possible to all segments of the society and work towards that equalization.

While we never tire of boasting about us having the world’s largest democracy, second largest population, fourth largest army, seventh largest economy, fourth largest air force, seventh largest navy, seventh nuclear country and fifth largest industrialised country, the truth is also that beneath a seeming prosperity and success, we are faced with many systemic maladies which are expressing themselves is various ways. These include terrorist attacks, secessionist and naxalite violence, systemic corruption and institutional degeneration at various levels.

We are today, one of world’s most corrupt countries as told to us time and again by the ilks of Transparency International. Even though vigilance of an overactive civil society and judiciary led by conscious citizens, non-governmental organisations and media does not give us some hope, the fact remains that we actually don’t know as to what might happen the next moment, whose bomb attack or violence some or many of us may fall prey to. Surprisingly enough, today we have guided missiles but misguided men out there to scupper their own boat for a few pieces of silver.

We all aspire to be a great power and as such hanker for such symbolisms as permanent membership of an almost defunct and toothless UN Security Council and the recognition of an alien United States for legitimising our national nuclear programme, but we shall do nothing by way of our own character and behaviour that are becoming of citizens of a great country. Believe it, or not, our values and ethics are at an all-time low despite those stupendous growth figures.  

When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child, and others, we make loud drawing room protestations but continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse being that, ‘it is the whole system which has to change. How will it matter if I alone forego my son’s right to dowry? So who is going to change the system? What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us, it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government- but most definitely not me and you!!!!

When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system, we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr Clean to come along with a magic wand and work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his or we simply ignore.

Goaded by our Self, we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system but again when New York becomes insecure (as in the aftermath of twin tower bombings), we run to England. Again when England experiences Unemployment, we take the next flight to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian Government. Nobody thinks of feeding or nurturing the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to our selfish interests and we don’t wish to look beyond them.

At times we talk of the rich demographic dividends forth coming from having about more than half of our population in the productive age group of 25-50 by 2040 AD, but we are hardly bothered as to how to reap this dividend successfully. After all, unless and until we build and develop our human resources, what use they would be of. John Stuart Mill was right when he said that “you cannot think of becoming a great country with small men” with small capacities, small thinking and dubious character.

While almost all of us keep whining about our government being inefficient, about our laws being too old or too bad, about our municipalities’ do not cleaning the streets, about our transport system being the worst in the world, about our country having been gone into wrong hands. We keep on complaining and saying such things. But have we ever paused for a moment and thought as to what we do about them.

We go to the polls to choose a government and after that we forsake everything, forgetting all our responsibilities and duties. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do anything and everything whilst our own contribution is totally nil, or at times even negative. We destroy our own national property during a bandh or a strike and then complain about government not doing enough.

We do not stop throwing garbage all over the place nor are we going to pick up a stray piece of paper and put it in the dustbin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of it. As normal citizens we can simply contribute in the nation- building by paying taxes on time. India is one of countries which have lowest tax payers in the world. We need this money to build nation. Several programs and policies of Government are dependent on this. We all are struggling just to meet our ends and securing future for our kids. But we forget that this is not the only responsibility we have. We forget that this is the only future we are giving to our kids. That’s why it is said there- it takes a whole village to raise a responsible child. Give something to your kids to feel proud about you. They learn from you, you tell them to put on helmet while riding two wheelers but not doing the same yourself is lying to them. They will see you and follow you. It’s not only about building India in just economy, infrastructure, but also building the global reputation, based on the habits of Citizens.

Our habits are reflection of our character. If we won’t build up a character, we won’t be able to follow laws and rules. We won’t be a good citizen and India won’t develop. To contribute in the growth of India we have to bring changes in ourselves rather than governments changing and introducing laws and push them upon us. No government can change the nation if we the citizens don’t change ourselves.

In the Gita, Lord Krishna ordains, “One should do one’s duties without expectation of any fruits”.

Every citizen plays a key role in building a New India — a clean, healthy and prosperous nation. Everyone performing their duties, even mechanically, would pave the way for a better neighbourhood, better society, and ultimately, a better country. Let us together build a responsible India. Just governments cannot do it; some other leader cannot do it. Every citizen has to do it!