By Anushree Gupta:

Adding another year of the so-called Independence. Ask yourself, what is independence? Is it just a norm to check any foreign control on the territory or is it the feel of freedom in every mind and soul? India, where ‘n’ number of people sleep with a hungry stomach, while the GDP keeps rising. India, where the mind is not free to think about development but fulfill the basic needs while the state policies keep modifying as per the will of the leaders. India, where a large section of children and women go undistinguished from the 17th century slaves while the snobbish markets contain all the lavish brands. India, where a man works all day in the fields yet he cannot be sure of his families next supper while the defense budgets keeps rising in the name of territorial protection. India, is feeling wonderful and enjoying the independence for the 67th time.

With such regressive status quo ingrained deeply, where a woman cannot walk with a head held high and a mind without fear, while the men, who, when are not busy in creating this fear, are always lost in finding ways to protect those women; what kind of freedom do we talk about? Is it just a connotation for democracy or does it really mean something more important. With this structural violence going all over and in this politically and socially corrupt atmosphere, it is sad to accept this as freedom. This is not peace. It’s a mere portrayal of the hegemony retained by a hand full of individuals who still rule the country. Do we really see democracy around?

It is time to understand, not to celebrate, but to work and to actually bring freedom to our motherland. What we have had for generations is rich and abundant. Yet in the recent past, it is fast degrading, be it our natural resources, our cultural traits, our heritage, and most importantly our people. We need to give them life, a new life. Let them feel the real freedom. Let the unsettling minds ease and rejoice, not on the occasion of national independence but for the independence of their minds and the hearts.

We need to realize that fluttering our tri-colour high is not just the celebration to acknowledge our victories and good times of the past; it is symbolic of every mind and every soul, not as ‘it is’ but as ‘it ought to be’ free and courageous.

Let Independence not just be a holiday in the calendar, but a constant struggle to achieve real freedom. Happy Independence!