On our 75th Independence Day, it is upon us to investigate the claims of our Constitutional principles that appreciate and acknowledge our individual rights of freedom, liberty and thought. Where do we find ourselves when it comes to the abuse and violation of our rights and dignity manifesting and moulding in different ways and forms? Be it the Bhima Koregaon incident or the Hathras rape case, one is likely to become cynical and suspicious of the objectives and motives of the State qualifying the individual as an anarchist.
How, then, will the State preserve and protect its citizens from its excesses while, at the very instance, disallowing people to illustrate their democratic bargains and advances? There must be an effective realisation of the aims and aspirations of the common and ordinary person, encouraging their presence and participation in the policy-making exercise. Citizens must agitate for their right to existence, and for inclusion and involvement in the system. They should help develop clarity and consensus for the better. The New India is a misnomer falling short of shedding away this ugliness wrapped in rhetoric.