India celebrated it's 63rd Independence day today on 15th August. So many years passed since we got freedom. On the glorious day of 15th August 1947, we received freedom from foreign ruling. But if we think today, are we really free? Does every citizen of the country have freedom? You may simply answer it yes. But think again.
To clear my view, answer some of my questions.
To understand what I mean, put yourself in place of each 'I' and 'Me' and read on.
Am I free to speak what I want? Without fearing what others will think?
Am I free to choose what I should wear?
Am I free to choose what is good and what is bad for me?
Am I free choose which religion to follow?
Am I free to raise my voice against things which I think are wrong for myself, my family, my society and my country?
Am I free to choose where to live? With whom to live?
Am I free to just go out with my friends at late night? Without fearing?
Am I free to decide which movie I should watch?
Am I free to choose what I should study, WITH support from my parents and without bothering what people will think?
These are some of a very few simple questions, raised in each common man's mind. And the answer of each question is fully OR partially - NO.
Why No? Well you know why but we Indians are not going to accept it right? Keep reading.
I am not free to speak what I want. If I raise my voice, I will have to live in fear of getting abused by peoples whom I don't even know. I'm talking about those who threatens me to stay shut. They want everyone to keep quiet. They want everyone to keep watching what's happening. If you raise voice, you have to pay for it.
I am not free to choose what I should wear, where to go, with whom to live, and where to live. If I wear some western clothes and if I'm eve-teased or even raped, people are going to say It's because YOU wore such clothes. It's like they mean to say that girls in Indian dresses aren't/won't be raped or eve-teased. If I celebrate Valentine's Day, I have to fear. Why? "It's foreign culture!" That not so smart Morale Police will shout. I can't celebrate foreign festivals as they "ruin Indian culture". Wow, what an excuse. Without making such excuses and tell people what they should do, why don't we take our festivals like Diwali and Holi global and make them so famous that foreigners start celebrating them? We'll be proud to see Diwali being celebrated in the whole USA and not only in White House or some streets of USA.
I want to change my religion. Not because of any threat from someone, but I find some better qualities in that religion than mine. And so I want to start following it. But I can't. Why? Because those self-made "Dharm Rakshak" people won't let you do so. If I believe in equality of all religions and say something good about others' religion, they won;t take it lightly. You just can't do it. How can you praise some other religion. Great thinking we have!
If I shift to other state, I must start speaking their language. I must change my shop's board to the particular state language. If I don;t, I'm threatened, beaten and abused as an "Outsider". Amazing! There is no such thing like "One India". People have divided the country in pieces.
I don't want to explain all the questions above. Their answer is NO. I am a Proud Indian but I will feel more proud for being an Indian when the answers of most questions become YES. Let's give ourselves more freedom. Let's be 'Independent' in real mean.
Jay Hind!
Note: Don't take this post personally. If you don't like this post, simply ignore it. Don't come crying and shouting I'm wrong or I should not be saying such things. I know what I should do and what I should not. I may be wrong, or may be right. I am aware of the fact that the freedom we got from foreign ruling and the freedom I'm talking about, are two different things. But even in those days, we were not free to speak. After getting freedom, we were supposed to be 'Free' to do our own things, but the things are not changed. The idea of this post is not to hurt anyone's sentiment. If it does, sorry for that.
