India at 66: The Cons and The Pros

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(The call comes a day after the Independence Day just to make sure that people are out of the patriotic trance and back to their normal thinking selves.)

It was 6 in the morning and as customary, my mother woke me up with a Happy Independence Day.Then there was my mama calling for the same because the kids were eager to wish us all before they left for their event. Half asleep as I was then, smiled and wished the same.

Then the day started on just like any other but for that I was having a holiday. And as the idle mind always has some realisations, I had this one.

Yesterday, the alleged Independence day of Pakistan; we had the ninth ambush in SIX days.Soldiers not dead though, had been badly wounded and we were still talking about peace.

A girl had been raped somewhere and the Sensex had fallen; Onions just got even expensive and as the joke went, necessity, comfort and luxury were valued equally. (Those on FB and that is equal to almost everyone knows what I am talking about.) Add to this the fact that at the time of
Independence, a Dollar and a Rupee had the samevworth.

Bored of these thoughts I switched on the TV to watch the Independence Day parade. And the first thing I saw on screen was some minister yawning. The TV was duly switched off.

Believe me, just like everyone else, I too wanted to enjoy my day but somehow my brain didn’t go with my heart and kept thinking.

Independence has always been taken as synonymous
to Freedom and this is what we have learnt all the
while, so here are few things I need answer to.

With the men dying every day for the nation and still not getting the due justice, Am I Free ?

With every third woman in the work areas facing sexual harassment, Am I Free?

With girls being raped every day, Am I Free?

With people still differentiating between the poor and the rich and politicians going to the extent of making remarks about full stomach at Rs 12, Am I Free?

With food changing from necessity to luxury, Am I free?

With the not so deserving ones taking away my seats in good institutions, Am I Free?

With the long queue outside the offices, just because someone has gone for lunch, Am I Free?

With corruption in everything around; be it
Governmental or Private, Am I Free?

With me having to watch my words because truth offends the top brass, Am I Free?

And the last of all the questions that I can put now, with me having no faith in my government, Am I free?

At this point of time, I really do not know; AM I FREE?

Independent, Oh yes I am; but the freedom we wanted; we are still the slaves of narrow mind-sets, if not outsiders then of people we call our own.

Think!!

(Confused Genius does feel patriotic, Independent
and off course Free too when she thinks of the
ones, who are fighting just to give her and many
of her like a peaceful sleep and occasions like
this to enjoy.

Salute to thee O men! If not for you; I wouldn’t
have seen the day!! )

Comments

  1. Abhilekh Dwivedi अभिलेख द्विवेदी 17 August 2013 at 06:24

    Nicely drafted n equally well versed...! Gud to c u told the truth which is so common nowadays... be it independence day or Republic day, its alwz same...! Excatly same thoughts I had expressed on same day... sad to say n to some extent I may sound pessimist but I m really not hopeful for our country in future as one of the grt country if the present scenario continues, especially with the kind of issues u have mentioned..!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown17 August 2013 at 06:35

    Dear unknown, do not take pessimism in wrong stride, the one who sees the fault is the one who can correct it too :-)

    ReplyDelete

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