Tuesday, August 12, 2008

61st Birthday to our FREEDOM

15 th August is just 2 days away and right now what people must be thinking is "how to spend the holiday". The Indian Independence Day has merely become a matter of another holiday, the day when people can sleep till late hours and then enjoy with their kith and kin. However, honestly speaking, I really do not blame them. That one day, all broadcast and print media will make sure that they sing the songs of praise for our freedom fighters, they show movies that they feel can motivate the Indians. But does FREEDOM really mean that? Should we just celebrate the freedom of our nation only that one day when it achieved it? Is the true essence of freedom so short lived that the very next day we forget that we are the free citizens of a free democratic country? Well, if discussed, this debate can go on and on and on but however, the end result might just turn out to be as hollow as we the citizens of free India today are.

The true essence or the flavor of freedom is to be able to take your country to that position where our freedom fighters had dreamt of when they were selflessly fighting at the war front. Freedom fighters are not only those people, who led the battle but also those ones, who had the conviction in their leaders and fought the battle with a smile on their face and with the hope that one day they would see their flag hoisted high. However, today freedom has taken some just other meaning. Today, freedom means the power of self indulgence, the power to hold your head up even after committing gruesome crimes, killing people in the name of religion and God and being selfish.

I would be turning 25 years exactly 3 days after our Independence Day and in these 25 years of my life I have seen only degradation. When in school, I used to be thrilled about Independence Day because I got the scope to recite some of the great poems about freedom and hold a flag in my hand and to sing our national anthem. Today, I can bet that the same things are repeated in all schools and offices and colleges declare this day as a holiday. For the past 3 years I have been living in the capital city of the country and still never had the chance to visit RED FORT on the Independence Day because my parents, who live in Calcutta are scared that terrorists for sure will be in action. Isn't this a real shame. It is my country, my country's freedom day and I am scared of stepping out of the house because of some people, who according to them, are fighting their freedom battle? Have they really understood the meaning of freedom? Am I really free? Have I understood the real flavor of freedom? What do I do when I see kids, who probably can't even speak clearly begging on the roads? I give them a 2 rupee coin and is that my only responsibility towards the country?

I really don't want to blame our leaders or the media people, who try to lead and inform us because it is we, who have given them the power to do whatever they want to. It is we, who have given them the thought that this is their country and not ours'. It is we, who have not understood the real meaning of freedom. It is we, who need to understand the true meaning of this day and it is we, who need to celebrate 15th AUGUST everyday because we have got the freedom but we need to earn FREEDOM. I know that most of you, who will read this post might feel that it is easy to say than to do but if we all are ready to take up our responsibilities as individuals, then we will have 2 billion people serving this nation that it yet to see the true essence of freedom. I definitely will.