So another 15th August has come and gone. For all those whom it wasn't just a day to sleep late or enjoy a day off from work, what was it?
Are you celebrating the 'day'? What exactly are you celebrating?
Independence? Freedom? Freedom from what?
Yes India got its independence from the British about 63 years ago. That was a day to rejoice, but what are you rejoicing about today?
We have simply gone from the British rule to the rule of our very 'promising' upholders of the constitution and their governments. Not to mention the dramatic opposition party(s), who nonetheless oppose everything as, isn't that what they are sitting there for? Surely not the welfare of the citizens and the future of the country??
Slamming someone for simply voicing an opinion and yet sit around like zombies when insane people bomb, shoot and create massacre here. Talking about quick decisions and yet taking 15 years to solve a case and pass a judgment.
So coming back to my point, what are you celebrating exactly? Do you still believe you are independent? Of course you do.
You can argue on a very practical ground that 'what the government does, doesn't really affect me personally so I am still Independent', fair enough. I'll give that much to you.
I respect your sentiments of jumping up and down with the 'Tiranga' in your hand screaming "Happy Independence Day" I really do. Just don't talk about personal freedom when you are actually most captivated today than ever before.
Not making sense?
So you are celebrating freedom are you? Freedom from the British who you haven't even probably been around to see but yes freedom it is. If you are so completely free today then why do you think twice before you walk with your girlfriend close to your home, holding hands, or buy a condom from your local chemist?? Scared someone might see you and demean you?
Still worried about what the damn society will say, when you take any decision, even before you consider your own happiness?
Hold bias' against a certain community or stereotype a section of people, that makes you walk with pure fear or hatred in their areas, or when they are near? But you definitely are free. Yes you are.
Suffer from insecurities, low-self esteem, can't perform well because you fear you aren't good enough, or someone will be better? Can’t stand up for yourself?
The very common peer\ parental\ spouse\ office\ colleague pressure. Scared of their rebuke, so start to think and act like them, forgetting who you really are?
Fear for your health, of course. Now that's a good thing! But walk around with a mask or with bottles of sanitizer and yet in the peak of monsoon you just can't stop from eating at that tasty roadside joint, and then wonder why the hell you fell ill!
Yes such independent people. Simply can't rid selves of habits. What about addictions, like booze, hookah or smoking? Come how many ever new years and their resolutions you justify to yourself saying, it's not that bad or it's actually quite cool??
Ironic isn't it how we at such a simple, personal level itself aren't free or independent of our various thoughts, habits and the people in our lives, and yet we run at the first chance to display so-called patriotism on such Independence days?
A country or a nation as a whole isn't really independent in the true sense until each of its citizens are free from the thousands of problems that hold us back like, hypocrisy, ignorance, indifference, etc. Problems within us, which when thrown out will make all the difference in the world. That day you won't find the need to sing a 'Vande Mataram', jump
with a flag or message your entire contact list saying "Happy Independence day" because that day you will truly be aware of the fact, you will be living the fact. There's no need then to say it out loud or prove it to the whole world… Because then everyday is your Independence Day!
You described every natural human characteristic there is and labelled it as a sign of being "captivated" (sic). Fear, insecurity, embarrassment and wanting to 'fit in' are all perfectly human feelings. So dont preach; we are all fighting our own demons. Unless spewing regurgitated neo-philosophy is some sort of catharsis for you. I dont think it does a blog much good to be so sanctimonious. Anyone who think they know what's good for others...who has tried 'social engineering' to establish a perfect society: Hitler, Mao or Sanjay Gandhi, have only failed.
ReplyDelete:D amazin.. you know, weird thin is, i dnt msg ne1, dnt wish ne1.. dnt even reply 2 any1's msg.. i dnt think it was a big deal.. i agree with u.. half d ppl talkin n braggin abt independance n hw patriotic they r dnt knw half d things that happened in India durin that time.. History's imp 4 a reason.. d only day tha this day should b remembered is to remind d present n d future wat d history was.. coz unless v remember d history, d chances of it repeatin itself r greater..
ReplyDeleten i liked d fact that u took d start to a more philosophical approach.. Independence does mean total freedom.. n i agree with u.. no human can ever be free.. never.. everybody is a hypocrite.. only d degree of hypocrisy varies.. how much ever v brag that v r independant as human beings, v r not.. n we never wil b.. each f id co-dependant.. n d sooner v accept that, d better it wud b..
freedom is a feeling that we received whn the british left....and believe me fighting a common enemy is better than fighting stray idiots who impose pre historic laws with no relevance to modernity...There are flaws in every system and there are critics like you too in every system but as now a days i read theories i can say that everything written in books does not generally get applied in reality where the rules of the game are real and not stimulated in the mind of the person creating it and we got to understand that to beat the system is the job of the corrupt and anti social but to be in the system and change it for good is the duty of every citizen and as for your rational that we are afraid of the society think again that ours is a traditional society in which collective descision making still is dominant and to have choices and even falling in love and buying condoms :D is an individual choice we have to respect the fact that it is alteast existing ;-)...so in short cherish wht you have right now in due course it will just get better :)
ReplyDeletei didn read the whole thing bt i get wht u mean :P.....it was just a sunday with chicken on the platter and telecom industries looting us for msging :P
ReplyDeleteOk Mr. Brute.. first of all thank you for commenting and second of all it's nice to watch you jump to the defense, or attack, however putting it would satisfy you, i probably would have reacted like that too.. in fact i am going to. i am going to defend my views and perhaps try and explain to u the purpose behind my writing..
ReplyDeleteI am not preaching anything, i am simply penning my sentiments. Only someone who has experienced and accepted that they have weaknesses can acknowledge the fact that it exists in us all. and if you want to stick to ur opinion that i am preaching then so be it, but then FYI i am only preaching the battle that i am fighting, but one that i do choose to fight and not run away from.
I haven't anywhere mentioned that i am perfect. far from it actually. the reason i have addressed most of the article to 'you' is simply to aggravate sentiments which flow inside ppl.. just like u have. either they take it in or throw it out, but they will react. and that gives me more room to explain and discuss. many of those who reacted adversely to what i have written wud have breathed easier had i used terms like 'we' and 'us'. here it seems like a direct attack at 'you'.. but u forget that i read it too and when i read it, it attacks me too. i am not sure how much of that u understood but anyway moving on...
a very simple fact that i have personally noticed is that people run away from the above mentioned "captivation", deny it point blank and yet celebrate a so-called independence.
my point is very simple- comprehend the depth of the term 'independence' before you go on to jump about to rejoice it.
I agree with vaidehi.. v are all hypocritical somewhere or the other in our lives, not always perhaps bcoz we choose to but bcoz circumstances call for us to change our opinions, ideals or beliefs even if just for that one moment. therefore they say don't preach. but tell me honestly Mr. Brute. don't we all anyway? To say not to preach is a preaching in itself.. :)
The 2nd point is also very simple - continue to be hypocritical, or artificial as long as you realize that u r.. then u r still in touch with yourself. u mentioned that all of us are fighting our own demons.. but the fact remains that not all of us r.. many blame others, run away and some altogether refuse it's existence.
Finally a more larger 'moral' if u may.. when you actually 'live' what u say u believe then u will actually be enlightened to what it is. until then saying I 'believe' it, or 'love' it or 'celebrate' it means u r actually celebrating nothing. and that simply means that u have gained nothing..
it does no help 2 me personally.. i m honestly in no journey to do any kind of 'social engineering'.. evn though those few u mentioned may have been failures it still takes a lot to do what they did.. something i don't have..
I am not aiming for 'perfect' there's no fun in that, i am simply reaching out to reality.. one that desperately needs to be acknowledged..
Well said, Vigy.. But I am not blaming the system.. i am simply stating facts.. more than a critic I see myself as a rebel and it is the ones who rebel that finally bring the change.. if not anywhere else in themselves at least.. i m trying too :)..
ReplyDeletei am not blaming society.. i make the society too, i am part of it and i am not an anti-social.. Yet :)
being in the society, living in the society i am simply stating what i have observed , albeit too harshly, one that may seem like i believe i am better off, but i m sure u know me better :)..
Someone said to me after reading this that it is very easy to talk .. y don't u 'do' something. but define 'do'.. it is a very relative and subjective term. what maybe a satisfactorily 'done' thing for you may not be for someone else.. there will never be an end. and i don't so social service :) hence i am not doing for the others to observe and praise but for me personally, so that i can respect myself...
But the bottom line remains that until someone doesn't do armchair bashing.. there wouldn't continue to be such kind of laid back counter bashing :)
So enjoy the process ;)
You are adopting a more extremist view that change comes only after struggle but just imagine the fact that there is something called as dialouge and diplomacy which eventually every one has to do and i feel that is rational....i do absolutely agree too that writing inspires us but would you be the person propogating and not changing yourself ...so in that case from practical experinces i have had with you you speak but you do too so i guess your on the right track....and as for the person who says you dont do any thing needs to check their facts right....if he/she feels communism in china failed ..today it is a threat to even the united states which is the greatest power in the world Moa jst started the movent and was thr to see it rise untill he died china was already on the route to acheving economic greatness....so i also ant to say critizism should be real and not hypothetical and jst for the sake of it....negativety is even seen in your own statements then why do you blame the writer :-)?
ReplyDeleteThnx for the support vigy :)
ReplyDeleteAnd i am assuming the last two lines are addressed to that 1st guy who has commented???
I am not saying that only struggle brings change but usually it is unhappiness which inspires change and when u try to bring a change u r generally faced with obstacles as there are many social elements that are simply opposed to change.. so which leads to a struggle even though it is for the better..
"We didn't start the fire" ;)
Hmm... you have an interesting perspective on the idea of independence. I wonder how you personally define independence. Is it the freedom to do what you want? (because that's my general definition of it). If your definition is similar to mine, then the actions you mentioned earlier are not reflective of a person lacking freedom. For example, a person who is afraid to hold his girlfriend's hand in public or vice versa is choosing to do so (act of freedom). No body is forcing him/her to perform that action, sure there are repercussions involved but that's still not forcing someone to do something. Humans have a tendency to conform, I don't like accepting it, but I do it too. It stems from our species being one that depends on society for survival (or at least it did back in the days of hunters and gatherers). I think the beauty of freedom is that it's available to you regardless of your actions. You may chose to be indifferent, ignorant etc. and sure you restrict yourself but you still have the freedom, you still have the choice to accept your mistakes and change them. You have the freedom because you are not being forced to surrender your basic human rights, you are not forced to do various things such as serve your army.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, politically speaking most of the people are not free. People are forced to vote against their wishes in rural parts of India, they are forced to forsake their land for the country... You will find a greater lack of independence in the villages than in the cities.