The idea called India
The relevance of the date August 15, 1947 can be emphasized as many times as possible, and it would still not be enough. August 15 brings with it an opportunity for all the citizens of India to relish the indescribable charm and joy associated with the day. Amid all the achievements and downfalls over the past 7-8 decades, the Independence Day privileges us to get above everything, take a pause, and align our pursuits with the vision and dream of India put forth by those who sacrificed their all in bringing the freedom glory to their mother nation. It takes immense pride to recollect, time and again, how, from a nation so deeply entangled in the quagmire of poverty, illiteracy, and underdevelopment, we have reached a point where we see ourselves being counted among the most prosperous and developed nations of the world in near future. This sense of pride coincides with the theme of Independence Day, 2024 — ‘Viksit Bharat’.
The theme is a tribute not just to the freedom fighters of India who, with their pious blood and sweat, laid the foundation of a glorious nation that is counted amongst the most formidable ones today, but also to the post-Independence political leaders whose ingenuity and deftness gave shape to the nation in the making. With all the prevailing vulnerabilities of the time, this was a gargantuan task that demanded the resolve of a steel frame. Despite inevitable human follies, the leaders of post-Independent India played their part to optimum perfection. One also cannot be more thankful to all the Indian citizens to date, who, reflecting the ingenious tradition of this land of enlightenment and perseverance, produced farmers, teachers, doctors, scientists, engineers, businessmen, labourers and whatnot towards building an India as it is today.
And now when it is time to take yet another leap encompassing all fronts, the ruling dispensation at the Centre has taken upon itself to lay the foundation of a ‘developed India’ — a status expected to materialise by the centenary year of Indian Independence i.e., 2047. This vision is fraught with towering challenges on multiple fronts but one can still rest assured, given India’s exemplary legacy of confronting and conquering challenges in a characteristic swagger of its own.
The Prime Minister has described farmers, youth, women, and the poor as the ‘four pillars of developed India.’ The guest list for 78th Independence Day celebration at the historic Red Fort is dominated by these categories. Of the total 4,000 special guests, 1,000 are expected to be from the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare category, 600 from the Youth Affairs category, 300 from the Women and Child Development category, and 300 from Panchayati Raj and Rural Development category.
Ironically, the very ‘four pillars’ appear to be crumbling under the weight of ruling dispensation. Farmers, youth, women, and the poor have taken to the streets of India over the past couple of years. India’s growth story is full of paradoxes. While the Centre passed the landmark Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, allowing 1/3rd reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state legislatures, the extreme incidents of rape and gender violence continue unabated. Even as we celebrate the 78th Independence Day, the nation is in shock and despair after the extremely brutal rape of a 32-year-old in Kolkata. While the government is intent upon doubling the income of farmers, the nation witnessed the farmers’ protest of unprecedented scale just a couple of years ago. While the youth has been the buzzword in 21st-century India, unemployment is scaling with each passing day — throwing India’s demographic dividend in a state of turmoil. While the government’s self-cooked data doesn’t tire of announcing a reduction in multidimensional poverty, India continues to lag behind on critical global parameters — from hunger to happiness and whatnot. While the government has been pushing infrastructure development at an unprecedented scale, bridges are falling like ninepins, trains derailing, hoardings collapsing, airport roofs crumbling, and the list is long. After India inaugurated its new Parliament building last year, it also witnessed the record suspension of opposition MPs. While India aspires to become a vibrant sporting nation, wrestlers were dragged on the streets of the national capital not long ago.
The government and the people must act in collaboration to weed out these paradoxes for a positive outcome, and take the nation to the aspired state of development. The challenges are surmountable, and the determination of Indians undefeatable. Away from the paradoxes that will hopefully see their end sooner than later, India has a lot to celebrate on this auspicious day — rising strides in the space sector, a formidable international presence, a stable economy, an exemplary democratic system that has stood the test of time, the diversity that has defied attempts of division to ensure unity, the art & culture which is as old as it is new and refreshing. Above all, we have a very hard-won Independence that is worth celebrating, preserving, and fighting for. Happy Independence Day to all the awesome Indians, and those who celebrate the idea called India!
