What it means to India today?

With every August 15, when we celebrate the spirit of independence, away from the blaring <g data-gr-id="72">loud speakers</g>, loop promos of patriotic movies on TV and songs on radio channels to commemorate our Independence Day, I have been wondering beyond patriotism and democracy… What does Independence mean to us today? What is the true colour of independence? 

The dictionary would define the term as, the fact or state of being independent; freedom from dependence. On an occasion as such it’s a desire to seek the truth behind this strong word, this deep feeling of ‘independence’. 

As a school going kid, most of us would have the desire to ‘grow up’. Adding years to life would naturally lead to doing a job and gaining financial independence. But after working for more than a decade and watching the consumerism around, I am sure that you too believe, we are all turning India into an EMI nation. “EMI is like the sachet revolution in the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) category,” said B Narayanaswamy, consumer insight expert and consultant at Ipsos Research. “It simply extends reach.” Hence, as long as the salaries are filling up our bank accounts, the EMI and other spending tools (read Credit Cards) are ensuring that we are spending even before we are earning! Will this ever lead to the true ‘financial independence’? Makes us think.

Thinking further, the freedoms of speech and the right to expression have been stumped in too many occasions. The recent unfortunate incidents of the Bangladeshi bloggers have proved beyond doubt that the world will never be ready to hear what it chooses to be blind to! We are living in a time when we are made to be alert and conscious. As human <g data-gr-id="75">beings</g> we choose to tailor our speech according to the demand of the situation. Can independence be truly justified if there is a constant pressure to please? Can independence be achieved if one has to curtail the thoughts and action based on the premonition of the outcome!

The liberty to be what you want to be and do what your heart desires is surely a feeling of freedom. But we are a social animal. Rules, norms, social acceptance make our lives. The heart is meant to be tamed. Our emotions have to be curtailed. Our desires have to be burnt to ensure our fitment in the circuit. Many a times, we choose our movements not based on our own will but based on the demand of the situations or relationships. Independence is a feeling that feels great to hold onto yet sometimes it’s a battle we fight within us and sacrifice for the sake of peace. Independence thus becomes an illusion.

In a quest to achieve the taste of true independence, I have realised that as long as our head is shrouded by the cloud of worries, fear, anxiety, animosity; independence is a <g data-gr-id="70">farfetched</g> dream. To attain the optimum level of peace, the mind has to learn to relax. If only small joys can be accumulated, one can achieve bigger happiness. Independence of an individual is a state of mind and I choose to share the lines penned by the Nobel Laureate Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore before India’s Independence, it represents Tagore’s dream of how the new, awakened India should be, to fight and chase the British from India. Free India was a dream for all and our own freedom, our independence lies within us.