We Celebrate Independence Day But Are We Truly Free?

Now that we have completed 71 years of independence, I am sure it makes each one of us
proud to be a citizen of a democratic country like India. India is the largest democracy in the
world. The Constitution of India gives its citizens six rights known as the Fundamental Rights.
We have the:

1.  RIGHT TO FREEDOM
2.  RIGHT TO EDUCATION AND CULTURE
3.  RIGHT AGAINST EXPLOITATION
4.  RIGHT TO EQUALITY
5.  RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION
6.  RIGHT TO CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDIES

We have the rights and we do exercise them in the most appropriate way, but are we truly free?

We did get freedom on 15 August 1947 from the British Rule but now we have to get freedom

from a whole lot of social evils and problems that have their stronghold in India.

What I feel is that India will become independent when we are free from corruption which has to

be wiped off from the grass root level. In whichever sector we go, starting from the clerk level to

the higher officials, everyone is corrupt. They openly demand money in order to get work done.

Even in schools to get a child admitted we need to pay a certain amount of money to these

various levels, from the receptionist to the Principal.

Education is yet another necessary step towards Independent India – a nation where people are

literate, have jobs, where through the medium of education they can rise up in the hierarchy and

live a respectable life as others. Even today untouchables or people from schedule castes,

schedule tribes and other backward classes are not given the rights due to which they are

ill-treated and get abused, not just verbally but also physically. Untouchables even today in

villages have to resort to manual scavenging in order to earn a living.

The crime rate has increased in the cities; not just women are being molested, teased on the

way they dress, but also old age people and children are a victim of such crimes. Old women

are molested and raped by rickshaw pullers, auto drivers, servants and even acquaintances.

There was a time when the aged were worshipped, were looked after; the irony is that now they

are treated as a burden and left to live in dilapidated old-age homes.

Today when we do not even cherish or respect what we have, rather we try to exploit it in any

which way possible. Then how can we say that India is independent in the true sense of the

word? Until and unless we eradicate all these social evils, completely get rid of them I

personally cannot term India as independent. For me the day everyone has access to the rights

that are their due, everyone is treated equal, manual scavenging isn’t required by anybody,

male-female ratio is equal, the aged people are no more a burden but respected the way they

should be, women are not exploited or treated as commodities, people are educated, poverty is

eradicated and employment opportunities are available to one and all, it is on that day that India

will be truly independent for me.

by WV