15.8.12

Azaad Hind...sight?

"To know how to free oneself is nothing; the arduous thing is to know what to do with one's freedom."

- Andre Gide

India completes 65 years of being independent today. There are many who quote Rabindranath Tagore's poem, "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high" mindlessly. What do the feudals have to fear and will they permit their 'slaves' to hold their head high and speak out any truth, forget a truth uncomfortable to them? These are people who thrive on "narrow domestic walls". In fact, they flaunt fearlessness in opposition to those outside their own walls.

It's easy to memorise homilies and lecture others. In their slumber, they mumble "let my country awake".

And then there is this - a silence of poignant wakefulness:



- - -

I cannot do better than that. Or add to what I have already written in Despicable dogs and Independence and Lay off the National Anthem.

A Happy Independence Day to all Indians think beyond 24 hours...and look back, and ahead, with anger if needed.

6 comments:

  1. freedom is a path but never a goal

    ReplyDelete
  2. What is this elusive Azadi or, freedom?

    We wanted to be free from the oppressive rule of a foreign government. That we managed to achieve by a combination of left/right paths (debatable) on 15th August 65 years ago.

    The question we need to ask now is, 1) Are our domestic administrators doing a better job than the English?

    2) Do our Leaders want a better India, or, have other selfish goals?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy independence day I guess...we could have been miserable together.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amitabha:

    65 years alters a lot of things. So...

    There cannot be a comparison between our administrators and the British. In some ways, we inherited the attitude of obeisance towards book-keepers.

    Leaders do have selfish goals. If in the process they have some hopes for bettering the country, then it is not a lost case.

    The dynamics of colonial rule and rule by our own are different, not better or worse.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Meriam:

    Happy independence day I guess...we could have been miserable together.

    Ah, we are miserable anyway. Never mind that, I still lhuubbe you even when you go away...

    Rizwan:

    Yeah, so free we fly on our journey and land with a thud at the destination. Okay? Badhiya hai...

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Britisher's colonial rule was designed to drain India's resources and send it to their country.

    Now that we have our Azadi, political leaders are still keeping the draining intact, only to fill their Swiss-a/c_s. But since we have the power to vote, and leaders have the convenience of getting elected, newer leaders take turns to suckle in each tenure.

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.