As India celebrates its 69th Independence Day and we cherish the freedom that we have won, we should delve into our thoughts and ask, “Are we really free?” We are free from British Raj and Rowlatt Acts indeed, but is our mindset free?
We are still driven by our superstitions, blind beliefs, narrow thinking, orthodoxy, racism, sexism and rigid thoughts. We have divided ourselves into countless religions, caste, creeds and sections; and have forgotten the basic religion of humanity and empathy. It’s really surprising that a nation which was ruled by the policy of “Divide and Rule” for almost two centuries, has divided itself into immiscible races being ruled by oblivion. We still think of our daughters as liability, we judge people on the basis of caste and region, some of us even kill in the name of honor and race, we respect white color and disfavor the black, we think that English is a criterion for intelligence, and worst of all ‘we don’t do anything to change ourselves’. We have surrendered to mental slavery, haven’t we?
Come on India, let us take up a fight once again! After 69 years of our independence, let’s battle against the layer of corrosion that has surfaced our minds, let us open up the windows of our minds and make the sacrifices of our heroes worthy. After all, it’s not just the land, rivers, mountains or deserts that define a nation, it’s the people who reside in it and actually shape it.
May we make India a better home for us, for the generations to come!
Shubhamastu! (शुभमस्तु!) 🙂