August 15, 2011
August 15 is here. Time once again to put our country under the scanner and see where we have gone right, where we have gone wrong, and where we have not gone anywhere at all. India is too vast and complex to allow such scrutiny, but of late, there seems to be a wave of change sweeping across the country.
The India we see today is a resurgent nation, a nation that refuses to sit back and relax. The typical ‘chalta hai’ attitude is slowly disappearing, not altogether, but in flashes. It is a country constantly on the move (direction notwithstanding), a country which, even when immersed in scams can still show progress, a country where corrupt politicians have at last begun to feel the cold floor of the Tihar jail, and some others are on their way. It is where the young have decided not to tolerate a corrupt system anymore, where injustice is no longer the norm, but an impetus to fight for one’s rights. Yes, India 2011 is quite different.
And yes, ‘corruption’ is the buzzword, the term that has come to define the Indian political scene over the past year or so. Corruption, and scam. Together, they have made an entire nation sit up and actually take notice of what has been going on forever under their very noses. Corruption is nothing new, it has always existed in some form or another. I have no doubt that some ancestor of ours too might have bribed his fellow tribesman with an extra piece of rabbit meat to get the best cave in the vicinity. Today of course, it takes a little more than that to get the traffic policeman off your back. But then, thank god for a corrupt system, or else every other citizen would have been either wallowing in jail or cursing the uselessness of money.
Sarcasm apart, the crusade against corruption by the modern Gandhis of the Civil Society, despite all the criticism it has been generating and all the controversies it has been courting, is a step that Indians wanted someone to take. Keeping everything aside, the very idea of protesting against the practice of corruption itself is a novel one, and one that India has always thirsted for. Freedom from corruption is not easily achievable, in fact hardly so, and in a country like ours it would be nearly impossible. Yet, if the movement were able to change the conscience of a country, it would more than achieve its aim. However, the direction it has currently taken, from being an honest fight against corruption to a blatant exchange of allegations, threats and a flurry of abuses between the government and Team Anna, it seems to have wavered in its purpose, and is already losing popularity. One wonders if this too will end up like any other ordinary protest, though on a bigger stage and ten times the drama.
The Janlokpal Bill is seen as a revolution of sorts - it may be or may not be, but merely a Bill or Act would not make a difference unless we, the people, also act. Let’s stop bribing the local officials, the tahsildars, the watchmen, the traffic policemen, the peons and the inspectors. Let us not bow down to circumstances and give in to their demands. It’s the ordinary citizens who need to take over the reins from politicians and run the country – by being an informed public, by practicing integrity and not succumbing to temptations, and playing an active role in the nation building process. Easier said than done, yes, but change has to start from us. From you and from me. When that happens, we would not need any Hazares or Kejriwals to stand up for us, we would be powerful enough to do it ourselves.
The nation stands on the threshold of yet another Independence Day – 64 times it has come and gone, and most of the time, for most of us, it has meant little more than patriotic singing competitions and flag hoisting in school, holiday from work, a day in front of the TV or out with friends, and at most, SMS and greetings on Facebook. It is going to remain that way, no doubt, but give a moment to reflect – we are one of the lucky ones in the world to be able to walk the streets without the fear of being shot at or chased, of resting comfortably in our homes without worrying that a bomb may explode in our garden any moment, of being certain that our loved ones would return home in the evening. For all that, Independence Day deserves to be celebrated with full vigour.
For all that and more, Happy Independence Day to all. The value of freedom is best known to those who do not have it. So cherish your freedom, defend it when it’s under threat, respect the freedom of others, and just be good Indians.
Celebrating Freedom: