We were ruled for hundreds of years before we got independence on this day in 1947. As we got independence the responsibility of governance came on our shoulders.  It is well known that the freedom struggle was not fought by only a few selected leaders rather it was equally participated by people from all walks of life, all communities and regions of the country.  Hence it was obvious that each citizen would have an equal share in the governance of this country. That is why the intellectuals and leaders of the movement wanted new rules and principles to build a vibrant and inclusive democracy. That is how the constitution came in to being. The constitution makers wanted to ensure that the emerging political system must reflect the diversity in the society and must respect the culture, tradition and other social challenges.

PM Manmohan Singh addressing the nation from Red Fort

The country today celebrates 65th anniversary of the independence. In last 64 years each year the Prime Minister of the country hoists the national tricolour and addresses to the nation as Dr. Manmohan Singh did today.  These addresses normally entail the contemporary challenges before the nation and the government’s approach in dealing with those. Invariably the Prime Minister counts the policy measures as if they have been doing a great favour to the nation and to its people.

We must be reminded that despite traversing a significant distance in economic development we have not been able to sustain the notion and euphoria of freedom that we felt in 1947. The concept and interpretation of freedom has changed.  Most people are reluctant to talk about freedom.  The mode of celebrating the Independence Day has changed and it will not be an exaggeration to brand the celebration as a mere formality that lacks substance.  The constitutional promise of working for the interest of the people as the guiding principle has been substituted by the protection of the interest of the ruling class.

The Lokpal’s unsuccessful journey in the last four decades is indicative of the vested interest that the government in power always wants to protect. The UPA-II is no different. This morning’s address where the Prime Minister has mentioned about the futility of fasting as a method of political protest is nothing but closing down the doors on non-violent struggles in the country.  So what option remains to demonstrate political dissent? Naxalites have taken up arms and some Muslim youth have been radicalized. If we say that the state has failed to deliver justice and has closed the doors of grievance redressal then someone in the government can brand us as sympathizers of Maoism and fundamentalism and stake claim for itself as the biggest protector of human rights and justice.  If the government is really serious about grievance redressal let it bring a law to ensure the Right to Justice.

Let the government know that failure of the State leads to social movements. If you don’t allow peaceful protests to express political and policy dissent irrespective of the protestors’ political affiliation and motive, the state is contradicting its offer of dialogue with the Maoists.

This is the first part of a series of articles. The remaining articles will feature on this site throughout 2011 on each weekend. The authors are affiliated to Initiative for Nationalism, Secularism and Affirmative Action Network (INSAAN). Afroz is also the Editor (Investigation)of BH.

Dhanushree Kulshreshtha for BeyondHeadlines

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake”-

(Rabindranath Tagore in Gitanjali, published in 1913)

These remarkable words that were written much before the independence of India in 1947, represent the deep patriotism and a sense of responsibility that was engraved in the heart of every Indian citizen thriving for freedom and overall development of the nation.

From the fight for ‘Purna Swaraj’ (complete freedom) based on the principles of non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi, the craving to save our ‘Sone ki chidiya’ (golden bird) from the British Raj and the atrocious zamindars, the inevitable act to counter exploitation of the poor and helpless brothers and the saddening experience of partition of one land into two countries; we have, indeed, come a long way.

These 64 years have seen an immense development in terms of the nation’s economic, political and social progress. The Zamindari system has been abolished. The nation has experienced nearly 9% growth rate recently due to the economic reforms in 1991 and thereafter. Education has now become a priority with increased awareness among the masses. The infrastructure facilities have also seen a remarkable development with India having the third largest road network (3,314 million kilometer) in the world and the fourth largest rail network (64,215 kilometer) after the United States, Russia and China.

India has also progressed appreciatively in the fields of science and technology, sports and art and culture.

A nation that is home to a population of 1.21 billion people, who follow different religious practices, culture and tradition, seems to be a blissful place to live in with this “Unity in Diversity”. But is that so?

Sometimes this very term “Unity in Diversity” seems to be fictitious enough as a long lost dream that Mr Tagore wanted to convey through his inspirational words. Yes, we have come a long way. But one needs to reflect: a Long Way to gain what?

And the answer would stare one in the dark. This is because, 64 years down the line, we all stand at a juncture where the nation’s progress has been thwarted by multiple scams and scandals, in which crores of rupees are spent by our chosen leaders for their own selfish needs. Be it the CommonWealth Games, which now, instead of being a memorable event or a source of pride for the nation, remains just those 1.76 lakh crore rupees that were illegally spent. Or be it the Adarsh Housing Society Scam, in which the homes, which were to be allotted to the families of the jawans, were used by political leaders for their families. Or the 2G scam where the spectrum was auctioned at lower rates to the companies like Swan and Unitech. Or the multi-crore Dal Scam in Orissa. And now, it is the farmers’ land that is being targeted in different parts of the nation like Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Noida to set up industries and highways and expressways.

Corruption has seeped in at every level, and it seems to be an inevitable evil. The Lokpal Bill that is still to be formulated focusing on the rights of each and every citizen to live in a corruption-ridden state, has recently taken a more significant turn. Social Activist Anna Hazare’s fight for such a nation has seen the support of citizens belonging to different age-groups. The people are eager to carve out a way that can lead to the formulation of a just state where every citizen has sufficient resources to survive and the gap in the income levels decrease through an equal distribution.

At present, the situation appears grave. Thirty-seven percent Indians still live below the poverty line (BPL); the literacy rate is just 64.48% and the sex ratio has worsened in several states like Haryana, Bihar and Jharkhand (according to the 2011 census). Inflation has touched a double digit figure of around 10%. Watching these figures, one is immediately shocked and forced to think: Did we really ‘progress’ in the past 64 years?

What is the difference between the Zamindari system, which existed before independence, and today’s atrocious police attacks on farmers who are protesting to get back their land? What is the difference if infanticide exists even today and the girl child is killed even among the educated class? What is the difference if child marriages are held even today in the remote villages of Rajasthan?

The partition of India, in which thousands of people lost their lives, has taken an ugly turn with the issue being outraged by terrorist attacks, which are mostly attributed to Pakistani organisations. The nation has frequently shaken by terrorist attacks in its metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai. The attacks in three key areas of Mumbai’s Opera House, popular jewelry market Zaveri Bazaar and Dadar last month are the most recent incidents, in which many innocent people were killed. Such incidents have rendered the people in a state of fear. Moreover, the security system of the nation seems to be flawed. This is because instead of punishing the real culprits, the innocent youth are targeted and harassed in many such cases. There has been a lack of justice in every arena, thwarting the development of the nation.

However, there have been attempts to improve the situation at every level. The government programmes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and MNREGA have been significantly contributed in spreading awareness, education and employment, but still much needs to be done. What is required is a more balanced implementation of developmental programmes and schemes so that people belonging to each and every section of the nation are rendered justice, be it the farmers, entrepreneurs, students, social workers no matter, poor or rich.

Only thriving for equal distribution of resources can lead to the real development of the nation and its citizens. Then we can truly celebrate the freedom of the nation, not only from the British Raj but from evils like corruption, unemployment, illiteracy, poverty, infanticide and injustice, and justify the meaning of the words through which Rabindranath Tagore described the independence much before 1947.

Shaikh Zoaib Saleem for BeyondHeadlines

The idea was to write something about Independence Day and independence. A thought reversed the idea, and I began writing about the “Days in Dependence”!!! The thought was derived from a call I received just before starting to write. “Kal ‘chutti’ hai na?,” a friend asked.

Enthusiastic, energetic and educated – the youth of India are the face of the nation that feels proud of its past and is confident of its future, though, is struggling in its present. The very same youth, for whom the Independence Day that came out to be on a Monday is nothing more than “an extended weekend.”

With the recent developments in the political and social landscape of India, the political and social future of the country appears to be bleak. But now there is spark in the hearts of people. They have realised that our biggest enemy is corruption. They have started speaking, writing and even asking about it to the people at the helm of affairs.

The young India, though addicted to weekends, extended weekends and even Facebook, is stepping out of the conventional chase for the government babu jobs. They are rising above jobs and are coming out with entrepreneurial ventures, even with social entrepreneurial ventures. They have realised that they themselves should tap the ‘second largest market in the world’ instead of letting others do that. They are optimistic of a stable economic future of the country.

At the same time, there is a young India, which raises voice against injustice being done to them, their communities and tribes. This young India is educated and also uneducated, struggling for an identity or against an identity. They are often abused by and for vested interests. But they are, to a large extent, helpless and hoping for things to be better in the future.

We are a nation that is called young. But we are also a nation that is now being called corrupt. “We are not independent,” many of my friends say that, “we have become dependent on corruption, ‘sources’ and Jugaad.” Independence is a rarity, and it is a luxury, which only the rich can afford in a country like ours. The rest are among my friends.

The former young India is dominant and is more discussed, projected and considered. This is where the balance is getting disturbed. The unity in diversity factor here appears to have reduced to the diversity in economic and social sense only. This is where the youth of both young India’s need to come forward to build a confluence of balance, respect, trust and togetherness. And the confluence will be called, according to me, an Independent India free from the ugly dependencies.

But we may still celebrate our freedom, not Independence, from the British as our forefathers have sacrificed many things that we cannot even imagine. And we should not stop being optimistic for pessimism is a poison that leads to cynicism, which is death.

(Zoaib is a Delhi-based journalist and cab be contacted at zoaib415@gmail.com)

“A moment  comes ,which comes but rarely in history , when we step out from old to new … India discovers herself again,” Pandit Jawaher Lal Nehru.

On the eve of 15 august 1947,  J L Nehru’s a famous “Tryst with Destiny” speech marked the beginning of an independent India with words which symbolize triumph and a new hope.

India won its freedom from the clutches of the British Empire through continuous and untiring struggle against those, who were exploiting not only the people of India but its resources too for two centuries.

Thousands were martyred, many women widowed and sons and daughters orphaned.

When Pandit Nehru unfurled the tricolour at the Red Fort in New Delhi, as thousands watched him in excitement and joy and paid tribute to martyrs who have given the free India as a gift to the Indians.

However, this hard fought freedom did not come easy. India was partitioned and the communal violence that followed saw lakhs killed. Its scar still felt in the psyche of the two nations.

And now India has completed 64years of her age, at this moment when we are celebrating the 65^th independence day with joy, there is no doubt that in 64 years, India has certainly achieved what many countries could not. With 8.5% GDP India is now an emerging economy.

Besides all these, has India achieved the real freedom which Nehru spoke of in his historic “Tryst with destiny?”

It is still to win its freedom from corruption and scams – the 2G, CWG, Bofors, Adarsh, etc. Poverty is still high, and India has the dubious distinction of highest number of poor citizens in a single country. The stigma of the caste system still punctures all talks of inclusiveness and equality. Communal harmony and mutual trust is still wanting.

Old age of ‘bondage’ thus persists, a period of misfortune has not completely ended and quest for New Age will continue till then.

The struggle for a freedom “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; where knowledge is free; (and) where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls” that Rabindranath Tagore speaks of still continues.

(Anjum completed his Masters in History from Jamia Millia Islamia)

As another Independence Day approaches us, I try to make out what it means to feel independent under the shadow fear and death.

When you hail from a conflict zone area, there is very little chance that you get to experience the finer things in life that the people from the rest of the country experience. And here I must say, we feel left out while trying to experience the true feeling of freedom and fearlessness.

Ever since violence engulfed Assam more than twenty years ago, life became pretty drastic for my generation who were born in the middle of that era. Curfews by the army, calls for strikes by the militants and other such groups were the order of the day. Not that the activities of the mainstream Indian public was much of a concern for us before that, but atleast we did not have to remain holed up in our houses for fear of being hit by an army bullet or be blown apart by the bomb of a militant.

Independence Day, even today, is a day to stay indoors. Though the fear of a militant threat looms large, the fear has subsided largely in the last ten years as the situation has improved greatly. My earliest memories of Independence Day was hoisting the national flag early in the morning on the day and saluting it with pride as a child in the lawn of our house. Then came the diktat of the militants forbidding such activities and so since then the flag has remained tucked inside an almirah in the house ever since.

On every Independence Day we used to watch the Prime Minister on the TV giving his speech from the Red Fort. Why is there such a boring speech every year? Can’t we have a colourful parade instead? Doesn’t he get tired of making the same empty promises every year? Why doesn’t he ever ask the people of the nation to rise up against diktats that forbid them from celebrating their own Independence Day?

Such questions have often clouded my mind during childhood. And they still do even today. As a child I could never really connect with the feeling of being an independent citizen. And all this, while people continued to die, either from the bombs of the militants or the bullets of the army.

My first taste of a real Independence Day celebration happened when I moved to Delhi for my graduation. I will never forget the first moment when I saw the innumerable kites flying in the sky. I had never seen anything like this. For the first time I realized what we had been missing so far. For the first time I realized that we were leading such miserable lives back home that we remained holed up in our houses while the rest of the India rejoices.

Today the situation is much calmer in Assam. The security presence is less. There is a lesser threat from militants due to the factionalism that has crept up in the militant groups. The city of Guwahati seems much more developed then what it was ten years ago. I have more reasons to feel happy for my people today. Though we may not be in a position to hold a colourful parade on the streets for this day as the danger of death is totally not out. But we can definitely roam out and not be questioned by every other army man if we are terrorists.

There is still a lot to be done. The central government kept its back turned on us for most years after independence. Today the situation is definitely not like that. We have strong reasons to remain with India and contribute immensely for the development of the overall Indian fabric. Today the rest of the India is experiencing the same situation which had been facing for the last many years. Security is a big concern today. But I believe that there is no threat that we as a people cannot overcome. And we the Assamese people can always lend a helping hand in this regard.

All I want on this day is that nobody should be scared to celebrate the Independence Day of their own nation. If you feel for it, you must go for it. And with this I boot off the stupid diktats of the militants and hereby look forward to waving the national flag on this Independence Day.

Happy Independence Day to all of you. Vande Mataram!

(Joydeep is a media professional from Assam, working in New Delhi. Currently he is at home on vacation. Views expressed are that of the author)

When we got ‘freedom’ in 1947 or when we became a republic in 1950 we had a population of 37 crores approximately. The percentage of those below poverty level, if we had a means to ascertain, assuming the figure of population was more realistic then, must have been, for a lay man’s estimate not more than 15%, say roughly 55million. Today country’s population is 120 crore. More than 4 times!

Percentage of those below poverty level, again an estimate of a layman, is at least 41%. What economy, what growth, or what super power are we talking about?

Whether we can call our country, I am afraid, as Super corrupt, an expertise to pickle everything in corruption. Population now living under poverty level is double the population of the whole country in 1950. This has defied all economic projections and experts’ findings!

Even an astrologer will find it difficult to predict that our country would be healed of all its ailment ever unless a miracle happens that would end corruption, unwillingness of the authority to work hard and deliver, see purpose and need for doing a thing rather than brooding around to delay, neglect and harass the public with a view to earn illegal gains are all done away with, needless to mention that every one attend diligently to the work assigned to him.   

The drums (common men) take all the beatings and the drummer (ruling class, business elites) receives all accolades.

Alleviation of poverty is just a mirage – more the authority claims to do, more remains to be done!

It is scam era where every second day we hear about a new scam, complicity between politicians and big corporate houses who only think of their balance sheet. The situation is going haywire.

And the common man is just a spectator to these high profile games. As people raise voice against one issue, there arise a second matter which needs urgent consideration and the memory of people and media is short lived.

There is very little follow ups on any story in media.

 Often what is served in the name of news is plain entertainment. There is little in-depth analysis. People don’t want to know why infant mortality rate in India is so high and why the clean drinking water problem is increasing day by day.

Media is more concern about TRP. Bollywood or cricket grabs more eyes balls then says farmer suicides. Entertainment news, as it is produced, is easily available, requires little research and small budget but often gets you higher TRPs.

 Corrupt politicians would never want either their pay masters or fellow leaders to be prosecuted. Readymade excuses, citing laws, rules, privileges, are made even if there is sufficient proof. Many are even afraid to speak up.

Media and people at large are evading their social responsibilities which may cost dear to them.

(Hashim is a MBA graduate from Malegaon, Mahrashtra.)

 I congratulate all countrymen on the ‘Independence Day’ but till we get freedom from corruption and terrorism, this freedom is incomplete. Let all of us strive for getting freedom from evils. Money meant to run the govt and development has been diverted to foreign banks.

 War to get freedom from corruption is war between good and evil, Ram and Ravan and Pandavs and Kauravs.  Such rare moments comes once in our life and let us not miss the opportunity. The government has tried to crush the crusaders against black money at Ramlila ground that too at night recently but let us ensure that this time; they do not succeed in its evil designs by repeating the same.

 If we have Dhiristraj at the helm of affairs, some Bhishmpitamahs are supporting the Kauravas to keep their vow intact of supporting a party nourished by great Gandhi ji, second freedom struggle seems to be imminent.  This is the time for all the right thinking people to analyze the situation for the sake of their motherland, which is above all other consideration.

After the departure of British from India, corruption in the country marked its commencement from the Jeep Scandal in 1948, in which the main accused was VK Krishna Menon, the then high commissioner of India in the United Kingdom. From then onward, India witnessed number scandals by the leaders of the country. Earlier, bribe was paid to get wrong things done, but nowadays paying bribe has become customary for getting right things done.

Corruption is not only associated with leaders but also with a number of malicious factors. High intensity of corruption is the linchpin of poverty in India. Poverty every day increased the numbers of slum dwellers.  Its root cause is not the scarcity of food but the substandard political system that allows even charge sheeted people from different walks of life to contest elections, who after being elected engage themselves in devouring the wealth of our country.

No matter India has achieved accolades for its development in the IT sector, unequal income distribution still stands as a major reason for prevailing poverty in the country. Accumulation of wealth in terms of black money in the hands of few influential people and industrialists is the main cause of the under development of common people. The disparity seems like looking a skyscraper from a slum.

To stop the malpractices of leaders and industrialists, the common mass should use education as their weapon and must be aware of the ongoing erroneous activities of politicians. They need to enquire the schemes and opportunities being brought out by the government like WBMDFC scholarship, Kisan Yojna, NCERT schemes, etc.

Moreover, like the struggling Lok Pal Bill, the Indians should initiate an act that should restrict charge-sheeted candidates to join politics.  
 
(Shaheryar is a Kolkata-based journalist. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect BH’s editorial policy)

Slums stare in the eyes of the skyscrapers.  A large section of the population still lies below the poverty line. Does it mean independence of a country in real sense? Being cynic is a sin but being skeptical is not a crime.

BeyondHeadlines wishes to get answers to these questions from our readers. Send us your articles or opinion pieces on edit@beyondheadlines.in.

BH family wishes all its readers a VERY HAPPY INDEPENDECE DAY!