Are We Really Free?

Yesterday, India celebrated its 80th Independence Day. The Tricolour was visible everywhere; people were posting photos with the flag, and patriotic songs were playing on everyone's status updates. Amidst all this, a question crossed my mind:

What does freedom truly mean to us?

Yesterday, I came across an image, and to be honest, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

The image depicted the map of India surrounded by issues like poverty, violence, corruption, pollution, farmers' struggles, deforestation, and exam paper leaks. A single line written on it stayed with me:

"Freedom from the British was our first freedom; true freedom will come only when we manage to liberate ourselves from these problems as well."

I am not sure if I fully agree with everything conveyed in that image, but the question underlying it is certainly worth pondering.

When we speak of Independence Day, we usually refer to the freedom gained from British rule in 1947.

And yes, that freedom was immensely important. Our country struggled for it; people even sacrificed their lives. We must never forget that. But did freedom mean merely being free from the British?

Or was that just the beginning?

Because if, even today, a woman has to think twice before going somewhere alone—fearing that something bad might happen to her...

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...is she truly free?

If a person is treated differently because of their caste...

...are they really free?

Is this the freedom we had envisioned?

If it takes years for someone to get justice...

...what does freedom mean to the person who is still waiting for it?

I love seeing the Indian tricolour unfurl. I feel proud when I hear the national anthem.

I feel proud when I read about the brave soldiers in history who sacrificed themselves for the country's freedom.

But sometimes, I feel we have oversimplified the meaning of freedom. We celebrate it by displaying the tricolour, changing our profile pictures, sharing patriotic messages, and singing patriotic songs.

I have done all of this too, but now, seeing and hearing about so many things, it feels like this isn't complete freedom. Until a girl can return home at night without fear—and her parents do not have to think a hundred times before sending her out alone...

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Until an ordinary person can get their work done without corruption or paying a bribe...

Until farmers, laborers, children, and every citizen of the country have the opportunity to live a life of respect and dignity...

...until then, we cannot call this true freedom.

We gained independence, yet there are still many things in which we are not free.

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Disclaimer: All images featured in this blog were generated using AI. Translations were assisted by Google Translate.