A prayer for Independence

Another Independence day has passed. 67 years of independence! 67 years of freedom!

Unfortunately this year, I couldn't think of anything smart enough to set as a status on Facebook. That's what many of us try to do, yes? We have the freedom of expression so now there seems to be this subtle competition between people to express themselves in the best possible way. I'm not denying that I'm not part of this competition. I find it quite fun, actually. 

Independence and Freedom

Coming back on track - to freedom. So, we're free. We rule ourselves, we don't have foreigners ruling us. I wonder if that is what freedom means to us Indians. I certainly hope not.

Of course we're free from the exploiting clutches of foreign rulers, but are we free from our own clutches? Are we free from our own monstrous clutches of differentiation, discrimination and cruel practices? Believe me, I wish I could say yes. I wish I could say that we were. But if I did, I'd be lying. And I believe that the truth sets you free. 

Are we free from the rigid divisions of intolerance of different castes? Of differently coloured skin? Of a person's sex? Of different religions? Of different native places?

Scary questions aren't they?

Here's a scarier question; Will we ever be free from acrimony, animosity and antipathy? Will we ever be independent from these divisions? I certainly do hope so. 

I pray for the day when every Indian person is proud to be an Indian.

I pray for the day that people can fall in love freely, heedless of sickening divisions of class and caste.

I pray for the day that a woman, can walk alone on the streets of this country, at any time she pleases, wearing whatever she pleases, doing whatever she pleases without the fear of being ogled at, being followed, being laughed at or getting raped.

I pray for the day that dowry, female foeticide and various other malicious crimes against women will cease to exist.

I pray for the day that people regard the environment and the animals as nothing less than themselves. 

I pray for the day that the Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and every other religious sect of people can regard each other and love each other without a trace of suspicion, repugnance and abhorrence.

I pray for the day when there will be no more religious riots.

I pray for the day when India, the country in which people of secularism, actually develop high levels of tolerance and acceptance. 

I pray for the day when every human, young and old, is treated with utmost respect.

I pray for the day when not a single person in India goes hungry.

I pray

I pray for the day when corruption will be rooted out of every organization, club, party, institution and person.

I pray for the day when people openly accept change.

I pray for the day when people celebrate the culture of India as one which is open to and adapts to other cultures of the world.

I pray for this and a lot more.

In short, I pray for the day when Independent India will be truly Independent and Free. 

The truth is, we have freed ourselves from the hands of foreigners only to be entrapped and prisoned in our own.