Seventy years ago, our forefathers won us independence. Every year, we celebrate Independence Day. But after all the years, have we achieved what the ‘Father of our Nation’ described as the ‘India of my Dreams’? Have we truly attained freedom as Rabindranath Tagore described?
Looking into that, we see that India is still groping in the darkness. What we achieved seventy years ago was only political freedom. We freed ourselves from British, only to chain ourselves by our own customs. Seventy years after achieving independence, we have achieved, practically, nothing.
We can say that we have achieved something – big industries, new vehicles, technologies etc. But what we actually see in India, that the wealthy and already progressed are further progressing. The village folks and the uneducated are still going backwards. No one cares what happens to them – not even the government. Surrounded by wild superstitions and blind faith, they still live like early man used to live.
In the India of my dreams, everyone can progress. The uneducated adults are also educated with their children. The Government builds houses with good facilities for them so that they can also have a good life. They come out of their wild beliefs and help in the progress of the nation. Mahatma Gandhi said, “India lives in its villages”. Villages of India are in a very pitiable condition today. So, lets make the real India Happy. I see in my dreams that the rich help the poor by giving them money for the education of their children, etc.
In my dreams, I see an India which grant rights to its citizens – mark my words – ‘citizens’ – instead of Hindus, Christians, Muslims, etc. Job and education reservations should be fully based on, not caste and tribe, but on the economic status of families. Instead of just Above Poverty Line and Below Poverty Line, there should be different sections. Today, people just Above Poverty Line suffer just like the Below Poverty Line. Because they are Above Poverty Line, the Government does not grant them any concessions and they struggle to make both ends meet. If we could make three or four sections in classifying according to economic status, we can provide justice to all.
I dream of an India where religion does not divide the people and everyone thinks rationally. Religion should be kept outside during political, economic and scientific discussions and the discussion should be wholly about ‘human beings’.
I dream of an India where politicians and ministers are not corrupt and all of them strive to make the people who elect them, happy in all ways. The judges should impartial and give just judgments.
I dream of an India where law is firm and equally applicable to all. Those who are corrupt should be punished and no one should even think of corruption. I dream of my nation to be a place where women and girls are treated with utmost respect and they are not subjected to patriarchal norms. They should not be raped if they wear short dresses or walk around at night. The rapist should be hanged and no one should think of a girl in such a way. Students especially boys should be taught, that girl is a fellow human being to be respected and not a commodity.
I dream of an India, where mental patients are not criticized and thrown out of their family and society and they are taken good care of. Mental patients should be given highest standard of treatment, free of cost and the Government should make sure that these people are not subjected to ‘Swamis’ and ‘Musaliyaars’ who say that “some spirit has entered into this person”. Such people should be punished for misleading the people.
I dream of a clean and green India where the citizens do not simply blame the Government for each and everything but do their part well, and Government also does its part well.
We shall overcome one day” – Yes we may overcome all these difficulties and become a great nation some day, but we must all strive hard to make that ‘some day’ happen in near future. Let us all our best, to give our freedom fighters and martyrs the best Independence Day gift.
Sameera S Prakash is a IX standard student of St Thomas Residential School, Mukkolakkal, Thiruvananthapuram
