Independence day blues Another year to usher and kindle a ray of hope in the 70 th year of Independence .Festivities, celebrations ,speeches, promises will mark the occasion all over India. Flag hoisting ,salutes, reciting of National anthem in all educational Institutions, Govt Establishments will mark the traditions and annual rituals.. The red fort will come alive thundering. assuring the impossible dreams. It is one day in the year that is supposed to display our Nationalism, patriotism and unconditional support to the Nation .Indians all over the world also celebrate the day with patriotic fervour.. Indians when outside the country express more solidarity more as security of group consolidation and protection as an entity. It requires wars with neighbours and confrontation to revive our sagging sense of patriotism and galvanise it too
70 years in the life of the Nation can be called as period of infancy. Many Nations have taken years to take off, while others who attained Independence with us have scored much better on development index. We are still vertically divided with political and party ideologies, languages, religion, caste, borders , region, food habits, dress and attire etc. We are fighting over river water sharing disputes unresolved on, boundaries and discrimination's in distribution of National wealth. The Independence is it freedom from ignorance, poverty, illiteracy and basic requirement of food, shelter, clothing is a far cry. Illiteracy is the biggest hurdle in progress along with health care .safe drinking water, but our priorities are lop sided and compulsory primary education within 10 years has passed many time lines. True that the development is invisible due to multitude of exploding population that is clamouring for a pie of scarce resources. Unequal wealth distribution and islands of rich and development in urban areas, neglect of rural settings have tilted the scales of priorities. The huge resources earmarked for defence can affect social development .The main stay in India is the agricultural sector, which is unplanned ,neglected, as the result villagers are migrating to urban areas accentuating, putting pressures on all parameters of human dignified living and survival. Indians are united against the external enemies, but within inside the country, across all states the federal structure has developed serious fault lines of instability. The states are seeking supremacy over each other and state needs are predominant over national causes. The extreme attitude of Parochialism is gnawing at the federal stability. The pseudo Nationalism/patriotism forced on by political ,short sighted parties is creating revulsion and further divide among minorities and have resurrected a new deadly virus of majority v/s minorities. This has caused unprecedented boil in social environment of mistrust, fear and threats and visible physical harm The guiding Constitutional document for the people of the Republic to coexist in peace and harmony must return to enshrined principles of equality, fraternity, freedom, liberty. Criticism in a democracy is vital for its development, a watch dog, freedom to eat, dress, reside, work anywhere in the union, expression cannot be limited by laws propagated by one ideology of any ruling party. Killings in the name of cow protectionism, vigilantism by fringe groups cannot have precedence over life. Social evils like child marriages, rapes,, corruption, Nepotism, women safety and exploitations are root evils needing urgent eradication The dilution of committed executive, judiciary, police, intelligence and CBI , ED bodes ill for survival of democracy. The wiping out of all legitimate dissent and opposition across the length and breadth of the country will lead to fascism and change the basic nature of the foundation of the country, specially Democracy, about which we gloat and bost publicly It is not thefact now ,that any individual, party is supreme, indispensable but country must be placed on the pedestal, ensuring rule of law and adherence to the Constitution only Welfare measures are in place to placate the minorities, poor, underprivileged, marginalized in a half hearted manner to boost the winning vote of allegiance, but not to ameliorate the woes of the neglected on a permanent footing. The poor are sucked into the quagmire of the sinking sands of needs and necessities of basic life. Hence what does Independence means to the vast majority of Indians, who will be shamelessly exploited even on this day ..Those without, food, shelter, clothing have no meaning, inspirations for celebrations of Independence day. It is just another day of drudgery waiting in desperate hope of upliftment, seeking the silver lining in the dark dreary clouds of uncertainty The hope of another day of Independence. As for the elite and ruling class it will be another golden oportunity for vexing eloquent, displaying bravado, selling more distant dreams and utter silence of unfullfilled, forgotten promises of yesteryears A day to enjoy and party to be seen and heard with a gullible, captive audience a. who will return to the normal routine with hopes in their hearts for a better future for all Nelson Lopes Chinchinim