New Delhi, Freedom is defined as the ability to act according to one’s will, within accepted parameters, and not be forced to stop by a power greater than yours. Today the Republic of India completes 60 years, and you, the reader, must decide for yourself whether what was promised by the founding fathers of this country has been delivered in full measure.
We have been promised freedom, and for some of us this promise has been kept, notionally at least. We can live where we want in this country or overseas, we speak the language of our choice, we travel freely, we do the work we think will bring us the most reward and more people marry for love these days than they did half a century ago. Even the education system is starting to change. Most of all this holds true, in varying degrees, for most of the middle class and the elite. For all the rest, the story — and the promise — of modern India is still a work in progress.
In Maharashtra and certain other states, political outfits are trying to tell you where you may or may not live, work, even what language you must speak. This is but one example of how individual freedom is sought to be curtailed with an argument that has no backing except the threat of brute force.
This is not to say that there has not been progress on delivering on the promises that January 26, 1950 held out. Landmark legislation has been passed and legal decisions handed down, paving the way for greater social equality for ever-larger numbers of Indians.
Education and the options it throws up after college have expanded and the restrictions are starting to come loose, but much more needs to be done — for this area is crucial to the freedom of generations to come. School and college systems must change so that they encourage free thought, not rote learning, originality, not facsimiles. Every young parent must think about how their children will compete 20 years from now, when the world has become an even smaller place.
The world of the Indian consumer is probably expanding the fastest. More goods and services are available today than ever before but variety has a long way to go if it is to equal the power of choice that an expanding economy bestows upon its people.
A modern society makes possible the free flow of information. It helps research and productivity and maintains a balance between the government and the governed. The Right to Information Act, a landmark piece of legislation in itself, needs to be broadened and strengthened so that balance is created and maintained. In this direction, the large and growing number of the means of mass communication — electronic, print and Internet-based — is a healthy sign.
It is with your freedom in mind that today’s edition brings you articles on the very subject on almost every page. It offers you the choice to agree or disagree. Enjoy!
Age Correspondent