Meaning of Swarajya 75 years after India’s independence
It is story of bloodied history. It is a story of countless sacrifices. It is a story of suffering, torment, agony, fear and deaths. It is story of priceless lives that were lost. It is a story of innumerable losses. But, it is also a story of hope. It is a story about the speck of light that exists in the darkness that prevails in the world. It is a story about the bird being finally free from its cage.‘At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.’ These were the words of our the then prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru which stand true even today. India rose and shone upon the world and today is finding itself as one of the leading countries in the world. But this was not an easy task to achieve. There were many hurdles in front of young and vulnerable India. But India stood tall and faced the hurdles and reached its potential and freedom. But freedom always comes with a cost. Each and every thing has a cost attached to it. Ex: your right maybe violation of privacy for other. Likewise, you might enjoy the freedom in every stage and aspect of life but it always has a consequence. We all celebrate independence day with much joy and passion but at the same time I am confused about certain elements about freedom today in the country which really makes me think…..am I really free? Freedom or being independent is being free from being judged, it is the ability to make choices or making decisions. It is about being independent in all aspects of life. When I think about being independent I am thinking the aspects such as: am I free as a student? As a student do I get the choice of choosing what I really want rather than just thinking about, how much money I can make by it. Do I get the same level of education? i.e even if I live in a remote village or in a busy city….do I get the same level of education and the quality of teachers? The answer is ‘no’. There are nearly 120,000 single-teacher schools in the country, of which an overwhelming 89 % are in rural areas, according to a UNESCO report. The report projects that India needs 1.1 million additional teachers to meet the current shortfall. As we can see there is clear need of action in this matter. Do I really get into colleges as per my merit? As a student I suffer from many problems such as reservation, merit, fee, and of course the outrageous cutoffs. All these things render me hopeless and far from independent. As a young adult am I free from the jaws of unemployment Unemployment is a serious issue in India. It is one of the major obstacles in the growth of our nation. The pandemic made this problem worst. Nearly 140 million people lost employment during lockdown. With the layoffs and the hiking prices of things amidst all….am I really free? As an individual new to online system am I really free from the confusion and inconvenience it creates? I maybe someone from the rural parts unable to afford the phones or the whole Wi-Fi system or I maybe an old person with no source to teach me. I can become a victim of so many things such as online scams and theft. During pandemic the sudden change from offline to online has been a boon to some but what about the others who cannot even afford a single mobile.
As a member of society I am entitled to my right of nformation. But is that really possible between the sham of the media and the promises of the government? Where do stand between here? As a farmer in a ‘krushipradhan desh’……..am I independent? For the majority of farmers, growing the - country’s food brings no assurance of well-being. Seven decades after independence, swings between glut and scarcity remain largely unpredictable, making agriculture unviable for greater numbers. Millions of farmers today suffer from things such as not getting the right price for their goods resulting in financial instability.
As a woman am I really free? In our country violence against women is increasing day by day. Rape, female feticide, acid attacks, domestic violence, dowry deaths, honour killings, forced abortion, human trafficking, sexual violence, and the list goes on and on. The percentages of these crimes are increasing every year. I do not feel safe while walking down the street in the evening let alone in the night….this makes me think am I really free? But all not is not lost. No country, idea, notion, answer can be perfect we can always strive towards it. There are certain changes happening which will definitely help the future generation. The National Education Policy which is now being implemented by different institutions willhelp future students to take on the subjects of their choosing and interest from any the three streams. There are various schemes taken up by the government to tackle the problem of unemployment like Ayushman Bharat, Prime Minister Awaas Yojana - Gramin, Schemes to reduce the rate of unemployed women, Atal Pension Yojana, Social security relief to dependents of workers passing away due to COVID - 19 ect. To bring stability of income for farmers, the government has taken many initiatives. Support is provided to farmers through PM KISAN Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana etc.
Therefore, we can still hope for the better future because India rose free from the shackles of colonialism and now this time to it shall rise free from the shackles of intellectual limitations.
- Anuja Pethe
