Are we still seeking independence?

The bugaboos that have long ailed India still thrive. Are we really independent?

Every time I see our leaders saluting the tricolour and people singing the national song or anthem, I wonder: Are we ‘really’ independent?

The fact is that we are still reeling under the same-old curses that have been a point of honour, a bugaboo for the country from past several decades. India is still not a country that connects with the big claims that the leaders make about growth and poverty-alleviation.

The rise of the youth

“I tell my fellow politicians, particularly those belonging to my own party, that it is our duty to erase this image of the ugly Indian politician ….it is necessary for the best and the brightest among the youth to join politics and serve the nation” Advani

I see the nation is witnessing a new life with the youth taking more interest in the country’s affairs. Young Indians are not only carving paths of their career but also increasingly coming forward in force to raise their opinions, concerns, and solutions. Be it the youth forums that are mushrooming in every nook and corner of the country or the India Against Corruption movement, which is built on the pretext of providing a just, corruption-free and truly democratic country.

Meanwhile, I also see a nation that has a sea of youth who had been misled in the promise of new political wave, religious sentiments, regional fascism, sexual preference, supremacy of gender and territorial freedom.

Dreams set ablaze

Millions of political supporters who dream of becoming the next Rahul Gandhi; alas, not many of them become one. And in the race of becoming the nation builders, several of them set ablaze the hopes and dreams of their parents and spouses.

Woman power

From a country that is actually run by the female party president of the Congress, to four prominent states of the country being ruled by woman leaders. Women have come to the forefront in every field. Mary Kom recently added another feather to the list of achievements. While apart from Sheila Dikshit, all other female CMs of this list, namely, Jayalalitha, Mamata and Mayawati have given ample chances to praise their behaviour. Mamata being the rude, out-of her mind and loose cannon leader, while Jaya and Mamta reinvented the new dictatorial style of political administration.

Alas! A country with millions of Goddesses, who are worshiped in many forms, has to witness molestation in full-view of the public. India is the third worst offender in rape cases around the world leaving behind countries like Sri Lanka, Jordan and Argentina. Incidents of rape in the country have increased by a staggering 792% over the past nearly 40 years, according to a report published in 2011 by Times of India.

According to the data by the Union Home Ministry, 18,359 rape cases were registered in India in the first three-quarters of 2008 while in the US, 93,934 and in South Africa, 54,926 rape cases were registered respectively. The lowest number of rape-cases was registered in Jordan (78), Latvia (260), Bulgaria (403) and Finland (596).

3G connected but still BPL

Surprisingly, India has 700 million active mobile connections. Around 600 million would be connected by broadband connection in next five years. Ironically, while the smallest recharge is of around Rs 5, the planning commission ridicules the poverty ridden by placing a slab of Rs 29 per day as the upper limit to be above poverty line All this to prove statistically that poverty has declined by mere 8% during the last five years?

There are many other aspects about which, I can keep ranting, however, this blog is not to take a pessimistic view of the developments that are taking place in the country; rather it’s an attempt to find the true India amidst the chaos of public relation and agenda-setting activities being undertaken by the dominant class. This is not a communist outlook of the things, nor am I unpatriotic. But while we celebrate the surface truths, there are still several ailing issues that we need to cure before making it a truly glorious India.

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