Freedom - And What it Means

Consider these very common situations: 

👉Preeti has worked for years slogging in front of a computer in the accounts department of her office. Now, she finds no motivation to come to office, or do well in her job. Despite timely increments and a promotion last year, she feels she’s wasting her time and talent here. The pay package is the only deterrent that keeps her from quitting. She longs to take a long break, go on a vacation, think things out, and change her career course or occupation, if possible.

 👇

Problem is her family depends on her. The household runs on her salary. Chucking everything off is simply not on the cards. What will people say? Worse, what if her parents are let down?

What freedom does she really have?

👉Suraj wants to remain unmarried. After a few genuine attempts at forming romantic relationships, he has realized that’s not what he wants. He is simply not interested in sexual relationships, and identifies as an asexual. He would love to stay on his own, or with a few friends for company.

 👇

His parents have started seeking alliances from suitable girls for his marriage. He has tried his level best to discourage them, but his mother threatens to go on a hunger strike if he doesn’t at least “see” the girls.

 Where is the freedom to be different?

Ø  👉The Progressive Writers’ Collective Magazine posted a satirical write-up on their social media page, critiquing the present administration for their failure to act on the burgeoning rape and molestation cases in the city. Warnings started coming soon after. Trolls followed.

👇 

A week later, the office was shut down with a notice that said – Closed till further orders.

Whither freedom of expression?

 

Once upon a Glorious Time

The India of yore was a free-thinking country. Our ancient texts advocated social structure and decorum, but didn’t suppress the right to challenge norms. The oldest civilization, complete with town planning and structured roads, had its roots here.

We had Khajurao and Kamasutra, Arth Shastra and Nalanda, Din-e-Ilahi and the right to choose one’s partner (swayamvar). Matriarchs were honoured and revered. So much so, the free thinking originated three major world religions here – Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Parsis were welcomed here as were the Jews, Chinese, Anglo-Indian and Armenian and African people.

Our country’s cultural weave was enriched with different skeins of thought and beliefs.

What happened along the way? If we go by the current narrative, the Mughals and the British are responsible for our diminishing freedom.

But is that so? Can we blame as per our convenience? Aren’t all of us responsible?

We Forgot to Think

Somewhere, down the ages, we got used to being spoon-fed, and dished out convenient feel-good catechisms.

In the quest for power, many monarchs, religious heads, wealthy merchants sold us a bunch of these lies and falsehoods.

• Marry or you can’t continue your lineage.
• You need to work/earn money or you will lose your worth. 
• Keep towing the popular opinion, don’t challenge the status-quo.
• Bow your head to scriptures, holy men, shrines, or bad things will happen to you.
• Fear God, nature, the unknown, anything you don’t understand.
• The person who holds the sword or the purse controls everything.

As it happens all the time, a lie repeated often enough soon becomes accepted as a truth. So, we developed herd mentality. We sought safety in numbers. Why risk our neck by being anything different?

And so, over the years, our country gradually changed - from being a pioneer in independent thought to a slave nation. 

When India achieved her hard-earned independence, we started a new chapter. Our forefathers dreamt of an inclusive society, a firmly socialistic, welfare state, a thriving democracy, where individual rights and freedom were as important as societal duties. The Indian Constitution was written to uphold these values very firmly.

Freedom = Individual Choice:

Freedom for me equates the right to make choices. And the right to be different, if I want to be.

And inclusive, free society that embraces everyone with open arms is a free space, a safe space.

Such a country/society will have these:

C Freedom for each person to live with dignity and self respect. No judgment, bias, prejudice on the basis of sex, colour, looks, profession or social standing.

C Freedom to follow any religious faith....or not. If I prefer to be an atheist, no judgement against me.

C Freedom of education, career opportunities, profession and way of living.

C Freedom to follow any ideology or school of thought

C Freedom to marry/love/live-in with anybody, provided both parties are willing.

C  Freedom for individuals to not marry, or commit to any companionship.

C Freedom to express my concern when something troubles me, without a watchdog breathing down my back. 

C  Freedom to walk down the streets or public places in any dress, at any time of the day or night

C  Freedom to disagree, to argue, to not conform.

C  Freedom to make unconventional choices.

Can this freedom come? Without any riders please? This week of Independence, let’s pray for that.

#Independence

#FreedomToBeDifferent

#IndividualChoice