Freedom

We are born in independent BHARAT with all the basic human rights of freedom or may more than that. Till the time lockdown was imposed, the meaning or value of the word “Independence or freedom” had very small importance in life (Person don’t value the thing that he gets easily or free of cost). But when the lockdown was declared it helped a lot to understand the real meaning of the freedom.

The government-imposed lockdown suddenly but without touching any basic human rights. For our safety and healthy life only, we have to just stay inside the home until things get normal. Those 3-4 months in the home (not in jail or not bound by any compulsion) felt like slavery or jail, we were depressed, frustrated, or unstable so we were interacting with motivational speakers, comedians, doctors, psychiatrists for mental health. And all this happened when many people were doing WFH, has many things for entertainment like TV, Internet, mobile, Doordarshan, Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and most importantly freedom to express thoughts openly on social media. This means we were free but with one restriction of staying at home and the main thing, the restriction was also for our safety and health.

The initial few days went smooth but slowly, people were getting frustrated, desperate, stressed, sad, and angry with the government just because they were not able to go shopping, hotel, mall, movie, tourism, etc. People started feeling like they are in slavery, bound, and started shouting or crying for freedom.

After 4 months when we went for a small drive in a car it felt like we are breathing in an independent country, felt like freedom, slavery ended. That feeling was speechless and at that moment thought came to mind this is freedom or independence.

That moment I understood why Chandrashekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Ramprasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and many more chose freedom or embracing death happily over life and that is also at a very young age, some freedom fighters were 23 years old only and few were less than that (Think what we were doing or are doing at the age of 23). Why more than 50-year-old Rashtrapita Mahatma Gandhi walked 360 km to Dandi for Salt March, called for nationwide non-cooperation movement, many times went on satyagraha or hunger strike, doesn’t bother to go to jail and all this for freedom. Why more than 40-year-old Subhash Chandra Bose went all the way to Germany, Japan to build an army against the British Empire. And a never-ending list of freedom fighters like Lokmany Tilak, Vinayak Sawarkar, Lala Lajpat Rai, Khudiram Bose, Batukeshwar Dutt, Udham Singh, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Anant Kanhere, Balwant Fadke, Allure Sitarama Raju, Hemu Kalani, Matangini Hazra, Vanchinathan, Krishnaji Gopal Karve, Bagha Jatin, Roshan Singh, Prabhavati Devi, Pritilata Waddedar, Jatindra Nath Das, Durgawati Devi, Bhagwati Charan Vohra, Madan Lal Dhingra, Kushal Konwar, Surya Sen, Aruna Asaf Ali who all laid their lives for the freedom of the country. Just because these people were knowing the real meaning or value of freedom and were ready to go on death bed happily instead of living in slavery. (Just imagine what would have happened to us in lockdown if the government had stopped electric supply and banned use of TV, mobile, internet, social media, no right of questioning or oppose, without inquiry arrest, irrelevant price hikes or taxes, etc. A small thought of what slavery is).

If we got panicked, frustrated, sad in 3-4 months of lockdown with just very few restrictions, imagine what would have happened with you if you were in same situation for 20 years (leave 200 years of British Empire aside). So it is our responsibility to use this freedom valuably. We must thank and respect country, freedom, and most importantly the people who gave their lives for freedom, irrespective of their path and principles.

You can enjoy a holiday that was colored red by the blood of the freedom fighters because in an independent country that is your basic FREEDOM right. The entire day you can enjoy by listening songs, movies, visiting places or whatever way you want, but as a sensible and responsible citizen try to dedicate at least 15 minutes of the holiday for some constructive work of the country or the freedom fighters especially who lost life in freedom fights, so that we can breathe freely in INDEPENDENT country and celebrate 15 August independence day proudly