We believed in that word when we fought the British—because they were doing everything to deny it to us. Let’s not get into the politics of how we finally won it; that history belongs to the scoundrels who argue over the last crumbs of credit.
For once, let’s talk about us—the people. Let’s stand before a mirror, look into our faces, and then look behind them. Let’s introspect.
We got freedom, but we abandoned responsibility. Take a simple example: in 2014, when Narendra Modi launched Swachh Bharat, the nation hailed both the scheme and the man behind it. But did we, as citizens, carry it forward with a sense of duty?
How many of us keep our trash bins clean, let alone the trash inside? How many of us dump garbage around the bin instead of in it? How many of us bother to segregate waste?
Even when we discuss waste disposal, we generate another kind of waste—political garbage—far more foul-smelling and nauseating. Forget freedom, independence, the Constitution—how is it that we never seriously talk about the two things that could change this nation forever, making us unmatched in the world? Respect for law. Civic sense.
Respect for the law is meaningless unless it is enforced. Can we allow the authorities to act even if Modi or Rahul Gandhi breaks the rules? The day we do that, everyone will fall in line.
Our schools, colleges, and universities should run compulsory short- and long-term courses on civic sense, with rigorous training for all. We need freedom not to be reckless, but to be disciplined, self-respecting, and responsible.
This means sacrificing politicking when firmness, impartiality, and honesty are needed. Deny the freedom to misuse emotions, sentiments, and pseudo-humanitarian appeals. We need a no-nonsense approach. Let people be free in everything—except in following the law and maintaining cleanliness. On these, there should be zero compromise.
People are impatient. They want these two issues fixed—no matter what. Many wouldn’t care if democracy were put on hold for five years just to get this done. Once civic sense and law enforcement become as natural as the sunrise, we can talk about other priorities.
Do we even deserve freedom if we refuse responsibility? Have we not, out of frustration, reached a point where we’re willing to forgo a hollow version of freedom that brings no pride—neither to us individually nor to the nation?
What people truly crave is independence to live with dignity, under uniform law, with genuine self-discipline. If that can be ensured without the theatre of pseudo-democracy, many would welcome it—even if it means enduring the labour pains of transformation.
Otherwise, we have no moral right to call ourselves the world’s third-biggest superpower. We need the freedom to call out those who preach one thing in Delhi and practice the opposite elsewhere. Until then, “freedom” will remain a barefoot word—noble in theory, but wounded in reality.
