Our 63rd Independence Day

Today on our 63rd Independence Day it just crossed my mind that if our founding fathers were alive today what would have been their reaction? Would the present state of our country stood up to their expectations?

It seemed to me that the Fundamental Rights would be an appropriate measure of their expectations.The Fundamental Rights were included in the constitution because they were considered essential for the development of every individual and to preserve human dignity. Democracy is of no value if civil liberties, like freedom of speech and religion were not recognized and protected by the State. “Democracy” is in essence a government by opinion and therefore, the means of formulating public opinion should be secured to the people of a democratic nation. For this purpose, the constitution guaranteed to all the citizens of India the freedom of speech and expression and various other freedoms in the form of the Fundamental Rights.
Let’s see how we stand up today

Right to equality
After 62 years of independence we have politicians in Mumbai who if they had their way would turn Indian citizens from states like Bihar and UP residing in Mumbai into 2nd class citizens in their own country just because they were born in Bihar and not in Mumbai.
According to a recent report by UNICEF up to 50 million girls and women are missing from India’ s population as a result of systematic gender discrimination in India. In most countries in the world, there are approximately 105 female births for every 100 males, In India there are less than 93 women for every 100 men in the population. 50 million, yes that is the number of girls that were mercilessly killed in India for the crime of being born a girl.
Can we still claim that we have provided all Indian citizens with the right to equality?

Right to freedom
I am sure all of us remember TEHELKA which a few years back conducted a major expose on corruption in defense procurements which led to the resignation of Indian Defense Minister, and its recent expose on the Gujrat Riots and the alleged encounter of an ex militant in Manipur. It was forced to close down temporarily due to hostile government action, its journalist and employees were regularly hounded by the government and for what…performing its rightful duties.
People like Taslima Nasreen are thrown out of our country for utilizing their freedom of expression; a world renowned artist like MF Hussain cannot put up a show in India for fear of assured attack by vandals. The politically inspired spirit of intolerance continues to be alive and kicking in India. The Hindutva brigade may have suffered an electoral setback, but its followers and their contemporaries in other religions continue to pose a danger to any kind of art or artists of whom they do not approve. They continue to hold the whip over a painter or writer or filmmaker who may transgress their perception of what is permissible.
It has now become regular to hear about girl’s being brutally attacked or worse killed by enraged relatives in prosperous states like Haryana for ignoring the strict social codes that dictate who they should marry.
A few months back a group of hooligans went on a rampage, brutally assaulting girls in a pub in Mangalore all in the name of moral policing. When are the so called leaders of this nation going to take a call on such incidents and provide the very basic right to its citizens, namely, the right to live freely in their own country?

Right against exploitation
Even today it is a common sight to see kid’s working in the roadside chaiwalah’s shop or scavenging in the garbage, our government has come up with the highly publicized right to education bill but still the condition of India’s children is no better. I am pretty sure that the next independence day also you are going to see a pair of children selling Flags on the roadside instead of say attending a flag hoisting ceremony in their school.

Right to freedom of religion
A US government body has just put India on a watch list for failing to protect religious minorities, citing the Kandhamal attacks on Christians in 2008 and the Gujarat communal riots of 2002. India has done tremendously little to protect and bring justice to its religious minorities under siege. Be it the Sikh Riots or the Babri Masjid Demolition or the ensuing Bombay Riots, the guilty have never been brought to justice.

Cultural and educational rights
No one I guess can put the government on fault in this regard. All the numerous scheduled castes and tribes, the other backward castes and a multitude of communities each fighting with the other to prove which one is more backwards :)

Right to constitutional remedies
We have a very strong and active judicial system in India but sadly the number of cases piling up in courts just keeps on increasing day by day and as someone somewhere rightly said justice delayed is justice denied.



Even after so many shortcomings I am a very proud Indian because I believe that India and its people will someday get above all these shortcomings and become a truly great nation in its own right. As long as we have people like Mr Manmohan Singh, Mr Abdul Kalam, Mr Ratan Tata, Mr E Sreedharan, Mr Narayana Murthy, Mr Nilekani and many countless others there is always hope for a better tomorrow.