Happy Independence Day! and all that Jazz...

Before we get into anything else... Wish you a very happy independent life ahead in a very independent democratic country!

So whats it like to be free? Do what your heart says, do what you think is right within moral agreements and have the power to exercise your rights in matters that affect you directly. Thats what most freedom fighter wanted, and thats what we want today. I think we are all on the same page till here.

What of course changed from then till now is the context. What the heart said then was different from what it says now. What were moral agreements then, are very different from now. And the meaning of exercising ones rights have different connotations every single time. So how do we say that we are free?

Lets just think about this for a moment. Those who fought for freedom wanted a country free from being dependant on a set of people to exercise ones rights. Are we there yet? Does giving a bribe to a cop, or for a gas connection or for a driving license count as freedom? No it does not. But back then someone had their rules here. Now there are rules, but we are 'free' to break the laws. We dont like 'rules'. We didnt like the British 'rule' and now we dont like Government 'rules'.

We talk about morals and how 'moral policing' should stop. But for whom? For people who are ready to pay for things if they can avoid standing in a line? You can blame the ones on the other side for taking it, but didnt you give them the bad habit? You want the PM to be in the Lokpal Bill so that you can catch his collar, since in the guise of crores of rupees dealt with in one scam, we can camouflage the zillion petty scams we are involved in day-in and day-out. So yes, morals have changed. We get angry with Pramod Muthalik for policing the wrong things, but we are happy that such people exist, since the pay-off is that no one will question you for the 100 bucks you paid the cop for not wearing a helmet (for your own safety!!)

That leaves us with what our heart says. I leave that to you. But with the background I have shown you, you might want to re-think where your integrity lies. Its easy to have candle-light marches and facebook campaigns. But is there anyone going to the places that need to be cleaned up?

This Independence Day, change the way you look at things. Dont blame everything on others so that you can justify yourself. Change the way you look at how your country works. Change the way you live.

Jai Hind!