Political Essay
Essay

60 years of freedom - A dismal scenario



60 years of freedom - A dismal scenario

          60 years back there was a climate of optimism all over the country when our freedom movement was crowned with success. All of us, the young and the old, the men & women, the poor and the rich cherished beautiful dreams of free India. After one thousand years of slavery under the Muslims and the British rulers, India had a taste of freedom. Freedom is a beautiful dream and desire of every living being, be it a bird, an animal or a human being.
          But look, what has happened to our country in the last 60 years? The condition is no less than a tragedy for a common man. Our dreams have turned sour. As years pass by, the conditions prevailing in modern India are akin to nightmare. Disillusionment is all pervasive in every section of society. Our youth is a frustrated lot. The middle aged persons have grown cynics. The entire atmosphere in the country is almost vitiated. The smile from the faces of young men and women have vanished. They have taken to undesirable means to vent out their frustrations. So many rotten things have happened in our country that every thing seems to have gone awry.
          At the dawn of independence who could have thought of India becoming a cesspool of corruption? Democracy in India has ever won admiration from foreign countries. But the question is what we have made of a democratic way of life. Every thinking Indian has begun to ponder whether parliamentary democratic form of govt, was the right choice for a nation afflicted with illiteracy and poverty. Has not democratic way of working slowed our economic progress?
          No doubt, there is no alternative to democracy. But in the case of India right from the very beginning elections have thrown up incompetent, communal & corrupt elements at the center of national life. Slowly but surely, they have been undermining the ideals of democracy while helpless, honest citizens looked on complacently. Unfortunately the present and past breed of politicians have done nothing else but feathered their own nests. The missionary zeal that marked the freedom movement vanished overnight. The perpetuation of dy¬nastic rule continued to inspire the leadership of the country. They never allowed to come up the second rung of politicians to guide the destiny of the nation. Leaving the last ten years the dynastic rule came to be synonymous with Mughal rule.

          The modern breed of politicians are brazenly immoral & they have a total lack of moral values. They are so unscrupulous that they do not feel any moral qualms when they break the rules and regulations of the society. They flout the constitution and mock at the moral values of life. Even the Presidents of the country have been opportunistic. In the name of freedom fighters they are still plundering and looting the nation. The chief ministers are like petty 'Subedars' of the states ruling at their own will. They are law unto themselves.
          One wonders what has gone wrong? Unemployment, violence, communalism, terrorism, corruption in judiciary are the fruits of the freedom. AU these evils pervading the society are cancerous in their growth. One is bound to feel frustrated when one sees other countries progressing while they got freedom with India. It hurts our pride to see China and even smaller countries such as South Korea & Japan stealing a march over India. We did not bargain for this kind of freedom. 15th August and 26 Jan. celebrations are rituals and sad reminders of our failure. These ritual need to be done away with until some¬thing happens to cheer us up on these days.