We are not independent!!!!

Another Independence Day has come and gone!

While it is admirable that we are a politically free country (at least from foreign powers - well with the exception of the Italian lady), it is a moot point whether we are independent in the spheres that ought to be.

Economically, our policies are not independent of the Western powers, whose lackeys in the Government and the Bureaucracy has ensured our policy framework being allowed to be dictated by failing Western Countries like US and the Eurozone. Instead of dictating terms to these failed states, as China does, and asking them to open their economy to our products and services, we fall head over heels to oblige them, as the flawed nuclear deal, FDI in retail, FII liberalization shows. We search for the non-existant Western FDI, while the Indian Businessmen are busy investing the Capital appreciated in India, all over the World, except in India.

We are not independent from the political and dynastical tyranny of a few self proclaimed elite. Scams after scams have shown UPA government to be brazenly and shamelessly corrupt, but we citizens are impotent. Inflation has been very high for years now, but when have we seen a mass protest against this? Gone are the days when people took to the street in lakhs. Now, all you see is 10 people marching, and that too for the cameras. I remember waiting for hours to cross the road in Palakkad in 1980s, when a political jadha (procession) takes place, as it was not in order to break a jadha.

Our Police is not independent any more. They have lost all their credibility. CBI is a lap dog of the powers that be. Less said about the local police the better.Political interference and corruption has destroyed our police force forever.

Of late one suspects even the judiciary is not independent. How else could one explain the undue delays lasting decades that denies justice to the victims - Sikh riots, Bhopal Tragedy, Telecom Scam, Cases of the high and mighty (remember Sanjay Dutts, Salman Khans and scores of other cases which are yet to see the light of the day) .............. the list is endless.

We are not independent to acquire the knowledge that we seek. Our textbooks are highly concocted to suit a particular ideology. Studies about our ancient culture is scoffed at. Intellectual debates at the educational institutions are stiffled. I read recently that the Quit India movement of 1942 was a colossal failure!!! This is backed by solid data and research. But we were taught all these years that we got independence because of its success.

We are not independent from our diffident and apathetic attitude as a nation. We dont have pride in what we do. We dont feel the pain a young kid feels when Sushil Kumar lost his Gold medal bout in the recent olympics. He wanted India to win one gold at least and shut himself up in a room crying when he lost. The adults were like...............well, at least we got a Silver!!!

We are not independent from poverty. We are not independent from ignorance. We are not independent from corruption. We are not independent from the 'chalta hai' attitude. We are not independent from the 'it is like that only' shrug off.

It is only when we gain independence of our thought process, start questioning, and provide solutions that we can celebrate our independence day with a proud heart.

Till then we are confined to the sham Independence Day celebrations like the one in Red Fort where only highly vetted and sanitized people attend an hour of the most pathetic speech by the most ineffective Prime Minister of India, who does not even have the courage to walk with ordinary people without security cover.

Well, even he is not independent!!!