Freedom and All

India @ 70 is a cause for celebration not just because it is a holiday but also since it is time to reflect and share what makes us a nation and why we are proud to be Indian. Happy independence day guys without the jingoism. Given that I am an eternal pessimist, I am still entitled to my views but that is not to say that this is necessarily a critique of where we stand but what I perceive. This can justified by the preamble of India where we strive for Justice and Equality in the same breadth and something that I want to express considering the backlash that Kevin Durant received after stating his feelings about India. Make no mistake, I am a proud Indian and am comfortable with the fault lines that exist and have no intention to be bashful or sheepish about it.

Freedom

India has it’s basic pillars on three branches of government namely the executive, legislature and the judiciary with vibrant colors of democracy. We are a society that is aspirational and hopeful and have always voted when the opportunity arose. I voted for the BJP but I am not a supporter and the only reason why the juggernaut keeps rolling is not just due to the PM’s charisma and speeches but also due to the disjointed opposition spearheaded by the weakest Gandhi scion ever. The one major concern for me as a citizen has been the lack of accountability in every sphere and our “chalta hai” attitude. The major thrust areas for us are education, healthcare and inclusive growth for the masses but the murmurs are spiraling into full blown controversies. Be it the agrarian crisis, horrific cases of violence against women, shoddy infrastructure, Mandal-2 by asking for reservations for the upper castes now, cow vigilantism, hyper nationalism or Kashmir and Naxals as a security threat.

I will not brow beat but also look at the other end of the spectrum by appreciating what have been influences that have changed the landscape such as Demonetization, GST, thriving digital eco system, Swatchh Bharat Abhiyaan and Make in India forays. Property tax registration or the application for a new passport have been simplified to such a great deal by doing the majority of the work online. Defecating in the open does require a campaign as big as Swatchh Bharat and a case in point is Jharkhand’s Rajesh Mahato, being the Indian that he is, who utilized the money that was given to him to build a toilet to buy a smartphone. It was only on the intervention of his wife Lakshmi Devi who put her foot down and got the toilet built by refusing to let him use the phone. 50% of the Amazon prime members are from non-metros which is at the forefront of a two horse race with Flipkart. Approximately 65% of my readers are Indians and would request you to comment on what I’ve written and what freedom means to you. Would be great to hear from you, thanks.

Ps- I turned up in Delhi after completing my engineering in 2008 and for a considerable time, had lofty ideals on how to go about it but a decade later if I go to make my son’s birth certificate, I wouldn’t mind paying the middleman.