Independence day

And I start getting msgs saying "Advanced Happy Independence Day". Something urges me to publish this one before 15 August. The first thing that comes to my mind when junta start talking about our "Independence day" is, how many people really appreciate the position we currently enjoy. Some say we live in the best country, some say the government's too bad and corrupt and some don't really care.

What does independence and a democratic government mean to someone like me, an middle class student? Maybe right to education in any institute in the country, if I am eligible. Or maybe I can get some kind of scholarship. And I can vote and contest in elections and all similar things. Is that all? What if the country isn't independent or what if the government wasn't so good? One thing is there'll be some class of people who get things they don't deserve. And people without influence will have a really tough time. Maybe you'll have to pay more taxes. The last thing a normal person may think of is discrimination based on caste and religion and the most extreme thing may be riots.

Somethings I've recently realized. I'd suggest some movies that must be watched before you can think of "independence".

1. "Hotel Rwanda": This shows a civil war and how bad it can get. People get shot just because they don't belong to a certain class. And class isn't like our caste. People of the same race, religion, everything, just divided into two groups based on how they look and work. For absolutely no reason, children and women got shot.

2. "Schindler's list" and "The Pianist": If you haven't heard of the holocaust, look up in wiki. Jews in and around Germany were killed for just one reason- being Jews..

3. Crash: A movie that shows (or may be exaggerates, I’m not sure about how it is in there, I can only guess) how some African-Americans are treated in the United States. Not just African-Americans, just any guy from a foreign country.

4. Blood diamond: Another movie showing a civil war and how people with power exploit those without. There are lots of such movies.. Even Rambo 4 is like that...

The world war II happened when no person in Europe could ever believe he’d be safe. There were places where people were just too happy to survive just another day. Civil wars happened in Africa where people of the same country hated each other. There are countries in Africa that are struggling to survive. Even today, in Pakistan there’s a bombing once every month or two. Yet, in our country, a bandh happens and the bus service is suspended or maybe a guy’s bike gets damaged and we blame the government and say this is like hell.

The United States was too damn proud of its ideals and principles. It was believed to be the country built on freedom and rights and equality. Yet you see this country going for the Vietnam war. We, with all our strength and military, have not even thought of attacking weak countries around us, like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc.... We value the freedom of not just our country, but of our neighbors too. And how often do we even see the military interfering in state affairs? How often do we have a riot or how many times does the government turn against people forcing unease in the country?

Independence doesn’t just mean to fly the flag and then eat a sweet or greet someone. Think of this. If there was no government and no law, and you are going along with your girlfriend or your sister and a bunch of guys come and kick ur a** and rob you and harass her, what can you do? If you believe you can walk in the streets without being robbed or beaten up, that’s independence. That’s freedom and law and everything. How many times were you denied the right to board into a bus or were locked up for no reason or not allowed to sit with other people? We live in a country that’s probably the best in the world. Proud to be an Indian.

In a country where you’re free all the time, especially living in a place where I’m free to do everything I can (or almost everything), saying “Happy Independence Day” doesn't make a lot of sense to me, especially when you say that to show off you're the first guy to remember that the country got freedom on a particular day in August or do it just because that's just another occasion to send a msg or a mail.... I belong to a free country and I know that all the time, right from the time I walk on the streets to the time I have a laptop with an internet connection and I don't think anyone needs to be reminded that he lives in an independent India.
And I don't really feel I have to end all such posts with a "Jai Hind" in the end.. NO! I have respect for my country and I do follow most of the rules, atleast a lot more than most of the nation.