Janani Janmabhumishcha Swargadapi Gariyasi
‘Janani Janmabhumishcha Swargadapi Gariyasi’. Mother and Motherland Are Greater than heaven itself.
There is no greater asset to a sapient being than its independence. The Personal and collective sense of freedom defines our existence as a civilization. However, it is very crucial to understand that unlike Britain or Bangladesh- whose nationalistic identity is limited to certain geographical areas; Indian Independence and nationhood is abstract and more spiritual.
Indian Independence has never been simplistic and monolithic. There is no one narrative to India. This means that India as an idea can be threatened from multiple angles. Left and Right, Conservative and Liberal, Communist and Fascist, Secularists and Communalists- all seek to create a singular India with one idea of what it means to be Indian. But they are all wrong- for India means diversity. Diversity is India. So India is not Hindu, Muslim, Secular, Communal, Socialist or Capitalist. It is a gigantic amalgamation of all of these. India is of Indians. And who is an Indian is not defined by the government or the establishment. If I identify as an Indian, then I am an Indian. Indian Identity does not depend on Validation by political forces or Social media. But the sad fact is that politicians have always thought that they can decide and acknowledge someone’s “Indian-ness”. No matter who comes in power, we must remember that one’s religion or belief is not the Symbol of one’s nationalism or Indian Identity.
As I ponder here today on what I should write about India’s independence movement; What comes across my mind is a prayer from the Brihadaranya Upanishad. “Asato ma Sad Gamaya, Tamaso ma Jyotir Gamaya, Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya; Om Shantih Shantih Shantih”. What this prayer means, is that “O god, drive me from falsehood to truth; from darkness to light and from death to immortality. God, grant peace to me, peace to all that is mine and peace to everything else”. I think this was the entire freedom movement’s goal in one compact expression. What was the vision of India that our fore-bearers envisioned? It was the vision of a nation that was not polluted by lies, darkness and death.
There was no one singular idea of India among the freedom fighters; but one thing all freedom fighters agreed on, was that India’s independence should trigger a positive change within human society and improve the standard of life of Indians. India was dream for all, not the property of some. It was a ticket to destroy the falsehood of colonialism, end the darkness of discrimination and reverse the death of rationality. Independence of India was never meant to be limited to establishing a sovereign nation, it was meant to symbolize the awakening of a new identity and concise.
Yet it was all in vain it seems. Was colonialism destroyed? No, People are given jobs by judging them on what dresses they wear and how well-versed are they with English. English is practically the epitome of the curse of colonialism; not because it is a medium of communication; but because it has become a mode to discriminate and oppress the under-privileged. Discrimination exists in all forms. You have to fit within social bounds of religion, caste, wealth and gender to get hold of opportunities. Each and every individual present has faced discrimination based on one or more of their physical traits or beliefs.
I think independence Day has just became a celebration of trading one strata of masters with another. Urban, English-speaking, Fair-skinned, Men in religious majority have control over every single thing in our nation. Until we break the colonial system from the inside, the celebrations we hold today are meaningless. Majoritarianism, Blind-Faith, Discrimination, Poverty and Ignorance are the shackles that bind us and until each one of them is shattered we will remain slaves. We will be independent when knowledge, not money and muscle become the symbol of power. And once knowledge is free and accessible, True independence shall be ours and a dream seen nearly 8 decades ago shall be fully realized. Then, when enlightenment runs across our sacred motherland only one thing will matter, that we are all Indian. India will be our religion, our caste, our gender, our god and then we can celebrate an independence day in earnest.