In Search of Freedom
In conversation with Rishi Suri, Editor — International Affairs at The Daily Milap.
This is the last in a series of interviews as part of Freedom Song, our weekly feature highlighting individual perspectives on liberty. You can also read the first, second, third, fourth and fifth installments of Freedom Song.
1. What does freedom mean to you?
“I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind.”
~Antoine de Saint-Exuper
Rishi Suri: Never have truer words been said. Freedom to me is freedom of the mind, Independence of thought, the equal opportunity for everyone to exercise their rights and powers. The real purpose of freedom in my opinion is to create it for someone else because freedom is the one thing you can never have unless you give it to others. Questions of legal allowances, logical and moral requirements come up but doing what is right and the liberty to do it is what freedom is about.
2. Is there anything holding you back from achieving that kind of freedom?
Rishi Suri: More often than not it is our own self-made constructs that hold us back from achieving our ideal freedom. The war within is far greater at times and only when we overcome our insecurities and our doubts is when we can achieve what we want. I feel I am in a constant struggle within but I’m getting better at winning.
3. What do you think is the greatest challenge to freedom in society?
Rishi Suri: The greatest challenge to freedom in society is others imposing on us what freedom means to them. The acceptance that it can mean different things to different people is what we need to achieve as a society.
4. If given a choice, what is that one way you would think a government can make its citizens more free?
Rishi Suri: The best way any government can make the citizens free is by empowering them. Giving each individual citizen the power to hold the government accountable. Technology must be leveraged as best it can to make this possible.
5. What would your ideal society be like?
Rishi Suri: Engaged, empowered and self-reliant would be 3 key things I would like to see more and more off in any society. Engaged with each other and with the government to make a serious change in their own lives. Empowered to be able to hold a system accountable and drive change. Self-reliant so we don’t always have to look at others to help us change.
6. Who do you think holds the key to bringing such a society about?
Rishi Suri: We ourselves are the key. We must be the change. We must work with each other, with existing systems of governance but also hold those systems accountable where we don’t see them working. We must stop blaming others for problems we face and innovate to see how we can be a part of the solution. But above all else we must think of others whenever we think of ourselves to truly be able to effect positive change.
Rishi Suri is Senior Editor covering international affairs at The Daily Milap, India’s oldest and largest circulated Urdu daily newspaper. Rishi belongs to the fourth generation of the family that owns and runs the Milap group. An internationally recognised journalist, he is known for his unapologetically strong opinions on global politics and diplomacy.
Rishi is also one of the few Indian diplomatic correspondents certified by the country’s Ministry of External Affairs.
