Well we just finished our Independence day and had the celebrations in our community centre..And that has lead me to writing this blog.. The celebrations were really nice.. everybody came together and we all had a gala time.. with all the cultural events like dance.. songs.. speeches.. and then ending with a puja , bhajan and then with the dinner..
Sounds more like a get together isnt it..?
Well thats how i felt .... But then thats again another form of freedom.. Its the freedom of speech and expressing one self..
But then what does freedom or this whole independence mean??
Each person has a different view when it comes to freedom..And each one is so proud of their nation and the freedom one gets.. But is this something to be proud off??
Are we truly free and independent??
Freedom is not merely the opportunity to do as one pleases; neither is it merely the opportunity to choose between set alternatives. Freedom is, first of all, the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them -- and then, the opportunity to choose.
Everybody wants their freedom..
Freedom to say their opinion.. emotions..thoughts.. actions..
So does that mean its just a state of mind..or its the way in which you conducts things??
Or is it just the whole jazz ( if i can use the word ) of just hoisting the flag .. all the politicians making the speeches.. remembering all the freedom fighters and laying flowers on their grave..and the tv channels showing the struggles and the how much we have progressed in the past 6 decades..
Am sure all of us have had this conflict with our parents when we were growing up may be even now.... still feel that sometimes we are made to act differently than what we would have done or want to do.. This could be for different reasons.. Pleasing and listening to our parents.. Thinking what other people or the society would think about us if we do things differently..
So does that mean we are free...
Are we truly independent then.. ???
It is said that "Man is free at the moment he wishes to be..", But sometimes we are not that free that we are allowed to choose.. We are made to weigh the consequences of the decisions that we make..
I used to think that freedom is free.It seems the more I feel trapped, the more I desire freedom.My own limiting thoughts can become my own captor. Slowly, I began to learn that freedom is not free. It comes with a price. Sometimes at a heavy price. If you're willing to pay the price, you can be as free as you want to be.
What is the price you willing to pay???
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36 comments:
This is a brilliant and very honest post from a TRUE Indian!
All those ppl who claim they r proud of being Indian and never even dare to speak the truth like u did just now, need to read this post urgently! Cos it's ppl like u who ought to be PROUD to be Indian. Cos u fearlessly look at the issues that ur motherland n it's citizens need help with. U dun feel scared or intimidated to say it in the open that SOME things need CHANGE and CORRECTION. To me, that wud be wut a true Indian/Sri Lanka is.
BRAVO GAL! Im so PROUD of u. :)
** I began to learn that freedom is not free. It comes with a price. Sometimes at a heavy price. If you're willing to pay the price, you can be as free as you want to be.
Spot on! And its sad that alot of today's Indian/Sri Lankan youth fail to see that. All they ever wanna do is live in denial. we got the freedom from Whites, so wuts next. hv we really got our Independence from our OWN? Thats the next quest and challenge. And the PRICE that needs to be paid mebbe HEAVY, but Im sure it'll be well WORTH it. IF WE TRY, WE CAN.
*HUGZ* u rock! I love this post.
Keshi.
thanks keshi huggss
isnt it true.. we did get the independence from the whites rule.. but arent we still bound with so much problems with in our own kin..
u r still judged and differentiated by the caste or the language you speak.. then the gender differentiation..
i still dont understand how being a girl is a crime in the northern part of india.. where they just abort the fetus if they know its going to be a girl child..
thanks again babez.. :)
yeah everything u said is true Ani.
Its the same in Sri Lanka...women still dun hv an equal place in some parts of the country. Then there's the Tamil and Sinhalese war going on for like 20+ years. And then there's the Rich getting richer and the Poor getting poorer!
And on Idep. Day, ppl parade and celebrate Independence..I wonder if they even know the meaning of it!
Keshi.
worse, just cos I mentioned all of this, some ppl in my blog labelled me as someone who cant see the GOOD side of a country!
Now thats not what I was even talking abt. I was only talking abt Independence. And if there's no Human Rights for some ppl, if there's Gender bias, if there's race/caste/creed bias, if there' immense poverty, if there's ugly power struggles n wars, then NO I don't call those countries INDEPENDENT.
Whether ppl hate me or not, I stand by wut I said.
:)
Keshi.
Nice post Ani, very contemplative. Freedom is such a subjective word that one can have round table conferences throughout the year :)
There's one line that struck me a lot in your post and somehow I felt it said a lot, atleast for me.
'My own limiting thoughts can become my own captor.'
or make me captive too (just my feeling right now :))
Just wanna say nice post.
Hi ,
I was reading ur blog posts and found some of them to be very good.. u write well.. Why don't you popularize it more.. ur posts on ur blog ‘Ab Imo Pectore !!!!!!!!!!!!!’ took my particular attention as some of them are interesting topics of mine too;you have given a very correct definition of freedom in the post...
BTW I help out some ex-IIMA guys who with another batch mate run www.rambhai.com where you can post links to your most loved blog-posts. Rambhai was the chaiwala at IIMA and it is a site where users can themselves share links to blog posts etc and other can find and vote on them. The best make it to the homepage!
This way you can reach out to rambhai readers some of whom could become your ardent fans.. who knows.. :)
You can also win an exciting t-shirt by winning the contest which is going on in rambhai.com…. hurry up the contest is from 10 – 24 august…
Cheers,
Keshi ..
That is exactly what I mean.. We have got so much of freedom.. but are we making the right usage of it.. Fighting among ourselves.. After so much of blood shed ppl wouldn't want to talk about it much.. Even with the so called peace talks happening around us.. Almost every other country is at a cold war with some other nation.. but yes we all are soo independent and enjoying our freedom..
I know ppl tell me I am too straightforward.. well truth hurts.. and some times you do have to be blunt.. one cant sugar coat things all the time to please others.. IF you keep doing that.. then you seize to be you..
Still Thinking..
Thank you so much..
Yup its a very speculative subject.. and we can have endless arguments with no results or no real outcome.. because each individual has a different level and meaning for the word freedom and the level of freedom and independence they get or expect to get..
And thats exactly how i feel.. captive to my own thoughts and emotions which sometimes am unable to express..
Ray
Thank you so much for visiting my blog.. and for the praises..
Well I dont know much of how to go about in advertising my blog..
I do love to write.. and it helps in putting forth my point of view on things and get to know what others think about the same..
Glad you liked the posts.. Hope to see your comments for the once you liked.. always nice to know ppl's views on things..
Will look into your website now.. Do keep coming back..
Thanks once again..
Wow!!! Ani...I'm used to reading a diff kinda articles from u but this was OUT-OF-THE-BOX if i can say...totally different...and I truly loved reading...all magazines here...India Today, Outlkook and news channels NDTV CNN IBN eyc telecast prog defining freedom
Even after watching them,I found urs interesting...keep writing..gr8 going
Rajesh :
Thank you..
I know what you mean.. Because thats how I felt and all of them were wishing me happy independence day.. N i was like so you think you are independent. and they gave me the look as if I have gone crazyy ( hehe not that ppl dont think that otherwise but still )
anyways.. so i thought let me write and see what do ppl think about it.. and must say.. am getting good response for this.. so am happy about it.. there are few ppl who do realise what it means.. and not just this whole deal of oh they did this .. this and this types..
Hi Ani,
Wonderful post...
You answered many of my questions in a similar post..
http://theregoesathought.blogspot.com/2008/08/happy-
independence-day.html
But I believe.. Freedom isn't absolute but relative.. and when we talk about freedom within society or a nation.. we are not talking of freedom at all.. because as soon as we talk of freedom or liberty in the civil sense.. we already curtail some of them..
But then again.. for a nation to celebrate its independence day.. rather than squandering away the day in useless gatherings.. mock dances and songs.. stupid fashion shows.. we must rather do something that builds the nation.. donate blood... plant trees.. teach kids.. or something like that...
Read my post.. it is on similar lines..
Enjoy and take care..
Shantu ,
thank you..
will read your post now.. and u can view my comments about it there..
and what you said is so true..
freedom is relative.. but at the same time you need to think.. its not just your freedom but its for everyone.. but i guess ppl don't understand that..
getting a nation together and being united is not an easy task.. but at the same time.. ppl should respect other ppl's privacy and not try to curb it by bringing up different things to undermine it..
planting trees.. donating blood is a good thing.. but how many ppl actually are willing to do that.. or spend some of their time doing that.. and when any of your loved one is injured and in dire need of blood and its not available you end up blaming the whole community saying.. oh noone wants to help me.. when you urself weren't bothered to help out in the first place..
this will take plenty of time to change.. but it will happen graduallyy
Hi...
rightly said.. people are scared to extend a hand.. and expect handfuls of help in return...
and things are changing.. but it will take a long time to cut out the redtapism and the corruption..
and there might be a time.. when things would be so distorted that nothing would make sense...
for a nation to be united.. you need people who are ready to accommodate.. we aren't a nation anymore.. we are 26 countries living together.. and visiting each other often...
so a northindian is despised in the south... the mumbaikars hate all the non-mumbaikars... an northeastern remains a chinki where ever he goes.. (these are too general statements... but parts of these are the truth...)
and so we go around.. gifting crores to an Olympic gold medalist who is inherently rich.. while we forget to finance the sport organization.. or the poor athletes who bear the brunt..
so we name roads by the names of freedom fighters.. and litter them with gusto..
for a country which survives on double standards... things aren't too bright..
Shantu ,
well things are changing.. just that don't know how long it will take to change .. change is part of nature.. hehe even i was thinking.. a nation which has got the 2nd largest population in the world and we have got just one gold medal to the tallyy.. ( am not sure if we won anything else in the mean time .. then am sorry about the error )
i know there are so many more talented ppl.. just that they need a bit more encouragement and more than that the funding and all the necessary training to reach the international level to represent the nation. Just imagine how proud we all would be if India was No1 ranking in the olympics medal tally's.. That would so be a dream come true.. But then ppl dont want that fame.. or rather they cant have that fame.. if they dont have the right resources or contacts.. its soo sad..
hehe and am not starting the conversation between the north and south .. there is no point .. its meaningless conversation..
Yeah.. the conversation is meaningless.. and that is what makes it more important..
nationalism as a wave must run through all people.. and it must not be celebrated as a broken thread.. without identity.. and the day we celebrate an independence day where the entire country stands in unison.. is the day that we are independent..!
utopian.. but true..!
By the way.. we got another bronze.. and are on the way of getting another medal..! :)
Shantu ,
hehe thanks for the update.. thats really great.. go india.. chak deee :)
welll having an utopian type of dream is not bad.. it will be just bad that u keep on dreaming about it and not at all work towards achieving it.. so lets see if we all can make a difference..
In my view, freedom is ability to express, act and live as per own wishes without any one else having regrets to your actions.
In simple words, do what you want as long as you are not troubling other people with what you do.
Makes sense?
Freedom to be free.
Maybe being free may not let us realise how much the little things might matter to us if we weren't actually free.
Like you said it means different things to different people.
Maxmayur..
thank u for visiting my blog..
it does make sense.. but then.. each person has got a different idea or notion about what troubles them..
like for eg: say ur travelling in a bus/train.. and u recieve a call from a friend and u end up talking and laughing out loud about something..
the person sitting beside you might actually feel a bit uncomfortable and troubled about it..
but then thats ur freedom..
so one will never know.. what is right or wrong..
Anil:
it does mean different things to different ppl.. some off us are lucky enough to understand the value of freedom and dont misuse it..
some ppl just take it for granted.. and when they do not get what they want.. try to snatch it..which leads to bigger problems..
Ani.. you have captured the thought that is going through every Indians mind right now . We might have declared independance, but the shackles of illiteracy, beauracracy and hate still weigh us down. Freedom always comes at a price, but people dont realize that the are paying it most times!
Ani,
sorry for being late..
Freedom from what, is the right question.Communists argue about freedom from the oppressors,post-modernists discuss the influence of power and independence of the sidelined,different groups from different corners have their own concepts about freedom and each one has ideas for their own independent struggle histories..
Jiddu krishnamurthy talks about freedom from the known..VS Ramachandran prooves everything happens in the brain..When connecting everything together, freedom primarily dawns in our brain,but for that we atleast should be independent to "exist"..
very good post..
happy independence day(whatever it means)
lol
baby B sends 15 giggles and 12 smiles to all...
MIP
Interwoven personalities and distributed mentalities will always persuade you to change your definition of life. There is nothing right or wrong. The 'right' for you might be horribly wrong for some one else. :-)
Anyway, thats how I define freedom. For your comment, I traveled 14hrs in an extremely crowded train recently and I thought I lost my free right to acquire my own seat. But journey ended up well. My blog has the entry "second class waiting" if you wish to read.
Hahahahaahahahaha! ok i know im not supposed to laugh on this one...but tat iraqi comic strip was sueper funny..
nope, we r nto independant....not even close rather...there's sooooooooooo much to say tat i cnt tell it all rite now...maybe when i have more time il mail it to u...
India will gt 'free' only when it is FREE of superstitions and baseless morals and judgements, till then we live in ignorance while others sufer silently...
Anu ,
Thank u..
I do understand all of us feel different kind of emotions towards our motherland.. but then.. the realisation.. well all of us are so busy with our own mundane life.. that others problems or social obligations doesnt matter much..
we are lucky.. just that we dont realise how lucky we are..
MIP ,
you are never tooo latteeeeeee...
hehe welll u asked loads of question back for my set of questions..
give baby B 30 kissess and hugs from myside..
am sure u r having fun :)
Maxmayur ,
Interwoven personalities and distributed mentalities will always persuade you to change your definition of life. There is nothing right or wrong. The 'right' for you might be horribly wrong for some one else.
Thats sooooo trueee...and I completely agree.. because that is what i follow.. ppl end up telling that i dont care.. and am too stubborn ..oh well.. i think they just dont get it.. ;)
will definitly check that one out..
Pretha..
missseeddd u man..
finallyyy u are back.. lol..
i know bum.. our freedom definition is sooo different.. n am sooo waiting for you to tell me about it.. so if you are mailing me.. i hope it happens with in this year.. because if u get lazy.. then god knows when u will end up writing next..
yeh the comic strip is a cool one.. thats why i put it there.. hope nobody takes any offense to it..
Thanks for the suggestion, will put the translated text now, and do cehck out the previous post! his morning trail, you may like that,,,
Barath ,
checked the post and left comments as well.. thats a lovely post.. always love nature..
u didnt comment on this post though.. so waiting for that.. :)
Good! Always be yourself :-)
I want not approve on it. I over nice post. Expressly the designation attracted me to read the unscathed story.
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