I was born after 1947, so technically I was - born free. Thus I am not able to appreciate the brouhaha surrounding the 'celebration' of Independence every year. Even otherwise we as Indians belong to a civilisation which is among the oldest in the world, thus there is no question of anyone subjugating us particularly in the mind. Indians have been free and will be free for all time. What has happened to our land from historical times is that it has been colonised by various people which are essentially aberrations but Indians have been intrinsically free. That is why we see the Indian civilisation and culture thriving even to this day.
Where actually the truth is that firstly, the BJP was not formed prior to Independence and hence could not have participated in our fight for freedom, as they call it. Secondly, neither was the erstwhile Jana Sangh, the predecessor of the BJP involved in this august cause. And thirdly though the RSS, the mother lode from which the saffron parties have all emerged, was existent in some nebulous form at that time, did they do anything to secure our freedom. In fact they worked counter to the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi and others who were working to get rid of the British. Concluding we need to put an end to all these 'celebrations' of Independence in the future that draw us back to the unpalatable fact of physical subjugation and give our youth a free head to seek greater laurels for the country with a free heart and mind.
S KAMAT, Alto Santa Cruz
