Free. free of the ideals with which our nation was borne. Free of fraternity, of justice. So free in fact, that we are free to subjugate our people in order to bring them development. When I hear the voices speaking about how the dissolution of the J&K state, internment of it's leaders and a completely clampdown on civil liberties is the only way to bring development, peace and stability to the region, I can hear echoes of Kipling exhorting his leaders to take on White Man's Burden, When Amit Shah claimed in Parliament, "Article 370 didn't allow democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. Corruption and poverty increased in the state. The entire country is developing, but when we look at Kashmir, we get tears in our eyes that even after 70 years (of independence), they are still living in poverty.", it sounded a lot like Kipling.
"Take up the White Man's burden —
The savage wars of peace —
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;"
And again, when he thundered that "Article 370 was the root of terror in Jammu and Kashmir. It is time for it to go... if it doesn't go today, we can't remove terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir.", the Ghost of Kipling looked on with pride.
"Take up the White Man's burden —
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;"
So I guess, today we are free to turn captor. We are free to forget the lessons that our freedom fighters learnt under the yoke of colonialism, the dreams they had of freedom, justice and equality. A nation borne from dissent, struggle and the defiant demand for freedom of its people, has decided that the best way to move forward is to quash dissent and meet defiance with violence that would do General Dyer proud. We are free to be the monster in the closet. The merciless engine of progress needs to be guarded from the chaotic elements of society who would derail it in the name of property rights, environment, equality, freedom or any such pesky demands.
Our freedom does not end here though. No sir! We are free now to express our hate, our bigotry and our disdain for anyone who does not conform to the idea of New India. We are free to lynch the undesirables, to issue death threats and rape threats to the non-conformists, to fan the flames of hatred in the name of religion. We are free to become the very thing we accuse the terrorists and extremists of. To take by force or fraud that which we believe is ours, and to treat all grievances that this causes as collateral damage.
We are so free. And yet, this freedom hangs heavy about me. It seems a burden, not a joy. Why do I feel such sorrow when contemplating my freedom? Why does it fill me with dread and foreboding? Is this what the freedom fighters and the constituent assembly envisaged at the birth of our nation? That we would use our hard fought freedom to trample over the rights of our fellow citizens? That we would treat dissent with contempt? That the ends justify the means? What separates a policeman firing on protestors in new India from a General Dyer firing on a gathering in Jallianwala Bagh? What makes one action just and the other cruel? All I can say for this freedom is...
"Bhes badal gaye, poshaak badal gayi. Rang badal gaya, par rukh abhi bhi wahi hai."
Which perhaps is the story of India for over 2000 years now. Jai Hind.
"Take up the White Man's burden —
The savage wars of peace —
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;"
And again, when he thundered that "Article 370 was the root of terror in Jammu and Kashmir. It is time for it to go... if it doesn't go today, we can't remove terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir.", the Ghost of Kipling looked on with pride.
"Take up the White Man's burden —
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;"
So I guess, today we are free to turn captor. We are free to forget the lessons that our freedom fighters learnt under the yoke of colonialism, the dreams they had of freedom, justice and equality. A nation borne from dissent, struggle and the defiant demand for freedom of its people, has decided that the best way to move forward is to quash dissent and meet defiance with violence that would do General Dyer proud. We are free to be the monster in the closet. The merciless engine of progress needs to be guarded from the chaotic elements of society who would derail it in the name of property rights, environment, equality, freedom or any such pesky demands.
Our freedom does not end here though. No sir! We are free now to express our hate, our bigotry and our disdain for anyone who does not conform to the idea of New India. We are free to lynch the undesirables, to issue death threats and rape threats to the non-conformists, to fan the flames of hatred in the name of religion. We are free to become the very thing we accuse the terrorists and extremists of. To take by force or fraud that which we believe is ours, and to treat all grievances that this causes as collateral damage.
We are so free. And yet, this freedom hangs heavy about me. It seems a burden, not a joy. Why do I feel such sorrow when contemplating my freedom? Why does it fill me with dread and foreboding? Is this what the freedom fighters and the constituent assembly envisaged at the birth of our nation? That we would use our hard fought freedom to trample over the rights of our fellow citizens? That we would treat dissent with contempt? That the ends justify the means? What separates a policeman firing on protestors in new India from a General Dyer firing on a gathering in Jallianwala Bagh? What makes one action just and the other cruel? All I can say for this freedom is...
"Bhes badal gaye, poshaak badal gayi. Rang badal gaya, par rukh abhi bhi wahi hai."
Which perhaps is the story of India for over 2000 years now. Jai Hind.
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