Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. - Martin Luther King Jr.
INDEPENDENCE is the freedom of the soul, a perception of the mind and a feeling understood by the heart. This freedom, perception and more importantly, this feeling is that of liberation, patriotism, self-dependence and other such things. When all such terms are put together and imposed upon the majority, it is a big responsibility on the youth of that nation and on those who create it. That nation is India.
"I'm proud to be an Indian." How often have you heard that phrase? How often have you heard that phrase and felt the emotion coming through, like a quiver of arrows? Maybe once, maybe twice or maybe you never gave it a thought. Now that is freedom of thought.
But, is it any good? However, with the evolving face of the youth of India, the insight levels of the Indian youth is increasing, and for the better. Coming back to those rare instances of pride being linked to our nationality, as a part of our identity, we begin to wonder why each and every one of us doesn't feel that way, every single time our nation is being criticized.
Why is it only on the 15th of August or 26th of January we feel 'Indian'? Why does the pride and patriotism towards our motherland only come out during an India-Pakistan cricket match? Why does the sudden realization of being Indian occur to us only when we watch a movie like Chak De India? Why?
I believe, "We constitute our nation, it does not constitute us. Independence is not our right to express but our right to be heard. Independence is not only smart politics, but being a part of a smarter public.", "Independence of our nation is not what we feel, but what we make of it and most importantly, independence is not about rights, but our duties towards the nation."
Also, "Independence to me is having the most important thing in the world, i.e., freedom, without having to own it."
With such a lot of brainstorming over Independence and its importance in our lives, it is not difficult to believe that we as youth are concerned about the issues of the nation, as long as they are given platforms.
The need of today's youth is to be heard, not passed off. The need of today's youth is to be free, not restrained. The need of today's youth is the realization of values and not an imposition. The need is not a need, but a want that must be satisfied.
At last, I want to sum up with "Freedom to me means the ability to run my life by my terms, be able to express myself the way I think is appropriate, and see that my children too have the ability to do the above without any fears.'
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