Thursday, August 23, 2007

Freedom@Midnight

60 years of freedom – that is what my country celebrated about 2 weeks ago.
What does it mean though? For me … and for the millions that call themselves Indian.

I don’t know. Perhaps, it means the freedom to make your own rules. Maybe, it is the freedom to break any rules that you want to. It probably means nothing really other than the acceptance of living in a society which for all purposes has always been quite free.

Irrespective of whether we were ruled by Kings or the British or by our selves, at the ground level, it never really has made much of a difference to the common man. No matter who rules, we have a way of dealing with the nitty-gritty of it – the rules themselves. We have always found ways around them … bent them when it suited our purpose and championed them when that suited our purpose. We are value changers … a quality on a level that leaves the poor Boggart way behind … like a cruise missile compared to an arrow.

If you don’t believe how easily we change values, think of someone that needs to cross a road in order to get across to his or her car. The person shall invariably jaywalk across the road, cursing the drivers that come hurtling down trying to make it through the signal before it turns red showing no remorse or concern for the pedestrian that is so valiantly trying to go across the road.

As this person dances through the traffic, hurling abuses as the drivers who reciprocate in kind, all the while trying to make it to his car, he is just another of the hundreds of people much aggrieved and appalled by the conditions on the Indian road.

Finally, having made it across the road, the person pulls out his keys and boards his car. And in the blink of an eye, everything changes. As he turns on the ignition, slips into gear and honks his way out of the parking lot, he realizes that his way is blocked by mindless jaywalking pedestrians. He has no patience for these lesser creatures as they scurry about on their daily chores. He guns his engine and hurtles through the traffic hurtling abuses at everyone as he swerves across lanes and even goes over the sidewalks every once in a while to avoid a traffic jam or a traffic signal.

Freedom!

Freedom at midnight … perhaps it is only right that it happened at midnight … a portent for the things to come …

I could tell you about freedom and what it means to me. But, we are a democracy. A “civilized” translation of the old jungle paradigm “might is right”. The assumption being that if people with opposing views came head to head, the numerically superior group would win. That of course, as we all know very well, is not true. All the great generals - be it Babur, Alexander or whoever else you fancy - have proved it again and again.

But there you have it … for all practical purposes your thought does not count. Not when you are such a ludicrous minority that believes in such lunacy as crossing the roads at the zebra crossing when the traffic light is red, not jumping signals just because there are no cops and there are no cars coming from the other direction, not dumping vegetable waste in front of your neighbors gate in order to feed the cow, jump the queue at lunch, take your dog out to take a dump at your neighbors gate …

Well, who says freedom isn’t worth all the hype around it? At least I can crib all I want and not end up in Siberia or Guantanamo.

Ah! Freedom!!!

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