Status of India after 61 Years of Independence

India is going to complete 61 years of Independence on 15^th August, 2008. Now, one more year is going to get added when we can proudly call ourselves a free nation. But, are we free in real terms? Does it make sense to celebrate this day with great pomp and show when we are still living under the clutches of poverty, corruption, injustice, inequality and most importantly, illiteracy? At least, I don't think so.

Inequality in different forms is still the face of free India. It mainly exists on the basis of gender and caste. Let us take the case of inequality on the basis of gender. Although a lot has been done for the upliftment of women and more and more women are attaining equality with their male counterparts, yet there are many women who get suppressed by their family and society on matters like pursuing higher studies or choosing a life partner or having a say in family planning or wearing a dress of her choice. Another aspect of such kind of inequality is the preference for male child, still prevalent in many parts of our country largely evident by the rampant female infanticide. Even today, when I let people know that we are only two daughters of our parents, they give an astonished look as if my parents are living an unhappy life without a son. People are also facing discrimination on the basis of caste. Let me just remind you all of an incident took place last year. An ex-army personnel belonging to a lower caste was beaten to death by his own villagers when he tried to dig a well on his land for farming. Now, what kind of achievement of India does it show after so many years of independence?

If inequality is an evil we still need to fight strongly, poverty is another major issue still holding our country in the league of third world countries. In fact, poverty has resulted into another kind of inequality between rich and poor. On one hand, you find those affluent people who can spend one lakh rupee just on a single dinner with their friends and family in a five or seven star hotel, while on the other hand, you find people living on streets with no proper clothing, food and other basic necessities.

Poverty has also resulted into a major social evil and that is child labor. In my locality, there is a slum area where majority of children are the bread earners for their family without any time to attend government schools. Their financial condition does not allow them to attend a full session in the school. If they at all are attending classes, it is only for satiating their hunger with mid day meals. But, this problem has got another dimension. There is a class of people who have literally no interest in making their children educated and look at them only as an additional source of income. So, isn't there a need to take a strong initiative by the government to make these people let their children attend school? Only constructing school buildings is not enough, I think.

It is not only poverty that is spelling a curse on common people, but also corruption. The common man of our free nation still needs to bow his head to corruption, which is rampantly found in our administrative machinery. If I ask you, how many times you had to pay some kind of bribe to get your work done, I am sure you would have forgotten the number as it has become close to countless.

There are many other issues that show our susceptibility to get succumbed to pressures at individual level as well as national level. So, shall we celebrate this day? Of course, but in a way that promises a great future for every Indian in coming years. On this day, we all should take a vow to join hands and cooperate with our government to get our nation free of all evils so that we get a reason to celebrate this day in true sense.

Raksha Bandhan - A Festival of Bonds

Come August and I gear up for one of the most revered festivals of the Indian Calendar. Yes this is the festival of bonds that I am talking - 'Raksha Bandhan' or more popularly Rakhi. I specially look forward to this festival as my brothers visit me on this day, no matter in which part of the country they are. where they are stationed It is on Rakhi that we revive those vows which we had taken ever since we were born.

For the ones who are not tête-à-tête with the festival, Rakhi captures the essence of the relationship between a brother and sister. Raksha means 'to protect', and Bandhan means a 'bond', therefore Rakhi is a bond of protection. Like every sister, I tie a band or an amulet around my brother's wrist as a protecting charm and pray for his wellbeing. My brother in turn vows to protect me from all sorts of evils and perils of the world. The festival is celebrated on the "Shravan Sud Poornima" every year, according to the Hindu calendar. An inetegral part of my rakhi celebrations are the gifts that my brothers lovingly shower upon me. The mere thought of the box of chocolates or the new dress that might be in store for me still brings a glitter to my eyes.

This festival has special meaning for me and my entire family as it very fondly reminds us of my grandmother. As children, I use to hear the mesmerizing legend behind Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan. Since time immemorial this festival has been attached to the ritual of protecting your loved ones from the evils of the world. The tradition actually dates back to the Mahabharata and the Hindu Mythological Godhead 'Indra.'

Rakhi is fun time as it also serves the purpose of a refreshing family get-together. The entire house basks with the presence of relatives from all corners of the country. Be it my paternal aunt or my maternal uncles, it is fun to have all of them under one roof.

Now, with Rakhi just round the corner, my mind is full of joy and I am waiting for all the action to happen. It’s not just me, I am sure that all sisters are waiting for it too.

Amarnath Land Controversy - Was This Move Required?

The controversy in the state of Jammu & Kashmir on the allocation of 100 acres of the land to the Amarnath Shrine board has brought forth the pent-up sentiments of the Muslim residents in the area. This move on the part of the Government has large repercussions on the already volatile political scenario in Jammu and Kashmir. This thoughtless move was a clear attempt to lure the Hindu residents' votes in the area, but it has resulted in uprooting the entire normalcy in the state. Ever since this announcement was made, it was evident that the Muslim residents in the state would raise their voice against it. However, an even stronger impact on this has been from the Separatist forces, who have taken this platform to draw the pro-India populace to their side.

As a result of all this political flutter, the PDP had also gone on to pressurize the Government to withdraw the land order, so as to satiate the feelings of the Muslim voters in the state. In fact, the PDP had even threatened to withdraw its support from the coalition government if this was not implemented. As a result, the Congress government in the state succumbed to the pressure and has taken back their move.

But all these developments raise a pertinent question in our minds that was this step really required? In the volatile states of Jammu and Kashmir, where the public feeling has always been bent towards Pakistan, such an inconsiderate move only ignites the fire that has always been given air by the separatist forces. The peace and tranquil atmosphere was predominant in the state from the past few years and everyone was hoping that things would be normalized again. But, with this move, things have again been pushed to the same politically corroded state.