The Hindu Business Line : Freedom: Yours, mine and theirs

We should be ever grateful to the Mahatma and his band of leaders for suffering both physically and mentally for the sake of freedom of our and coming generations. The immense value of freedom is well known and is explicit when it is not there. Freedom of expression and freedom to disagree and dissent are integral to all development. Highest secular knowledge, high levels of health status and riches are of no avail if the person endowed with them is not free to lead the life he or she chooses to live.

One must, however, respect other's freedom, while enjoying one's own. Sad to say, few if any care to respect other's freedom in the normal course of life. That violation could range all the way from mild and moderate to hard and horrific.

Here is a mild violation of my freedom by my neighbour. He exercises his freedom and enjoys the full volume of his stereo system, even in the morning hours. He should have the common sense not to go for the sound blast at sunrise, when most people prefer some quiet time and I like to enjoy my silence in prayer and contemplation. There is a stadium opposite my home. It is natural to expect a lot of noise whenever there is a match or a public function. What is astounding is that people are allowed to use the stadium for marriage functions and it is not uncommon for the microphones and sound systems to go full blast typically at about 10 p.m. None in the area can read or concentrate; and my young tenant has to make do with what little he can study for the next day's class test. This encroachment into others' freedom should be taken as more than mild as the number suffering is more than just one or two and in some cases the consequences could be severe. Thanks to our vibrant democracy, local, district, state and national leaders can call a bandh any time. Even though there may be advance notice, some people do suffer simply because they do not have access to shops, banks and offices on the day of the bandh.

The worst encroachments on our freedom occur when one group or one person inflicts injury and death on innocent people. The killings at Virginia Tech are the work of one person. He should not have had easy access to the guns. The disaster of 9/11 was by a group on innocent people; if arms and ammunition were not easily available, perhaps the disaster would not have occurred.

The need of the hour is for one and all to be aware of the obligation to ensure the least disruption to other's freedom when they exercise their freedom. Police have to be pro-active to routinely advertise that one must not play loud music and not allow public places for noisy private functions. World leaders should exchange views and come up with solutions to ban private ownership of guns. Guns must be for the exclusive use of security personnel and hence one missing is easy to trace. Finally protest and dissent can take place in forms that do not come in the way of other's freedom.

(The author is Professor Emeritus, GIFT, Visakhapatnam and Visiting Faculty, Sir Sathya Sai University, Prasanthi Nilayam. He can be reached at bhanoji@gmail.com)

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