Independence – for what?

India’s independence came first. Then it became a Republic. Independence from its colonial master – Great Britain – was welcomed with relief and joy by the people of a vast land.

They were freed from complying with laws enacted by ‘representatives’ seated in an uncommon House in a distant land. Independence meant that laws enacted to serve the interests of Britain were no longer relevant.

At least till 1920, when the first general elections were held to the Central legislative assembly and Provincial Assemblies, the Indian people had to fall in line with laws enacted by British parliament. Britain had enacted the Government of India Act on August 2, 1858, bringing India under the Crown.

August is a serious month. Britain chose August again 89 years later to enact the Indian Independence Act. India joyously observes Independence Day on August 15 as a consequence.

However, many depressing and frightening questions arise. Are the laws enacted to serve the interests of India no longer relevant to some Indians?

Have special groups achieved a supreme form of independence that allows them to march to a different beat? Has self-interest become the sole goal of the special groups?

Are those who comply with the laws of India naive and dimwitted? Are those who enforce the laws of the land blithely unscrupulous?

Are the law-abiding the quarry of those who have gained supreme ‘independence’?

Dyer’s world then

India came under the British Crown in 1858. That is when Britain enforced a set of laws on the people of India. There were rules pertinent to society. There were rules pertinent to the economy. They stipulated how the natives could conduct themselves and their businesses.

Compliance with these rules had eaten into the pride and the self-esteem of Indians. The rulers from afar could do what they wished. The natives could not. Natives had to comply with the law. Their wishes and needs did not matter.

Disobedience was illegal. Disobedient natives were shot by General Reginald Dyer on April 13, 1919.

Britons could conduct businesses of their choice in India. General Dyer’s family was in the business of brewing, in India! Natives could not be in this business. Britain had faith in free enterprise. But this faith was wholly and whimsically abridged for the natives.

Without becoming independent, India could not have become a Republic. India wrote its Constitution when it became a Republic in January 1950.

The Constitution has multiple objectives. It is aimed at securing justice, equality and dignity for the individual. It is simultaneously aimed at assuring the integrity of the nation.

The essence of our Republic has been spelt out most clearly in the Constitution. It resonates with the ideals and the passion of the authors of the Constitution.

The Constitution wanted to make it possible for all Indians to accomplish what they could not accomplish when they were governed by the British.

Many generations of Indians had lived in unyielding despair. They had lived degraded lives while their colonial masters lived in splendour and grandeur.

Great objectives

The Constitution, therefore, laid out clearly the means to end the iniquitous degradation and the deadening despair. The Constitution has enshrined economic equality. Under this, the government will endeavour to make the distribution of wealth more equal and provide a decent standard of living for all. Britain never had these objectives for India and Indians.

Where are we now? Has India used its Independence from Britain to wholly pursue and heartily promote the economic objectives?

We cannot wait until Republic Day for this assessment, since R-Day is for showing off military wares to foreign dignitaries. That is defence policy and foreign policy.

Dire world now

We have come a long way since the days of General Dyer. Amritsar, the Punjab and all of India will, six years from now, observe the centenary of that gory Baisakhi evening when hundreds (that is the official count) or a thousand and more (the unofficial count) were shot dead at Jallianwala Bagh.

These Indians were shot dead for disobeying a restriction and a requirement imposed by General Dyer. He wanted us to crawl. We did not like it then. It hurt our pride then.

But today, we admire lawlessness and economic inequality. We permit the looting of the resources of the nation.

We punish those that preserve these resources. We admonish and then banish those that impose the laws of the nation.

We no longer have to work to earn our incomes. We steal with pride. We crawl with pride. There is immunity and impunity for the special groups. There is hell and hot water for the obedient.

We look at the skyline south of Dignity Drive

Wanting to know how well we could thrive

Erecting tall, fabulous buildings

With sand from illegal diggings

And big money made without having to strive

That’s what we are all about.

(The author is a financial analyst.)

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