Saturday, April 26, 2008

freedom-an article


We belong to a generation who grew up on a staple diet of filmed patriotism, staring at fuzzy black & white images of Pandit Nehru embarking on a "tryst with destiny", the euphoric gathering cheering the slow but steady ascension of the fluttering tricolor. Staring, at the frail bespectacled figure that epitomizes the very essence of the much heard of freedom struggle. Each frame is etched into our collective conscience and yet come august 15 th we can't help but gaze into the oft- run but seldom drunk-in pictures of our independence, wondering how it would have been in the midst of the crowd, to breathe-in the air of expectancy of a nation impending birth, pondering over how it would have been to walk alongside the frail figure we so revere. The melodrama subsides in a while and we walk off with a heady mix of emotions to tend to the mundane that forms the centre of our lives now.

More than half a century later freedom is still a potent word and one which holds as much lure now as it did then. The dimensions have changed though, almost as though it went through a facelift with time. Today's youth are as potent as the word itself, with opportunities aplenty and means at hand to capitalize on them, but do they believe they possess freedom? More importantly how do they define it in today's context and how far are they willing to venture to achieve it. Some bore a puzzled expression when posed with these questions, others recovered quickly to wax eloquent about their private versions of the word and what it meant to them.

Alok phadnis a final year student of engineering at VIT, had this to say "I believe in the freedom to choose our own career paths." His words are echoed by Gowri Kulkarni an MBBS student albeit in different words "Freedom to me is the liberty of thought, action and expression of one's own aspirations and the right to work towards them." In a society where 17 year olds are believed to be unequipped to make a career decision for themselves, where parental pressure invariably influences one's career path, these views are far from surprising. Those who have been fortunate enough to have the freedom to choose their careers, find themselves oppressed in other ways. Most girl students inhabiting college hostels can be found questioning why their in-timings are always about 3-4 hours earlier than the guys. Another burning issue is the unwritten dress code every girl has to adhere to lest she run a risk of eve teasing or worse. Unnati Agarwal a student of symbiosis institute of design hits the nail on the head. "Freedom is free falling, unbound, limitless and unquestioning." Prageti verma , a student of SCMHRD seems to pervade the material plane when she says "Freedom to me is freedom from greed, lust, the want for acquiring and the sense of belonging."

Although most seem to have a clear view on freedom and what it translates as to them, the majority are unsure as to how they would go about achieving it. Also not all answers received were thoughtful, some were downright hilarious. While some argued for freedom from attendance and lectures, others yearned for the right to party all night. But who are we to question them. Can one freedom be smaller or insignificant than the other? Can it be measured and ranked? Can two freedoms lose harmony with each other? Can nations be free when people aren't? All questions beyond our realm. Yet freedom lives, breathes and yearns to find expression.

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