E-Paper
Taking stock of our freedoms
India’s journey has been remarkable. But its future will depend on its ability to innovate, create opportunities and safeguard diversity
When India tentatively stepped into the night on August 15, 1947, the emancipation of such a large mass of people from the yoke of colonialism was unheard of. Indian democracy, born out of the wrenching horrors of Partition, was deemed a doomed project – nowhere had such an impoverished country managed to even feed its own people, let alone nurturing its own democracy. Yet, not a decade went by when India didn’t become richer, more powerful, more self-reliant, and globally more relevant. It did this through a remarkable compact forged between the citizens and their representatives – one that was struck democratically albeit with a brief blip – that seeded some measure of accountability and sought to prioritise the stability of the State while respecting myriad diversities. It recognised that the core promise of Independence was emancipation, that the last man in the line would get their voice heard, and at least notionally, have the same stake in the country he inhabited as his more fortunate peers. Though governments changed, as did political and economic paradigms, India has remained robust in its march forward by the understanding that the pledge of democracy rested on its ability to uplift the future of its citizens, giving them hope that their children will grow up in a more prosperous, more equal and less troubled society than themselves. Whether it be lifting millions out of poverty or working to counteract social evils such as caste, the Indian State may not have always succeeded in its endeavour, but there was never a sliver of doubt about the direction of progress.
The 76th Independence Day is a milestone in some sense, because such anniversaries offer us a chance to appreciate the giant strides made by a nation the world had written off, while apprising ourselves of the challenges that lie ahead. In the next two decades, the country will have to generate millions of employment opportunities for its burgeoning young population that will be the largest in the world, and can either become the engine of its growth, or the hurdle in its path towards prosperity. It will have to do so while ensuring that the forces that seek to divide us from within and without, are held at bay – external aggressors will need to be forestalled with strategy, diplomacy and force, while internal irritants will need to be checked with long-term vision, statesmanship and sincerity of purpose. And it will need to manage a rapidly warming world and mitigate the havoc that the climate crisis will wreak. It is not an easy task. But if the last 76 years are any proof, India is up to it.
