Independence Day- How Far We Have Achieved Our Independence

-- Shehnaz T. Attari

Sunday, August 9, 2020

As we celebrate our 73rd independence day on 15th August 2020, we feel proud to enjoy our freedom from British rule which was achieved after a long struggle of our freedom fighters.

Mahatma Gandhi always insisted that India would be truly independent only when the poorest of its people became free of human sufferings. According to (NSSO report 2011-12) India has about 270 million poor people.

Today, the whole world has witnessed a huge socio-economic loss due to COVID-19. In India, the impact of the pandemic is more visible on our society and our economy and it has increased poverty and inequalities at a much larger scale. Marginalized section of the society are worst hit due to pandemic. These daily wage earners have lost their jobs due to closure of factories and are returning back to their villages. Job losses has brought millions of the people below the poverty line and they are struggling even for basic necessities of life like food and shelter. They are dependent on support from the government or charitable organizations for food and shelter.

Our fragile health care system has created a great distress among the people for this disease, due to inadequate health care infrastructure, incapacitated hospitals with lack of testing kits for the masses and lack of protective gear even for the medical staff. Rich people are able to afford expensive treatment facilities whereas poor and low income people are not even able to get a bed or proper treatment in hospitals.

COVID -19 became the virus of racism which in turn divided Indian people on the basis of religion and caste based discrimination. It damaged the social fabric of our country which is called as a secular state. Much needs to be done to end this stigmatisation and spreading of discrimination and violence.

How the suffering of the masses can be minimized in these challenging times?

Though central and state government have implemented various measure to mitigate economic hardship by providing them with food security, medical and financial help. But many of these benefits do not reach the deserving poor.

It is not only the responsibility of government to protect the health and well-being of its citizens but, as an Indian, we too have our duty towards our motherland. Local affluent business people should come forward to provide jobs to jobless people in the community. Places for quarantine shelter should be allotted by those who can afford. As a responsible citizen we have to create awareness about the preventive measure to be taken to further stop the outbreak of this disease. Each and every individual should follow physical distancing, use of face mask, hand washing and self -monitoring of health by all. More NGOs and charity organization should step in to help the vulnerable people.

One of the biggest challenge of independent India has been to bring millions of people out of abject poverty. Only by acting in solidarity and showing acts of humanity we can overcome the socio –economic impact of this pandemic. We have to work together to ensure that each citizen should have access to food and medical care and poor vulnerable people are not mistreated.

Independence Day remind us about the dawn of a new beginning. So, it is our duty to serve our nation and make it a better place for every Indian citizen to live in. May our dream of a new tomorrow come true? By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.

Jai Hind

Shehnaz T. Attari