Is India actually independent is a question many of us ask because even after 70 years of independence from British rule, India cannot call itself completely independent. A few things which show that India is still not entirely free are: terrorism, high prices, poverty, corruption, social evils, illiteracy, child labour; the list is endless. Even after so many years we are not free from the clutches of the caste system, dowry among other problems. Freedom is not being free; it is a responsibility we all must exercise.
Moksha Sharma (18)
Mumbai

Although India is celebrating 70 years of independence and has achieved great success in such a small period of time, there are many concerns that are to be improved upon. One such issue is women’s safety. Laws are issued but there are no implementations. Atrocities like acid attacks, rapes and molestations need to be strictly contained. Poverty, corruption and environmental issues also need to be given greater attention.
Divyakriti Masaun
Jhansi

It gives me immense joy and happiness that my country is celebrating 70 years of independence. We see our nation witnessing tremendous progress after independence while it is also pertinent to have a critical assessment about the freedom we gained. Unfortunately contemporary India is infested with many unholy nexus of criminal politics, politicized religion, greedy business and partisan media integrity running out door. The 70th year of freedom will be a mythical concept for a majority of Indians who are wriggling under the weight of our own homemade bondages like slavery under restrictions imposed on the basis of caste and class.
Kishore Kandi (20)
St John’s Seminary, Vizag

Gandhiji once said: “India should be such an Independent nation that it will be an example for other nations”. But alas it is such that India should learn from other nations now. States like U.P. and Haryana have corruption issues and orthodox beliefs. People of J&K do not accept themselves as a part of India and engage in riots. The seven-sister-states of North East India are not fully developed as the government does not give them adequate facilities and they demand their freedom. Even after 70 years of Independence India is still grappling with poverty, terrorism and other social evils which need to be eradicated.
Sonali Garg (17)
Note Dame School, Delhi

India is “independent” for the past 70 years, but the caste system is still prevailing in the education and public job sectors. Instances of rapes and female abuse are soaring high. We clear villages, forests and trees to make our country look developed. Calling for “Swatch Bharat”, we clean our houses and dump garbage on the road. To compete with the western world, kids are mastering English and forgetting to greet one another in their mother tongue. In the process of being independent, we no more remain “Indian”, but just imitate others.
M. Mohana Rupa (19)
BITS-Pilani Hyderabad Campus

Though we are independent, we still lack freedom in the real sense. It is sad to see that we have been facing problems like unemployment, poverty, high crime rates especially regarding women and children. Seventy years of freedom and we are still lagging behind in socio-economic sufficiency. Our women are not safe neither are our children. Cleanliness is still a question mark in many areas. We all need to work hard to achieve true freedom, democracy and development in the true sense. Everyone has to contribute to improve the nation.
Senjuti Saibal Bhattacharya (17)
St Joseph’s High School and Jr. College, Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai

If you look up the thesaurus, the meaning of ‘independence’ is self-sufficiency, individuality or freedom. Yes, we are independent, but our society is not free. Is India free from corruption? Are women free or even safe to walk on roads at night? Are children free on playgrounds; are their parents still afraid of abduction? Has freedom reached all parts of our society? NO.
Villy Bhagat
Natomas High School, Sacramento, CA

Are we really independent? Or is everyone acting independently? Being a constitutionally independent country isn’t sufficient. When our lawmakers themselves have criminal records, we aren’t free. India is still striving for peace and harmony, but there are groups and organizations with sectarian interests working with a strategy of divide and rule on the basis of culture, language, religion, politics, communities and geographical diversities to create communal violence, corruption and division.
Swapnil Jain (18)
Arya College of Engineering, Jaipur

Even after 70 years of Independence, India is still labelled as a ‘developing country’. India will become independent when we are free from corruption which has to be wiped off at root level. The crime rate has increased in cities; women are molested. The day when everyone has access to their rights, everyone is treated equal, women aren’t exploited, poverty is eradicated and employment opportunities available to one and all; it is on that day India will be truly independent.
Tanu Sharma (14)
St Joseph’s Convent, Jethuli, Patna

There are three major sectors in which India needs to be independent, the first and foremost being the judiciary system. According to January 2015 records, more than 30,000 cases lay pending in the Supreme Court. 57% of the district and subordinate courts take more than 10 years to deliver justice. Important decisions for the overall development of the nation are influenced by caste, creed, colour and sex. Corruption is flourishing in most government offices. Article-21A of the Indian Constitution talks about the right to education and there are many schemes but in name only; rural areas are still deprived of them.
Pahul Sond (18)
Christ University, Bangalore

Even after 70 years independence we still need to have freedom in several areas. The most important area is the right to equality. There are many people discriminated against on the basis of caste, religion, gender, race, etc. Caste-discrimination still exists in some backward areas where people are not allowed to lead an equal and respectable life as they are considered inferior. Girls are not treated on an equal footing with boys. I think we, especially the youth, should spread awareness about these issues. We are the future of our country so it’s in our hands to lead our country towards total freedom.
Priyal Yadav (12)
St Francis Convent School, Agra

The primary area in which India still needs independence is self-sufficiency in manufacturing. We depend on China, Russia, USA and other nations for our needs which is unacceptable. Another area of concern is women’s safety and lack of firm law and order to tackle terror and criminals.
Krishna Sharma (12)
St Anthony’s Jr. College, Agra

India still needs independence in the real sense. When India was ruled by the British, people were troubled and felt insecure. But now in some places in India people are feeling insecure even when it is ruled by Indians! Delhi, which has crossed its limits in crime; Kashmir, where people are vulnerable to terrorist attacks, bomb blasts and so on, need independence in a real sense.
Sejal Shingne (15)
Fatima Convent School, Achalpur

India, known as the land of culture, heritage, purity, bliss and peace, is now going to celebrate 70 years of independence. What a proud moment for our country; yet there are several issues that our country needs to address — caste discrimination, abuse of women, gender inequality, children forced to work and deprived of education, poverty, single parents not accepted, etc. Being happy and proud of our country doesn’t make us true citizens; we need to take up the responsibility of working to eradicate these problems.
Sonali Sharma (16)
S.D.S.M. College, Dahanu Road

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People everywhere dream of freedom. Children might think of freedom as a license to do whatever they want to do and there wouldn’t be any restrictions on them. Teenagers might think of freedom as being able to go to college all by themselves, carrying and showing off their expensive mobile phones and a license of skipping lectures.

I believe that freedom has both good and bad effects. It can either make a person or break a person. It can make a person independent but it can also make a person get influenced by wrong company. Freedom to me is to be able to make decisions and choices independently, to be able to breathe freely. As a girl, freedom is the most important thing in my life to live confidently. By this I mean, being allowed to choose the career that I want to pursue. By doing so I’ll be able to give my best to my work.

To me freedom is getting an opportunity to know who I really am and discovering my strengths and weaknesses. By this would help me to be strong and face the world without any fears because then I’ll know myself in and out.

To me freedom is living the way I want to, wearing clothes that I like, eating what I relish, speaking to whomsoever I want to or going to wherever my mind wanders to. This freedom would allow me to be stress free and enjoy each and every second that I live in this world.

Freedom to me is much more than its literal sense. It is rights that are unconditional and issued to every citizen. To me freedom is to let lower class people actually live their lives without getting insulted and abused. It is to let every child in our country to study so that this world can be transformed into a better place to breathe in and throw away child labour and things like these from our society.

Freedom is the basis of reason. To be able to question everything before blindly accepting my fate. To question what is right and what is wrong without being afraid of any threats. Freedom to me is the only way for a caged bird to achieve happiness, for pet animals to wander about in free space. Freedom is to let them be alone without injuring or killing them resulting in ecological imbalance and loss of natural beauty.

To me freedom is to be able to connect with our responsibilities. By taking charge of things, we get to experience immense happiness and satisfaction. It gives us a chance to know how much of a work load we can handle at a time and how well we are able to manage.

But does freedom really exist? Our country has lost the freedom as time has gone by. To some freedom is still nothing but a dream. We say that we attained freedom a long time ago but are we making effective use of it? All this forces me to think about various people that suffer and the world that continues to neglect them. I can only hope for the best and let time be the one to give freedom to everyone.

The post What freedom means to me… appeared first on The Teenager Today.