Monday 15 August 2016

Real Independence Day


Today is India's Independence Day, and I send my greetings to all on this occasion.

But on 15.8.1947 India achieved only political independence, not economic independence. About 80% of our people are still poor, lacking basic necessities of a decent life. This is no independence for them.

Real independence will come when the Indian masses are prosperous, enjoying a high standard of living, when poverty, unemployment, lack of healthcare, good education, etc and social evils like the caste system, discrimination against women, minorities, dalits, etc are abolished, when true secularism is established, and when India gets its rightful place in the comity of nations.

That will be the day of our real Independence. I will almost certainly not be alive to see that day ( as I am already an old man of 70 ), but many of you young people will. But let me warn you. To achieve it will require about 20 or more years of tremendous struggle by the masses led by the patriotic, modern minded section of India, a struggle in which colossal sacrifices will have to be made.

But when that day comes I will be watching it with great happiness from the other world, weeping for those who will have fallen in this struggle ( and their numbers will be staggering), and marvelling at the stupendous achievement of the Indian masses led by their patriotic, modern minded leaders.

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