Omkar Dattatray
This year ,nation is celebrating 77th Independent Day with great enthusiasm and fanfare with the traditional hoisting of the tricolor by the Prime minister Narendra Modi .Independence Day is our national day and on this day national song and patriotic songs are sung and played across the country and on this important eve ,we remember and salute millions of the freedom fighters and national heroes who have fought for the nations freedom from British yoke and have sacrificed their precious lives for the noble cause of freedom .But the celebrations of the independence day should not remain a mere formality and should be celebrated with focus on the development of the country with an eye on the developed India within next 25 years .Independence day is the great day for making big resolutions and the celebrations should not remain confined to hoisting of the national tri-color at the national capital ,state capitals ,UT capitals ,district ,tehsil headquarters and Panchayats ,but it should be the day of great introspection as to what we have gained and where are our shortcomings .On the 2023 independence day we should resolve to dedicate our lives for the cause of the nation .Our nation is suffering from various vices and problems which are eating the country like termite and we should resolve and pledge to fight the battle for the emancipation of the country from the vices and problems afflicting our country and eating into its vitals.15th August 2023 is the high time to rededicate ourselves to the cause and betterment of the nation and fight the battle to free the country from social vices and problems .For this we should take serious and concerted steps and contribute our might for the addressing and resolution of these problems .Corruption in public life is one of the greatest problems with which our country is beset and we are entangled in the menace of corruption and thus on the independence day it is all necessary to fight the canker of corruption which is eating the vitals of our democracy and so we should resolve to fight corruption to finish so that people of this nation will not have to face the malady of corruption .Modi government has declared a policy of zero tolerance towards corruption and it is so good and we should wholeheartedly help the government in its fight with corruption so that this menace is shown the door .It so disturbing that corruption has been institutionalized and the situation has come to such a pass that the honest man is an odd man out ,and so besides fighting corruption in public life ,we should also respect and revere the honest officers and officials so that they feel that they are important agents of the democracy .Besides ,endemic corruption ,nation is grappling with separatism ,radicalism ,militancy ,terrorism ,and we should help the powers and security forces in fighting separatism ,militancy and terrorism and relieve the country from this menace of militancy which is staring us in the face and taking a heavy toll of precious human lives .we should resolve to end militancy from the country and for this we have to work very hard and cooperate with the government to fight the demon of militancy ,separatism and terrorism .These vices are our enemy number one and we should help the powers in its fight to terrorism and militancy .We should be ready to take a risk in the fight against terrorism and militancy .Militancy is a hydra headed giant ,and we should help the powers in the fight against the demon of militancy which is devouring the precious lives of security forces as well as civilians .Gender discrimination and atrocities against the women flock has become a norm and we should try our best to build a society free from gender discrimination and their atrocities .What is the meaning of political freedom ,when the women are feeling insecure and when rapes and other forms of sexual assaults and atrocities are heaped on the women .On one side we talk very high of women and worship the girls children during Navratris ,but on the other side discriminations and atrocities are committed against the women and this is very unfortunate .May we resolve to ensure that there is no discrimination with the women flock and there is end to atrocities against women .We should resolve to respect ,revere women and give them a place of pride in the society .It is a fact that women are excelling in various fields and they have left the men behind ,but still atrocities are being perpetuated on the women and they feel insecure .So it is important to ensure women safety and security and for this we should contribute towards women security ,safety and respect .Lakhs of our young men and women have become drug addicts and are indulging in human and drug trafficking .The drug trafficking and drug addiction has made the life of millions of our youth a hell and they spend their scarce money on purchasing drugs and intoxicants and these addicts are becoming a burden on our society and therefore we should take all the necessary measures to free the youth from drug addiction .For this the young energies should be channelized towards sports ,entertainment and productive activities so that they are weaned from the drug addiction .Drugs are been exported from Pakistan so that our young minds are polluted and are made drug addicts and drug trafficking is a threat to the lives of our young population .We should help the government and NGO’s in the rehabilitation of the drug addicts so that they are made to start their life a fresh .There is also a need to infuse the spirit of patriotism ,nationalism and love of the country in the people so that they will be fired with patriotism and nationalism .The spirit of patriotism and nationalism should be free from my country great ,right or wrong and should transcend it .Fundamentalism ,radicalism ,orthodoxy ,conservatism are big threat to our society and we should resolve to protect the country from such ills. .Above all we should resolve to uphold secularism ,pluralism ,unity in diversity and these are very roots of India and these are the idea of India and we should protect and strengthen these finer attributes of our democracy and big culture .Thus in short we should celebrate this year’s independence not only as a routine formality but resolve to protect our hard earned freedom and water it with our sweat and blood and resolve to eradicate many vices and ills with which the country is beset .May this year’s independence day prove to be a turning point in our journey towards a developed country in 2047.Let us strive to make India a vishwa Guru so that it will again gain such an enviable position and status in the world to lead it towards peace, progress and prosperity .Long live India’s freedom and tricolor.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist).
