Re-crafting the Concept: Independence Day
The eve of 14th August is the heralding of another new year of Indian "independence". Ask an average Indian of what "independence day" means and the answers will centre around the theme, "freedom from the rule of the British" and the becoming of an independent, free democracy
The symbols that have been imprinted on our collective memory would vary by the generation a person belongs to. However the common symbols that would emerge are the unfurled tricolour, New Delhi, Red Fort, the Independence Day floats, the president's address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, the Prime Minister's speech on Independence Day, flag hoisting in schools, colleges, housing colonies, marigold petals people in white, sweets distributed to children, "patriotic" films on TV, "Gandhi", "1947", "Bhagat Singh", "The Legend of Bhagat Singh", and other popular entertainment fare
A long weekend to the urban office goer could mean "getting away from the city", relaxing, holidaying. The thought, the reason, sentiment is scarcely top of mind for the full day of the 15th of August. Decade after decade going farther away from 1947 has meant holding on to some external symbols of Independence. The emotion is quite entirely different for a person who was 12 in 1947 to the person who turned 12 in 2004, even if a part of the same family.
It is both difficult, and impractical to expect an honest mirroring of the emotions, particularly patriotic zeal in keeping with the passions of 1947. The same can be said of victories in sports where, while there will be pride at the winning of the 1983 Prudential Cup, today's twelve year old will scarcely feel that passion the boy of 12 felt in 1983.
In the context of Independence, the concept of "patriotic zeal" in a growing global economy when the British no longer evoke any feelings of hatred, anger, of a person wronged almost seem politically incorrect and passé.
So while the signs and symbols of Independence Day are all intact, they are hollow without the marrow of emotion and passion to keep them relevant and current. The practice of Independence Day is presently a mere ritual, a ceremony without the necessary "living" of the value of Independence Day. And this is bound to happen for "Independence from the British" despite what the history books say, is irrelevant to today's 12 year old
At an individual level, some families may keep the emotion alive by talking and sharing of independence, with stories of sacrifice and denial, bravery and resistance. The elation of the victory, of attaining Independence was marred with the torturous journey of Partition, the pain, the aftermath and the losses. So it was never pure joy and celebration, as the template for the victory was made of pain and a steep price paid for freedom
The challenge of the new millennium is to keep alive the concept and the powerful symbol of "independence" by creating a current and wider relevance for the larger than life symbol, a part of the Indian ethnic identity, the single largest idea of the century for India. The challenge is to find the next big idea for the new millennium, an idea that builds and stands on the shoulders of Indian Independence of 1947 that can correct the dilution of the emotions that have to sustain the life force in the symbol
The next big idea can be the re-crafting of the concept of Independence, by shifting the present locus of "freedom from" to connote a relevant problem or issue that needs rectification. A freedom from all that ails our society, state, community, and individual, that will replace the idea of the passé "freedom from the British" thought. By freeing "Independence" from "British", we have our big idea, always current. The idea of independence once it is freed from the binds of "from the British", can soar and make connections with each problem we wish to rid ourselves of.
The list of ills to rid ourselves of, can be a mile long, freedom from corruption, freedom from hunger, freedom from unemployment, freedom from thirst, freedom from darkness, freedom from illiteracy, freedom from AIDS, freedom from pollution, freedom from poor sanitation, freedom from dirt, freedom from crime, freedom from fear... And we have only just begun making our list. At an individual level, "freedom" can translate into many of the areas that apply to the state. The day to adopt the beginning of this novel quest for freedom can be on "independence day", the commencement period, the milestone for measuring "progress"
It is proposed that this be adopted as a pilot at a micro level, at individual, school, community, village level, and to demonstrate how the targeted change materialized. Rather than a promise made by someone extraneous, it is for each individual to decide what that "from" would be against with the war for independence would be waged. Such experiments can be scaled up and adopted in urban and rural communities and it has the potential to become a district, state and national agenda.
The immediate benefit from adopting this proposal to re-craft the concept of Independence Day is the focused application of all energies to a tangible objective or goal so that individuals can practice a higher order sense of responsibility.
An extreme version of this commitment is compulsory military conscription as practiced in Israel. What is being proposed is a kind of "social conscription" for perpetuity. The "for" and the enemy within will be identified and the objective and program will be selected.
How is this concept different from the clichéd slogans and promises of politicians? It is different because it engages the entire society, and provides a focal point with a strong symbolism that already exists. Further, there will be an annual commitment to map progress, celebrate victories big and small against set tasks, and create the buzz to inspire and energize more to adopt the new recrafted concept of Independence Day.
Perhaps in a ten year time period, the child of 12 who would have turned 22 will have an India closer to the ideal that was envisaged by the freedom fighters who fought for Indian Independence from the British and their sacrifice would not be in vain. There would be an action oriented celebration of "independence" and the special day would be one for action coupled with contemplation to replace today's listless, confused Independence Day celebrations
Deepa Soman
10th February 2005
The symbols that have been imprinted on our collective memory would vary by the generation a person belongs to. However the common symbols that would emerge are the unfurled tricolour, New Delhi, Red Fort, the Independence Day floats, the president's address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, the Prime Minister's speech on Independence Day, flag hoisting in schools, colleges, housing colonies, marigold petals people in white, sweets distributed to children, "patriotic" films on TV, "Gandhi", "1947", "Bhagat Singh", "The Legend of Bhagat Singh", and other popular entertainment fare
A long weekend to the urban office goer could mean "getting away from the city", relaxing, holidaying. The thought, the reason, sentiment is scarcely top of mind for the full day of the 15th of August. Decade after decade going farther away from 1947 has meant holding on to some external symbols of Independence. The emotion is quite entirely different for a person who was 12 in 1947 to the person who turned 12 in 2004, even if a part of the same family.
It is both difficult, and impractical to expect an honest mirroring of the emotions, particularly patriotic zeal in keeping with the passions of 1947. The same can be said of victories in sports where, while there will be pride at the winning of the 1983 Prudential Cup, today's twelve year old will scarcely feel that passion the boy of 12 felt in 1983.
In the context of Independence, the concept of "patriotic zeal" in a growing global economy when the British no longer evoke any feelings of hatred, anger, of a person wronged almost seem politically incorrect and passé.
So while the signs and symbols of Independence Day are all intact, they are hollow without the marrow of emotion and passion to keep them relevant and current. The practice of Independence Day is presently a mere ritual, a ceremony without the necessary "living" of the value of Independence Day. And this is bound to happen for "Independence from the British" despite what the history books say, is irrelevant to today's 12 year old
At an individual level, some families may keep the emotion alive by talking and sharing of independence, with stories of sacrifice and denial, bravery and resistance. The elation of the victory, of attaining Independence was marred with the torturous journey of Partition, the pain, the aftermath and the losses. So it was never pure joy and celebration, as the template for the victory was made of pain and a steep price paid for freedom
The challenge of the new millennium is to keep alive the concept and the powerful symbol of "independence" by creating a current and wider relevance for the larger than life symbol, a part of the Indian ethnic identity, the single largest idea of the century for India. The challenge is to find the next big idea for the new millennium, an idea that builds and stands on the shoulders of Indian Independence of 1947 that can correct the dilution of the emotions that have to sustain the life force in the symbol
The next big idea can be the re-crafting of the concept of Independence, by shifting the present locus of "freedom from" to connote a relevant problem or issue that needs rectification. A freedom from all that ails our society, state, community, and individual, that will replace the idea of the passé "freedom from the British" thought. By freeing "Independence" from "British", we have our big idea, always current. The idea of independence once it is freed from the binds of "from the British", can soar and make connections with each problem we wish to rid ourselves of.
The list of ills to rid ourselves of, can be a mile long, freedom from corruption, freedom from hunger, freedom from unemployment, freedom from thirst, freedom from darkness, freedom from illiteracy, freedom from AIDS, freedom from pollution, freedom from poor sanitation, freedom from dirt, freedom from crime, freedom from fear... And we have only just begun making our list. At an individual level, "freedom" can translate into many of the areas that apply to the state. The day to adopt the beginning of this novel quest for freedom can be on "independence day", the commencement period, the milestone for measuring "progress"
It is proposed that this be adopted as a pilot at a micro level, at individual, school, community, village level, and to demonstrate how the targeted change materialized. Rather than a promise made by someone extraneous, it is for each individual to decide what that "from" would be against with the war for independence would be waged. Such experiments can be scaled up and adopted in urban and rural communities and it has the potential to become a district, state and national agenda.
The immediate benefit from adopting this proposal to re-craft the concept of Independence Day is the focused application of all energies to a tangible objective or goal so that individuals can practice a higher order sense of responsibility.
An extreme version of this commitment is compulsory military conscription as practiced in Israel. What is being proposed is a kind of "social conscription" for perpetuity. The "for" and the enemy within will be identified and the objective and program will be selected.
How is this concept different from the clichéd slogans and promises of politicians? It is different because it engages the entire society, and provides a focal point with a strong symbolism that already exists. Further, there will be an annual commitment to map progress, celebrate victories big and small against set tasks, and create the buzz to inspire and energize more to adopt the new recrafted concept of Independence Day.
Perhaps in a ten year time period, the child of 12 who would have turned 22 will have an India closer to the ideal that was envisaged by the freedom fighters who fought for Indian Independence from the British and their sacrifice would not be in vain. There would be an action oriented celebration of "independence" and the special day would be one for action coupled with contemplation to replace today's listless, confused Independence Day celebrations
Deepa Soman
10th February 2005
posted by Deepa Soman at 7:57 PM
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