And looking back into the 22 long years I have lived so far (of which I only remember about the last 6-7 yrs) I found a few things I could crib about. And they generally revolved around one thing - I have not even been provided my Fundamental Rights.
Aren't the "Fundamental Rights in India" guaranteed to every Indian citizen? Well, technically YES and as per the verbal usage in the Constitution, I'm even exercising my rights. But in the essence of it, I think we lost them long ago and never even realised it. Blame it on Society (ourselves)/Politicians/Law and you wouldn't be wrong.
I didn't even remember the 6 Fundamental Rights from my 9th Class Social Sciences course, so I had to read a little from the net, which you can find here. In this post, I would like to concentrate mainly on:
1. Right to Equality
2. Right to Freedom
4. Rigth to Freedom of Religion (yes, that's our Fourth Right)
2,4. Right to Freedom / Right to Freedom of Religion -
Right to Freedom relates to speech, expression and to move about within the country and the latter relates to, as the name implies, Freedom to follow any Religion. Together, these two rights give you the Freedom to form any opinion and also the Freedom to express it. With Press being given such a free hand in our country, I can't crib anything about that, can I?
But, this is what I think these 2 Rights were included in the Constitution for - to let everyone live in harmony by giving everyone the Freedom to think and move about freely within the country and live life as they deemed fit, and not be forced by someone else's opinions. The idea was that each one leads an independent life and not intrude into another's space. I would like to be treated as a responsible adult, form unadulterated opinions of everything that is happening around me, and take decisions for myself. I would like to settle and work in any part of the country.
The men and women writing the Constitution might have envisaged a happy India with many religions being practised by its citizens, but what they seem to have missed is the chaos that comes with diversity. We have so many religions being followed with each sect having its own presumptions about the nature of the others, that the whole purpose is defeated. I now have to deal with the Ram Sena's telling me how to live life "morally" and Shiv Sena's clearly voicing that non-Maharashtrians are not welcome in their state. To add to this are the inflammatory speeches made by idiots (read: likes of Varun Gandhi), enlarging of the communal, regional or caste-wides divides by political parties (can't single out any here) and of preachings/speeches made by "religious leaders" which are manipulative and biased in their content (such as Hindu Jagruti).
This proves it, I am not being given my Fundamental Rights of Freedom. Infact, if I had done better at Mathematics during school, I would have proven it to you that it is not possible to give everone the Right to Freedom without creating a mess. I would say, revoke my two Fundamental Rights of Freedom, which are but for namesake. Instead, replace them with a LAW OF TOLERANCE - a law which treats "intolerance towards any human/sect/community/caste/region or any other discrimination factor as a punishable offense". I want the word "tolerance" drilled into the mind of every citizen and into the heart of the society. And until then, I would rather live in a country of NO religion than a country of MANY religions.
Because we still have people who think Pakistan is bad, because they fail to get it that a certain few individuals do not necessarily reflect the qualities of a nation. That way, atleast Pakistan is ruled by a man who had it in him to reach the top. Unlike us, where we are ruled a woman who just happened to be the grand-daughter-in-law of a great man.
1. Right to Equality -
It is commonsense that, we are born different, we think different, we are at different levels - socially and financially, then how can we all be treated equal. This Right guarantees us equality - equality before the law, equal access to public places, equality in matters of public employment.
But in reality, it is just another of those "namesake" Fundamental Rights. Because, also written into the law is that "special provisions may be made for women, children or socially or educationally backward classes". See, the very Law that's supposed to treat us all as equal is trying to divide us. So, while you are waiting in the long queue at a temple, a politician or his wife's uncle's cousin's stepson might just get a VIP pass. Same goes with court matters or applying to a public post. While in some cases, it's unofficial "recommendations", it is "special provisions" in the rest. And the bottomline - there is NO EQUALITY.
But, don't bother. Because equality is like a man conceiving a child. It's just against the very law of nature. After all, even if I were more capable than Vijay Mallya's son, he would still leave everything to his son, right? Why else do you think sons, daughters and nephews of all actors, directors and producers are coming back into the show-business. What's worse is that, we are today being ruled by men and women who just happen to be the grand-daughter-in-laws or great-grand-sons of men who once ruled India. And these are the people who we trust are going to safeguard our Right to Equality. Right, why not.
But who is the culprit? Who snatched away my Fundamental Rights? I guess the answer is everyone of us. The politicians and a few other men - for their own greed and selfish motives. The court, for having let antisocial elements make our system seem like a farce. And the rest of us, because we stayed silent and tolerant of all the wrong things.
And I would like to end with what Rabindranath Tagore wrote decades ago and what still holds true. Only, we should now say, not "Country", but "Every living being"
LET MY COUNTRY AWAKE
Where the mind is without fear and the head held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action;
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
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