On August 15, 2019, we will celebrate our 73rd Independence Day to commemorate our independence from British colonial rule but also to celebrate the life and struggle of maybe countless Indians who sacrificed so that we are able to live in our own country without being ruled by others. But this independence did not come easily, as many Indians paid with their blood for this freedom which we are enjoying today or I would rather say, have taken for granted.
Although I was born several years after India won its independence, but whenever I hear the speech ‘Tryst With Destiny’ given by Pt Jawaharlal Nehru,the first Prime-Minister of India on the eve of Indian independence, it fills me with pride even today.
Soon after India’s independence in 1947, it was quite clear that although we have won independence but now we also have to run this country through the phase of challenges that are in waiting. One challenge was what should be the idea or foundation of India. This was solved by the political leaders by giving a solution, as people irrespective of caste, gender or religion came together as Indians to fight for its freedom, India will not be governed based on religious belief but on the basis of an agreed upon Constitution where every individual will be given equal rights which will protect them and will provide freedom to practice their faiths, profession, etc.
The second challenge was the creation of Pakistan, even though people belonging to every religion were part of freedom struggle, the Muslim League lead by Muhammad Ali Jinnah were of the opinion that in Hindu dominated India, the Muslim community was not safe, hence a separate state for Muslims needed to be created which was eventually achieved but also lead to mass migration between two countries where countless people lost their property, money as well as loved ones.
The third challenge was to negotiate with princely states to join the dominion of India. Even after independence, there were many princely states who had not decided their fate and it was diplomacy skills of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel due to which many princely states joined the Indian Union except Hyderabad, Junagarh as well as Jammu and Kashmir but eventually they too, were included in Indian Union.
The most important challenge for India was its economic situation because during the initial years after India won independence, a majority of the population was suffering through poverty. India had also adopted a socialist kind of economic system where the state had direct ownership of enterprises hence the politicians were indirect owners of enterprises even if they did not know how to run an enterprise.It was only after the 1980s that India started to open up its economy through the process of economic liberalisation and by introducing more economic reforms in the 1990s and early 2000s that India has progressed towards a free market economy.
What Is The Situation At Present?
If we see through the economic standpoint, since the late 2000s, India’s GDP growth rate has been moving on an increasing rate.
| Year | Growth (real) (%) |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.841 |
| 2001 | 4.824 |
| 2002 | 3.804 |
| 2003 | 7.86 |
| 2004 | 7.923 |
| 2005 | 7.923 |
| 2006 | 8.061 |
| 2007 | 7.661 |
| 2008 | 3.087 |
| 2009 | 7.862 |
| 2010 | 8.498 |
| 2011 | 5.241 |
| 2012 | 5.456 |
| 2013 | 6.386 |
| 2014 | 7.41 |
| 2015 | 7.996 |
| 2016 | 8.17 |
| 2017 | 7.168 |
But at the same time, there is no doubt that our economy has experienced a slowdown. As per information available in the public domain, very little investment of our economy has been active and the consumption activity which was the driving force of our economy has been slowing down mainly because borrowings have funded a large part of consumption. The income has not increased as it used to increase before but at the same time there have been many positives too. Today, India has emerged as one of the fastest growing major economy and is expected to become one of the top three biggest economies in a period of approximately 10-15 years.
Even in the area of space research, India has achieved remarkable successes that is even recognized by other countries. Today, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) is known to be a low-cost satellite carrier with a good success rate. Whenever we hear the successes of ISRO, one old photo comes to my mind where the parts of the rocket were being transported on a bicycle! From there to the present, it is clear how ISRO has reached the pinnacle of success.
But, one thing that scares me the most regarding the present situation is whether we as Indians have maintained the secular fabric of our country. As I wrote earlier that the foundation of India was that every citizen would have the freedom to practice their faith and this right would be protected, but the frequent news of mob-related violence that have been on the rise since past few years has been really concerning and the unfortunate part is that the members of incumbent government have been seen supporting the groups that are part of this crime. As Indians, it is not only the government’s responsibility to ensure that they do not support these groups but also our responsibility to ensure that such groups do not penetrate into our civil society.
All I want to say is since independence, India has achieved many triumphs such as being a nuclear power, establishing a good economy as well as proving that a country can be united in diversity but still there are many challenges that await us, for example, India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, although it can be debated whether this move was right or wrong.
I personally feel that the way in which the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was turning, it was necessary to take strong steps to ensure that the radical elements there do not succeed in their agenda which is against our country’s future. Although, I do not support the incumbent government in power due to the rising unemployment record and their performance when it comes to protect the rights of minorities or even their alleged involvement to hamper the progressive work in the parts of country where they are not in power, this step in Jammu and Kashmir was important but only time will tell whether the objectives of this move will be fulfilled or not.
In conclusion, I would say that if I go into detail on every success of India since independence, a book will also not be enough but through this post I only wanted to express that since independence we have come a long way and still we need to cover a long distance to improve our country. This road will not be a royal walk but filled with challenges. So I hope as a nation we will be united to cover this distance and also hope that the people whom we elect are responsible enough to maintain the principles on the basis of which this country was formed. Thus, we can ensure that the sacrifice of the people who paid with their blood for India’s independence does not go in vain.