Aug 15, 2008
61 years ago our country secured freedom after a hard struggle against the tyrannical rule of the British. It is a proud moment for all Indians to say we are independent and free from foreign rule and every year we celebrate this day with great fanfare because we all value freedom and all that comes with it.
Another independence day has come and as the nation is on the threshold of 62nd day of its independence we certainly need to ponder over the issues involving freedom and independence. Many a time we are made to think whether in our country ‘freedom is more misused and abused than used’ by us. This is because we often allow our own selfish motives, personal interests, perceptions, views and individual likes and dislikes clouding the truth. Can we really call it as our right to freedom when our actions jeopardize the right of freedom of other people, leads to the destruction of public property, causes law and order problem, disrupts public life and even threatens the freedom of others to live?
A series of events that occurred in our own ‘kudla’ in the recent weeks demonstrate the way in which freedom is (mis)used, not by the illiterate and poor rural masses but by the so called learned people dwelling in posh of localities of the city, holding positions of eminence in the society.
The lathi charge on Left party activists in the City Corporation premises on August 4 deserves a mention when it comes to freedom being misused. It cannot be denied that political parties, organizations and individuals certainly have a right to fight peacefully for their rights, facilities or against injustices done to them. But can one condone those who indulge in destruction of public property, institutions and threaten the lives of common people in the bargain as happened on that fateful day. One cannot expect the police to be silent spectators when they get attacked by the unruly mob which also was involved in pelting stones at buses filled with innocent people. Their actions created public nuisance causing injury to innocent people and causing immense loss to public property.
Can these people take it for granted to destroy public property to ascertain their own freedom? It serves political parties to cry hoarse and say the lathi charge was an attempt to curb the voice of the people. But what about the voice of the people who were caught unawares and were wounded as a result of some people’s right to freedom of protest?
The incident of anti-naxal-force policemen beating up advocates at Sirimane near Kigga and Sindodi has been widely reported in the media. 13 lawyers (lucky number) who were on a leisure trip to Sirimane falls were allegedly beaten up by anti-naxal police. There was such a lot of hullabaloo, mainly because lawyers, considered to be guardians of justice, were involved in the incident.
There is no need to go into the explicit details of judging who is right or wrong and other trivia involving the incident. But what is disquieting and condemnable is the decision of Udupi lawyers to boycott court proceedings in protest against the alleged assault on their colleagues. By boycotting court proceedings the common populace was put into great privation by our lawyers who did not think it fit to consider the public inconvenience of their action. Now the government has ordered a probe to look into the assault on lawyers and this probe will be conducted at the cost of tax payer’s money. It is another matter that the idiosyncrasies of this group of 13 were brought to the fore by the villages that had borne the impact of their misdemeanor.
Students of Business Management of a prestigious college in the city recently staged a protest against the Principal for allegedly assaulting a student for riding a bike recklessly at an unusual speed within the campus. The college activities were brought to a standstill by the students to show solidarity with their fellow student. What was the cause these students were fighting for? Is it not impinging the rights of other students who were really interested in studies but were forced to keep out classes bowing to the pressure tactics of those who had a score to settle with the management? Or are we to believe that freedom is only for the brute majority who care a damn for the freedom of others.
Bus strikes in undivided Dakshina Kannada often paralyse normal life and this is happening once too often. While this week’s murderous attack on the bus personnel deserves severest condemnation, the sudden bus strike called to show solidarity with the bus staff, left thousands of passengers stranded halfway through. Oblivious of the sudden bus strike these passengers had a harrowing experience reaching their destination. Traders, officer goers, students, daily labourers etc., were made to go through agonizing moments the whole day as a result of the sudden call for strike. One can but imagine the fate of the sick that were in need of urgent hospitalization or medical care.
We seem to forget that when we have freedom of expressions in the form of strikes, protests, rallies, bunds etc., we don’t have the right to use this freedom without fulfilling our responsibilities. Just as there cannot be rights without responsibilities, freedom too comes with a bagful of responsibilities. Somehow we have lost our way towards the pursuit of independence and our quest for unlimited freedom. On the proud moment of 62nd Independence Day, all the right thinking citizens of this country need to think and act in a just manner so that the freedom has the same connotation to all.
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