Of Freedom and responsibility....

Of Freedom and responsibility....

Last week we celebrated Independence Day. As usual the day began with patriotic songs and flag hoisting ceremonies all over the country. The inspiring speech by the Honourable Prime Minister of India from the ramparts of the Red Fort ignited the nostalgia of the freedom movement. Seventy four years ago we had become free after a struggle of almost hundred years. It was the culmination of the efforts of all our leaders specially the youth like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru who did not bat an eyelid and embraced the gallows with a smile.They sacrificed their very being for us, for the freedom of our country.
Freedom from the tutelage of the British, freedom to be an independent nation, a democracy where the will of the people matters. Essentially freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants. It is the power of self-determination, the state of not being subject to or affected by something undesirable.
We are fortunate to be citizens of a country where each one of us is free to live as we wish, say and do as we want. The bedrock of our constitution are our rights which have been enshrined as fundamental. We often fight for our rights and protect them zealously.
Yes freedom is not only precious but also beautiful. Who does not want to be free?
We seek it from the time we are born and in every stage of life. Yet imagine the havoc it can cause if one goes astray.
Freedom devoid of responsibility would result in chaos. For example, we have the freedom to drive but that is only at a certain speed, under certain conditions following signals. This is interest of public order.
Our rights are absolute only in context of our society and the social order. They intrinsically correspond to obligations and our duties towards ourselves, our family, society, nation. The more we emphasize on our rights and being free, the more we need to acknowledge society's role in it. This includes the avenues opened for us by society for our life, safety, security and growth. In short, ignoring our duties would lead to anarchy.
So to all those who are born free, want to be free and cherish freedom, let us remember that in reality freedom invokes choice which leads to action. Our actions are based on our intellect to do good or bad, choose right or wrong, negative or positive. Whether we acknowledge it or no and whether we like it or no, responsibility is an inseparable part of freedom. It is like a shadow which will follow you wherever you go.
So let us be conscious of our duties as much as of our rights. Let us treasure better values and not shirk our responsibilities in the garb of freedom. As John F Kennedy has rightly said , ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.....