Tuesday, 18 August 2015

THE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE: A FUTURISTIC PERSPECTIVE





As near as eight decades ago, we were slaves under the British. Our people had to suffer innumerable atrocities. Blood was shed, lives were laid down- our freedom did not come easily. It was a struggle of 200 long years, generations involved, millions of fighters martyred. Lead with the ideas of truth and non-violence, it was one of the most influential revolutions in the history of mankind. Our freedom movement was a renaissance in its own right. It boosted the confidence of people across continents to fight for their rights, encouraged them to take control of their lives. Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela got inspiration from the Gandhian philosophy and created buzz across the world for fundamental human rights. A global peace-keeping force in the form of UNO came into existence in 1945 and India was among its founding members. The freedom struggle built the foundation of a united India, which till date cherishes its unity in diversity.

15th of August, 1947 marked the end of British rule in India. The British departed from India but left behind an ailing nation. An unstable young nation, widespread poverty, exploited resources were everywhere in sight. A war was yet to be fought. This time with deficiency. We stood united and fought again, this time with greater strength. Sixty eight years have passed away and the struggle continues till date. Meanwhile, we have taken huge strides. We have become a global power, we share the ranks among the fastest developing nations. We are a hub of excellence in software and IT industry, our space technology has gathered international acclaim, we have a large pool of scientists, doctors and engineers. We are a young nation with huge possibilities of growth lying ahead of us.

Today we live in a globalized world. The meaning of independence has reached beyond rule and rulers. It now incorporates a vast multitude of ideas. Now we think of independence more as a fundamental human right rather than associating it with a community or a nation. We now need an independent world rather than independent nations. We seek independence in living, in work and other day to day activities. We need independent societies- free from poverty, unemployment, corruption and those which are technologically advanced. We need freedom from fear, terrorism and violence. We must ensure that the fundamental rights of all the individuals are maintained and the world remains a peaceful place to live in.

In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the red fort, the prime minister of the nation roared, “Start-up India, stand up India”. This quote outlines the importance of the IT industry in the growth of India as a nation. Information Technology is leading the world of science as well as business. It has reached the remote corners of the world. IT will be very influential in making a more independent world. The focused approach of IT on empowering the individuals is a great instrument towards accomplishing the goal. A few decades from now we will enter the age of Internet of Things and quantum computing. The Internet of things will reinforce the notion of independence in the world. It will take independence to individual levels. It will foster a world where every individual has full control of his life.  India has already proved its excellence in the global IT industry. IT industry is on boom and will keep so in the near future. What IT holds for India is its independence. It will make India self-sufficient in technology and capital. It will generate employment, alleviate poverty and create huge capital inflows. What else is required to keep independent?


Independence in its root sense signifies self-sufficiency. Are we self-sufficient? When we depend on France, Russia and Israel for all our artillery, we are the highest debt takers from the world-bank, the poverty in our nation is worse than that in the sub-saharan nations, how could we think of us an independent nation? Independence is not a discrete entity which can be attained in a single go, rather it is a continuum which is to be sought after incessantly. We are independent, but to what extent? India is a democratic sovereign republic but not an independent nation in true sense. The future of India will build on technology but will it be indigenous and independent, remains a quest!


Author - Sanket Rai
(IPG-2015)

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