Barred Freedom

Have you ever thought about what life must be like behind bars? What ‘confinement’ really implies?

In a world where ideals like freedom, equality and justice are juggled about in a society that closes upon itself; where every whistleblower is snubbed humiliatingly in public or dastardly eliminated in their ostensible privacy; where people belonging to a certain region, religion, caste are stereotyped and discriminated;  women by virtue of their gender are looked down upon by a largely patriarchal society; or where innocent people ignominiously languish in the darkness of prison cells made to hold criminals. I cannot help but express my consternation. Excuse my candor but I honestly fail to see freedom, equality and justice being realized.

The Preamble of our Constitution clearly states that the Indian society is free, equal and just. These words are written in the upper case and are in bold, just to assert their effect and implications. If we have to make any progress in this aspect, then the painful instrument of change must be brought out. This change must not be a cosmetic, superficial one, rather one that touches the very roots of our value-system and beliefs. This inner change should in turn reflect on our outer behaviour. First and foremost, we must realize that it is not only the job of the police and armed forces to ensure freedom; the judiciary to ensure justice and the legislation, equality. Rather, it is up to each one of us, citizens of a republic, pledged to uphold these ideals, who must strive to realize them in our everyday lives, through our words and actions. We must also challenge malpractices in a systematic and non-violent way.

Allow me to dwell a little on these Fundamental Rights. Justice is the quality of being fair and reasonable. When we think of justice the first image that comes to minds is that of a courtroom. Justice is much more than a gavel hitting the table and the pronouncing of a sentence. It rather finds its meaning in the mundane relationships of day-to-day life. It is treating everyone with respect more than condemning the poor; it is self-control more than catching a rapist, thief or murderer; it is putting the other first more than self-centeredness and avarice; it is respect for the law and for everyone’s rights more than catching lawbreakers.

The Oxford dictionary defines ‘freedom’ as ‘the right to act of speak freely; the state of not being a prisoner or slave’. The questions posed at the outset find their basis in the true meaning of freedom. The ‘bars’ and ‘confinement’ referred to earlier need not refer solely to the cold steel bars of a prison cell or the ugly walls of a squalid dungeon. They could be the fears, injustices, discrimination, inequality, prejudices and wrong concepts that we have or that are circulated in the media, that prevent us from being truly free.    

Equality needs no explanation. The term speaks for itself. To put it simply, it amounts to treating everyone fairly irrespective of religion, caste, social status etc.

In conclusion, I would like to repeat the words of Rabindranath Tagore, “In to that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.” A freedom that makes each one think not only of himself but of others. A freedom that strives to make all people free and treat them justly as equals.