The year was 1857. Schools and colleges were closed. Shops were a ruined mess; sirens and alarms were blaring here and there. This was the day of a new beginning. It was a new dawn. Towards revolution. Towards freedom. The merchants had gone too far. The British had to stop them. It was not just any riot. It was a mutiny of soldiers, and most importantly, all citizens of the country. It was the time when the people decided to stand up for freedom. For independence.

And now 159 years have passed since the Mutiny. The British have come to good terms. We have a safe and secure country, free from invasions. We are independent to go anywhere in the country. We are independent to follow any religion. But then is independence always beneficial?

Is it always good to be independent? There are many controversies to independence. There is a dark side to it that is considered a gift to the citizens of India. The fight that brought independence to our motherland also brought the downfall of many people. Many lost their families, lands, homes because they chose to be independent.

Freedom of Religion issued under Article 19 of the Constitution states that people are allowed to follow any religion they want. It also includes leaving another religion to converse or follow both if possible. Then again, it is not as easy as it seems. Many people thought they can do this without any protests and problems. They lost their homes. They were beaten up. They were disowned by their parents. This was the price of being independent. Many sought help from the Government of India, but they were shrugged off.  Freedom Struggle. This was the time period when Indians fought for their lives, their lands, their rules and above all: their motherland. There was nothing else in their minds except one: Revolution. It was their Gatorade, their charger, their oxygen. Without this, they would be huddled up in their shacks and tremble with fear every time they saw or heard a British.  Let’s fast forward to the present. Now if we saw a British or heard them, we would excitedly shake their hands and introduce ourselves. Peace is what our struggle for freedom has brought. 

But there have been sacrifices along with freedom and peace. Many casualties have been reported during the colonial rule and many bodies were displayed on the streets after being tortured and killed. Many gave their life for their motherland to break her chains and rise. This was the sacrifice India paid for freedom.

Is this independence? Are we free from restrictions? There a lot of stuff going around in the world that we can hardly imagine. There are a lot of celebrations for independence but the real answer, hidden by the ragged Invisibility cloak is none other than: Unless we are free from restrictions of our society, can we call ourselves independent citizens.

Coordinator, Class IX, Don Bosco Park Circus.