When Democracy Demands Freedom.

Rallies, marches, vigils and the demonstrations.
Slogans, banners, caps and the flags.
Deadlines, fasts, protests and the demands.
Definitions of a Republic playing tug of war between the government and its people or better said- Freedom demanding its rights.

In the past week, India has witnessed the strength of its fundamental rights, with the anti-corruption campaign advancing across the country, making people finally shout against the parallel economy of fraud. Citizens, young or old, rural or urban, have been gathering in masses to make the government pass the Jan Lokpal Bill, which is an ombudsman that allows transparency into the work of senior politicians including the PM, and the judges as well. Leading this campaign is Anna Hazare, a social activist who has been fasting to highlight the quantum of importance attached to the bill.

So, where does that leave our democracy and its constitutional bearings? On one hand, we are celebrating our 64th independence from foreign rule, while on the other hand we are clanging on locked doors of democracy's huge facade to show its true face. 63 years, still? Everyday, Delhi roars with motorcycles chasing down each other carrying huge tricolours, with slogans of- down with corruption, ringing in our ears; but what have we achieved through all this? It's like screaming on deaf ears. Enough has been spoken and written about Anna's massive campaign, but has anyone ever thought about its potential result?

We might fight as long as we want to, but the important aspect is that we don't lose our focus. We should support anti-corruption measures, but not idealize the form of it. We should stand with the man running such campaigns, but not campaign with only his name. We should stop any cheating habit that our government runs, but not cheat ourselves with any personal limelight games. Only the end of such a game will surely highlight the real meaning behind all this and present a clear picture of what we have been trying to define in the last 60 years of our economic. social and psychological independence. Corruption or no corruption, only when we as citizens realize the sense of belonging to our country, stop thinking in the aspect of personal motives and above all, stop aping the trends and modes of highlighting causes for the sake of them, can we in reality become true achievers working for our nation and not ourselves. It is high time we start following the concept of - Belief in we rather than me.