India is the seventh largest (by area) and the second most populous country in

the world, with roughly one-sixth of its population, of about a billion and a
quarter. India is one of the world's oldest civilizations, yet a very young nation.
Democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Taking the easiest of the prepositions first: democracy is a government for the
people. A government of the people indicates a government representative of
the people. The third preposition is government by the people.
It is difficult to call a nation democratic when its people are not allowed to
peacefully protest against the atrocities and injustices done to them. The
government responds to these spontaneous protestors as though they are
militant insurgents from central India. It flooded Delhis streets with armed police
and shut down roads and railways, revealing a formidable security apparatus
that, many argued, could be put to better use ensuring the safety of ordinary
citizens. Not surprisingly, India (primarily the middle class) these days brims
with a free- floating rage against a cossetted political class that zealously guards
its privileges and perks.
65 years after independence we should have been able to accept that India is a
democracy and should have demanded more from it. But we are just happy with
the idea of democracy though over the years it has hollowed, and we have lost
the freedom of speech, freedom to protest, freedom from torture and so on. And
those who try to expand these boundaries and follow the spirit of democracy,
and widely criticized and sometimes even forced to live in exile. That India is the
worlds largest democracy- is the biggest myth of the 21st century.
Frankly speaking India still has not gained Independence. A few brown skins
instead of the earlier whites are still ruling us, just concerned about their own
personal benefits. This was not the freedom for which Bhagat Singh and Subhash
Chandra Bose sacrificed their lives; this is not the independent India that Nehru
and Gandhi had once visualized; this is not the Great India which we describe
every time in our national anthem. Freedom is still far away. So this
Independence Day, instead of just praising Deols performance in Border or
faking patriotism by singing the national anthem; lets take a stand. Lets
promise ourselves that we wont ever use shortcuts or unfair methods to get a
task done, promise that instead of just cursing the present situation we would
vote for a change and do our own bit to make India move towards a better,
happier and a prosperous future.