By Prarthana Mitra
In 1968, Nina Simone said freedom is a feeling, a feeling devoid of any fear. As we revisit the bisyllabic word today, it no longer means independence from foreign rule or external stress. Today, it seems to have lost its sheen to a parochial and proverbial usage, unfounded in reality. And why wouldn’t it?
70 years after freedom from colonial rule, we are still haunted by the ghosts of post- and neo-colonialism. The last few years have witnessed a crackdown on some of the most basic freedoms that we all deserve. In such circumstances, what does freedom mean today?
The idea behind the campaign
In search of honest and enlightening answers from fellow countrymen and women, our readers and our critics, Qrius threw open the question, hoping it would be a heuristic and cathartic process for those who thought, pondered and graciously wrote back about what freedom is. One of the most poignant replies raised a soul-searching question, “A systemic societal change is the need of the hour, but are we willing to rise above our apathy? Freedom from apathy is what we truly need and need to strive towards.”
Another responder said, “Being free would mean that I can exist without having to explain my existence.” While another answered, “We are only as free as others with whom we share space…But the paradox is, that freedom and equality cannot exist together. Equality can only be achieved by curtailing individual freedom of some for the interest of the whole.”
The campaign sought personal answers about what it means for us to be free. What we seek liberation from the most, about important and underrated freedoms we enjoy every day, while people in certain parts of the world crave for it, some that go unacknowledged or aren’t available to us or a section of our own fellow citizens.
No country for free women
More importantly, are we really free when we say we live in a free country, which by ostensible democratic standards may fare better than a lot of nations, but hasn’t yet managed to make its women and minorities feel safe.
Saniya Rohida from Pune, for one, thinks not. “If I have to be fearful of streets I’ve walked on for 22 years, I am not free. If I have to constantly look over my shoulder and clutch onto whatever sharp object I possess, I am not free.” She asserted, “When I can walk out without thinking twice about what I’m wearing, I will have freedom. When I don’t have to be nervous to be around a lot of men, I will have freedom. When my voice is heard and understood without ridicule or mockery, I will have freedom.”
Recently recognised as the most dangerous country for women, this survey helped in proving that very fact. Ninety percent of the female responders cited gender discrimination and crimes against women as a primary factor inhibiting their freedom.
Women still seek the freedom to move about safely. Credit: Stockton WordPressNitya Pandit, a student at NYU Stern School of Business, believes that the degree of freedom shouldn’t vary between genders. “I am free because I am able to choose the career of my liking; I feel free because there are no restrictions for my education”. But, she doesn’t feel free in a lot of other ways. “I’m not free because I still cannot fully voice my opinions about issues that irk me without someone nudging me to stop talking. I don’t feel free because I cannot step out in ripped jeans without attracting attention. I don’t feel free because I can’t step out at night without worrying my parents.”
Madhura Kanjilal, who currently works for Pradan, an NGO aimed at development action, also told Qrius that freedom is relative and limited to those who can either afford it or for those whose gender allows them to be free without any qualms. I for one, do not feel free. I cannot sit in a public place without people staring at me if I’m wearing clothes that are considered “indecent” or even otherwise. I cannot buy a packet of cigarettes without people looking at me like I just asked for a time bomb. I can’t even speak my mind too often for fear of making a male colleague sound ridiculously stupid.”
Kolkata-based illustrator Abel Wilson who identifies as gender-fluid and non binary, brought certain important issues up as well. “Being free would mean that I wouldn’t have to learn how to control my fear around men or going alone to the men’s washroom because there is no other choice for me. Being free would mean that I don’t have to whisper “me too.”
Priyadarshini Mukherjee, a Gender and Media student at the University of Sussex, also voiced similar concerns. “I never felt free so I do not what it means to be free, truly. I’m not free to love who I want to love. I’m not free to wear what I want to wear or eat what I wish to eat. I’m not free to express my opinions or create content as I wish to.” She is, of course, referring to artistic censorship, and the ban on meat in several states.
Credit: Mygola
Artistic freedom is a mark of true democracy
Freelance graphic designer and student Debanjan Chowdhury mentioned the right to creative expression as well, and envisages a country where the state doesn’t interfere with literature, art and cinema, letting us decide what’s good for us.
Screenshot from Instagram appHe says he doesn’t feel free in a state where the government constantly interferes with the academic curriculum, revises history and slashes university seats. “To be free means to be able to live without the constant fear of getting lynched or moral policed on the streets. To be able to express love wherever and whenever I want. To be able to love whoever I want. To be able to criticize the flaws of our ruling government without the fear of getting lynched,” he told Qrius.
A change in mindset: the first step towards freedom
Associate producer Nayoneka Shankar wrote from Mumbai, about the Nina Simone half-quote. Simone in that interview also said freedom is a lot like love, quite inexplicable but you’ll know it when you feel it. Nayoneka said she felt free in a lot of ways, but true freedom is still a long way off. “To be free from 24×7 vigilance as a woman, to be free from insensitivity and intolerance, to be free from societal restraints on creative expression, to be free from the social stigma attached to being a woman and to sexuality, to be free from the dysfunctionality that our society has normalised and does not challenge, to respect the rights of animals and the environment, to be free from financial burdens, to be free from a corrupt, jingoistic society where dissenters are silenced in the cruelest ways without justice” she voicing, voicing the demands of a nation of billions.
via Deccan ChronicleEchoing her thoughts on challenging the status quo, independent photographer Sutirtha Chatterjee claimed, “After 70 years of independence, we are still unable to gain total autonomy of thought. We still rely heavily on our preconceived notions. Notions which have been systematically implanted deep within us, barring us from understanding alternate perspectives. These notions tell us what to do, who to trust and dictates every choice that we make. I think it’s about time for us to take a step back and free ourselves of these inhibitions and start acknowledging diverse cultures and understand different perspectives.
Freedom is the responsibility that comes with power
For Delhi-based architect Ankita Gupta, “Freedom to me is being answerable to myself first before being accountable to others.”
JNU student and musician Aidan Wyatt Syiem offered an epigram, freedom is free, referring to a song about how the intrinsic free spirit in all of us lives on, and you can’t take that away from nobody. Several other responders felt the same way about freedom being a state of mind which allows you to follow your heart. But that personal quest shouldn’t come at the cost of someone else’s, reminds Abhishek Das from Kolkata, talking about the limits to freedom, necessary for the coexistence of people with different opinion and beliefs.
Postgraduate student Siddharth Sinha believes that this limit is respect and tolerance. “Freedom to live life as I choose, as long as other people don’t suffer for that, and to ensure that your fellow man lives life free of oppression as well,” he answered. For Mumbai-based editor Khyati Mehta, freedom lies in our ability to “choose how we live, what we do, what we eat, who we love, who we vote for, “while fully understanding the consequences of my actions and making sure no one else’s freedom is being curbed in the process of me practicing mine.”
Credit: PRIThe government, is equally accountable for exercising their power to curb freedoms instead of guaranteeing it. Film student Debroop Basu wants to be free from governmental surveillance and from the growing bias towards a certain ethno-religious group in a secular country. History scholar Amartya Chowdhury lashed out at the pitiful condition, asking how we can be free when the government is busy endorsing the efficacy of animal urine and hounding those who deny it, instead of ensuring economic freedom for the marginalised sections.
Author’s footnote
It is important not to get caught up in the tide of blind nationalism, or to confuse it with patriotism. The democracy requires you to be its strongest critic in the darkest hour of need. This recognition is knowledge, that things can be infinitely better, it is a freedom from ignorance.
Reimagining of the American flag, Barbara Kruger. Credit: Curiator
Ask yourself what exactly you are celebrating today. This Independence Day, let the word freedom really mean something to you, not be reduced to a myth, or restricted only to a privileged few.
Prarthana Mitra is a staff writer at Qrius
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