If a celebration does not give any joie de vivre to a person or to a group of people, it becomes a meaningless event. Colourful ‘social media posts’ alone do not create any meaningful celebration in the hearts and minds of the people. These thoughts are relevant as we celebrate Indian Independence Day, which marks the end of British rule in 1947 and the establishment of a ‘free and independent’ Indian nation. On Independence Day, when the Indian tri-colour flutters in the air, it is apt to reflect on the importance of ‘freedom and responsibility’, since every celebration is an opportunity to refresh the memories, to revive the ‘original spirit’, and to analyze the holistic growth progress of a person or an organization in responsible freedom.
Freedom has nothing to do with the amount of physical space we occupy or the bodily capabilities we possess or fulfilling our instinctual needs. In fact, it is more about respecting the ‘space of the other.’ Freedom is to choose, express and to live without infringing on the personal freedom of others. One of the secrets of happiness is to exercise responsible freedom. Freedom without responsibility is destructive and responsibility without freedom is frustrating. As far as a person does not exercise responsible freedom, no holistic growth happens in the life of that person. As a foetus experiences freedom in the mother’s womb, every human needs to experience freedom in the earth’s womb.
Fr Binny Marydas
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