Are we really Free?

My land has given me so much that I doubt if it is really possible to give all that back. You would say, if you really wanted you sure can and where there is a will there is way. But then when on the weight of that proverb, I tried to go out of my way to extend my "repayment", I was opposed by way of ill will, grudge, corruption, selfish interests or lack of much needed responsibility. So can I rest in peace knowing that the aid that I gave for my fellow in suffering was actually serving as a diamond necklace in a fat neck somewhere else? How do I know? How do I trust?

Doing my part in the society which is referred to as "Social Service" was an inborn interest. I say so cos I got it through my mother's genes. She dint have the needed "opportunities" to do anything major but she wanted to give back to her country in her way, however small it was - like conserving electricity, avoiding wastages, not being rude to any living soul, by conserving our clothes carefully so that she could give to our servant maid without a tear in the clothing, teaching unfortunate kids etc. I did my bit in my school days by doing service in the local slum.

Every year we are given a day of from school/work on our Indian Independence day or we are "forced" to attend school to salute our flag. Do we realise the importance? Where do the politicians and "authoritative figures" who slam down celebrities for misusing our flag vanish when the same flag is strewn all over the roads at the end of this day for the whole crowd to trample upon? So this independence day, I sit down with a pen etching out the flowing questions - Are we really developed? Have we really progressed? Is it justified to progress for progress sake with no change in attitude? Are we really free?

At one time, the parasites lived of us
Leeches sucked our blood
The land was ours but owned by the heartless klutz
While we slaved and wore poverty as our hood

Then few lions roused and woke us from our inane slumber
Held hands, lifted others , marchedon red tears shed by our being
It dint come easy but at last we were free from further plunder
When we were given the right to be on our own land's sheen

Days went by, months flew past and years rolled
We seem to be looking ahead, heads held high
But are we really free? Arent women still on roads sold
Arent killing an innocent unborn girlchild on high

So many ppl have the hot earth as their bed,
and the sun and moon as their light sources
They live on a morsel of food and day to day dread
illiteracy abundant all over with its ugly traces

We smile in front with knives behind ready to stab?
We absolutely love to hate, to grudge !
Its after all our brothers and sisters, born in our land
Why not live and let live without this hatred ridge

The name may be different, the colour varied, belief unique
but there is same blood running in the skin's beneath
We share the same air, live on nature's link
Have we forgotten that we all are Earth's children underneath?

So are we really free? Can we look into our progress instead of neighbour's?
Can we see what we can do rather than check how much the other has done?
Will it be possible to love without expecting something in return?
To smile with genuine happiness instead of dislike and condemn?


Is it possible? Can we be really free?

Questions! They are always there - But pushing them at the back of the mind for now, I wish warm and heartiest Independance Day to all my fellow Indian bloggers.