“A new star rises, the star of freedom in the East, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materializes. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed!”

Quoted from Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s celebrated speech “Tryst with Destiny”, these lines so aptly convey what India’s independence manifested for us and for the world, 70 years ago. The speech is PM Nehru’s reflection on the time when our arduous efforts were finally rewarded with freedom and the sacrifice of thousands of men, women and children acclaimed. He addressed the challenges of poverty, inequality, diseases, and ignorance that lay ahead of us and called for a united stance to fight them. This speech was not merely a celebration of the nation’s historic rebirth but a meticulous appeal to its people for building a stronger and better future.

Today, what is quite unfortunate about this speech is its appropriateness in the present-day India. 70 years later, our nation is still fighting the evils of poverty, inequality, diseases, and ignorance. Our people are still divided into the rich, the poor, the Hindus, the Muslims, the men, the women. Our souls are still colonized by our corrupted values.

Equality: A Far-Fetched Dream

The Supreme Court, in an appalling verdict, declared that forced sexual intercourse within marriage is not a criminal offence. This came as a response to a woman’s plea against her husband who has tortured her sexually and mentally ever since their marriage. Expelled of all sense of equality, the judiciary stood firm at their stance based on the baseless patriarchal norms.

PM Nehru had made a strong plea for the people to stand united and equal, barring all grounds of discrimination, for facing every challenge heads-up. With the same notion, the makers of the constitution declared every Indian citizen equal before the law.

But how could they forget the centuries-old bias against the females that is etched so deeply in our minds that no law can eliminate it? The declaration of equality for all could not bring about any major change in the condition of women for years after independence. Even in the 21st-century, Indian women continue to face indignities due to the innate prejudice of our society. India has come to represent a country where women are only regarded as toys to be played with and thrown away.

Unity: Lost in the Spirit of Communalism

In a series of brazen mob lynching incidents, people of the Muslim communities were targeted by Hindu cow vigilantes in the name of animal reverence and religion. From a 55-year old man to a 15-year old child, a number of Muslims were forced to their brutal ends by frantic mobs of cow vigilantes all over the country.

Our independence came at the fatal cost of partition and PM Nehru believed in uniting the divided population for the best interest of the State. The democratic principle of secularism attempted to unite the diverse religious communities that existed in the country. But, failed tragically.

The air of communalism flows unfettered today. The chasm between the religious communities of India is growing wider than ever, defying the national integrity PM Nehru dreamt of. Communalism, like a termite, has found its way to the roots of our country and is destroying it with unrestricted force. India has come to represent a nation where community reverence has surpassed the loyalty to the nation.

Ignorance: Persists Unabated

A reprehensible case of sheer ignorance led to the deaths of 70 innocent children in just 3 days in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. In what came out to be a show of fatal unawareness on the part of the government, the hospital authorities, and the people, a number of lives were taken, cheaply, sadly.

Living behind the curtains of ignorance for 200 years under the British, PM Nehru wished for the people to gain and spread awareness to progress further. The constitution laid down several rights and the government launched numerous programs to aware the public of the right and the wrong. 70 years down the lane, Indians can hardly name all the fundamental rights granted by the Constitution and this is the shameful level of ignorance that we are facing. The people of the country blame the system for everything, ignorant of their own faults.

India has come to represent a country where people are engaged in the wrong fight because of our unawareness of the right.

Conclusion

“A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.”

It is time now that we realize the core ideas of PM Nehru’s words and work together to build a new India, a country that stands equal, united, and aware.