Monday, August 15, 2011

ON 65th. YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE: Not the India we fought for, say freedom fighters!


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zeenews.india.com / Last Updated: Monday, August 15, 2011, 10:45.

Not the India we fought for, say freedom fighters

New Delhi: As India marches into its 65th year of independence, the people who fought tooth and nail for the freedom most of us take for granted feel this is not the nation of their dreams and are troubled by the all-pervading culture of corruption.

Captain SS Yadav, a 93-year-old freedom fighter who served in the Indian National Army (INA) of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, feels that the country has progressed a lot in the last six decades, but corruption too has increased exponentially.

"Corruption has bugged our administrative system badly and I really feel ashamed when youngsters ask me if we fought for the freedom to provide them a corrupt system," Yadav said.

So what does independence mean to him?

He responds promptly: "It means an opportunity to work selflessly for the nation and serve its people. But where is that seen today? Today no one can get their work done without bribery."

Octogenarian Pratima Kaushik, who spent two months imprisoned along with her two brothers in Lahore, fondly remembers moments spent in jail, fervently singing patriotic songs with the hopes of a free India.

She feels that India has got independence but people have failed to understand the real meaning of 'Azadi'.

"Independence is not as it should have been...there is widespread corruption and back-stabbing. Many times, I think I made a mistake in fighting for the nation and that it was not worth it," an angry Kaushik shot back.

Freedom fighters looked concerned over the ongoing debate on corruption involving senior ministers and administrative officers and supported the demand for a strong Lokpal bill.


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