Meyu Changkiri
Every year on 15 August, India celebrates the freedom won in 1947. We remember the sacrifices of those who gave themselves for a nation that would be free to determine its own destiny. But independence is more than freedom from foreign rule. It is also the freedom to think, to learn, to discern, to participate and, when necessary, to question.
A politically free nation must also nurture free minds, responsible citizens and a culture where people can express their convictions with dignity. The freedom to question is not the enemy of a healthy society. It is one of its safeguards. A question is not necessarily rebellion, disrespect or disloyalty. Sometimes it is simply the response of an awakened mind and a responsible citizen.
A mature nation should not be afraid of thoughtful citizens.
Education, Service and Nation-Building
This is one reason education matters so deeply. Education does more than provide information or qualifications. At its best, it enables people to ask questions, distinguish truth from falsehood, understand their responsibilities and participate meaningfully in society.
Across India, educational institutions, healthcare organisations, community organisations and service agencies - established and sustained by people and communities of different faiths and backgrounds - have contributed to this work for generations.
Christian institutions have been an important part of this story. For generations, Christian schools and colleges have educated young people, hospitals and healthcare institutions have cared for the sick, and churches and faith-based organisations have served communities in times of need. Their contribution should be seen not through suspicion alone, but also through the lives they have helped shape and the communities they have served.
When a child receives a good education, the nation gains. When a sick person receives care, a family is strengthened. When a young person is given an opportunity, society gains another capable citizen. When people are given the dignity and opportunity to participate, the whole community becomes stronger.
This is nation-building.
Teaching people to think, discern and participate responsibly is not teaching them rebellion. It is preparing them for citizenship. An educated, responsible and morally grounded citizen can contribute more meaningfully to the strength and wellbeing of the nation. No society should underestimate the value of such quiet and consistent service. A nation's strength is not measured only by the size of its economy, the strength of its institutions or the achievements of its leaders. It is also measured by how well it educates its children, cares for its most vulnerable, creates opportunities and enables its citizens to live with dignity.
The Courage to Question
History reminds us that meaningful progress often begins with questions. Societies have changed because people were willing to ask whether accepted practices were just, whether institutions were serving their purpose and whether those without a voice were being heard.
Many important advances in human history began with difficult questions about inequality, discrimination, injustice, poverty, education and human dignity. The circumstances were different, but the lesson remains: questioning can arise not from a desire to destroy, but from a desire to make something better.
This applies to governments, institutions, communities and individuals alike.
A mature leader should not interpret every question as an attack. A healthy institution should not fear honest examination. At the same time, those who question authority must also be willing to examine themselves. Questions should be grounded in truth rather than rumour, and expressed with respect rather than contempt. The freedom to question must be accompanied by the humility to listen. That is where maturity begins.
Patriotism and Conscience
These questions become especially important when we consider the relationship between patriotism, national symbols and individual conscience.
The present discussion surrounding Vande Mataram is one example. It occupies an important place in India's history and in the country's freedom movement. It inspired generations of Indians and deserves appropriate respect. Recent government measures have also given greater official prominence and statutory protection to the National Song.
There is nothing wrong with encouraging citizens to respect national symbols. Shared symbols can remind us of a common history and a shared belonging. The important question, however, is whether respect must always take exactly the same outward form for every citizen.
India is a nation of extraordinary diversity. People differ in their religious beliefs, cultural traditions, philosophical convictions and personal consciences. A citizen may deeply love the country while having a conscientious reservation about participating in a particular form of expression. That distinction deserves to be understood rather than immediately politicised.
The Supreme Court's decision in Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala provides an important constitutional reference point. In that case, three schoolchildren respectfully stood during the National Anthem but did not sing because of their religious convictions. The Court protected their freedom of conscience.
The case concerned the National Anthem rather than Vande Mataram, and therefore it should not be treated as a direct ruling on the present National Song debate. But its broader recognition of freedom of conscience remains an important part of India's constitutional tradition. Respect for the nation and freedom of conscience need not be enemies. They can coexist.
Patriotism Is Larger Than a Song
Patriotism should never be reduced to a single outward expression. A person demonstrates love for a country by serving its people, educating its children, caring for the vulnerable, protecting public property, working honestly, respecting fellow citizens and contributing to the common good.
A teacher who prepares responsible young citizens is serving the nation. A doctor who cares for the sick is serving the nation. A farmer who feeds communities is serving the nation. A public servant who acts with integrity is serving the nation. And every citizen who respects the dignity and rights of others contributes to the nation.
Our national life is enriched when patriotism becomes a way of living rather than merely a moment of ceremony.
Respect Without Fear
We should therefore resist two opposite temptations. One is to treat every national symbol with suspicion. The other is to treat every question about a national symbol as disloyalty. Neither approach helps India.
We can honour Vande Mataram and still discuss its history. We can respect the Government and still ask questions about policy. We can value national unity and still protect diversity. We can love our country and still hold a conscientious disagreement. We can disagree without becoming enemies. This is not a weakness. It is the confidence of a mature democracy.
A confident nation does not need every citizen to think, speak or express patriotism in exactly the same way. What it needs is a shared commitment to the common good, respect for the law and respect for one another. India does not become stronger when unity is confused with uniformity. It becomes stronger when people with different convictions can live together, respect one another and work towards a shared future.
The Responsibility of Leadership
This principle applies equally to leadership. Leadership is not simply the ability to speak with authority. It is also the ability to listen with patience. It is easy to ask others to be accountable. It is harder to examine ourselves. Governments, political organisations, religious institutions, educational institutions, civil society organisations and community leaders all benefit when they are willing to hear difficult questions.
Those who question authority also have responsibilities. Questions should be grounded in truth rather than rumour, expressed with respect rather than contempt and directed towards understanding rather than division. For freedom without responsibility can become destructive, and authority without accountability can become unhealthy. But freedom joined with responsibility, and authority exercised with humility, can strengthen society.
The India We Want
As we celebrate another Independence Day, let us look beyond the freedom we inherited and consider the India we are entrusted to build. A strong nation is not one in which everyone thinks alike, but one in which people of different convictions can live together with mutual respect and a shared commitment to the common good.
Let us build an India where education creates enlightened citizens, leadership welcomes accountability, diversity becomes a source of strength and conscience is respected. Let us honour our nation not only through words and ceremonies, but through integrity, service and responsible citizenship.
India's future will be stronger when we have the courage to think, the humility to listen, the wisdom to differ and the commitment to stand together. A free nation needs free minds, a strong nation needs responsible citizens, and a great nation needs the confidence to listen to its people.
May we continue to build such an India - together.
