15th August

Day 228 / 366

Independence Day used to be something that got me excited as a child. Now that I am almost 30, the day has lost all its meaning.

I remember going to school in casual clothing (or what we used to call as “coloured dress”). I remember listening to all the patriotic songs, singing the national anthem and watching the flag hoisting. And who can forget the samosa and boondi ladoo! It’s not a surprise today that when I woke up today and heard the loudspeakers in my building, I was craving a samosa badly.

I remember reading in an old diary entry on 15th August that I was feeling patriotic that day. Remembering the freedom fighters, who gave their lives so that I could live in a free country. I felt that I should be doing something for my country as well.

But with the instances from the last few weeks, I find myself thinking is this the same India? The India that we were all so proud of when we were kids?

I see lots of people on social media sharing this quote -

“Jo Azad hai unko Azadi mubarak”

Each and every man in our country should be ashamed that even in 2024, women won’t get to enjoy the same freedom as we do. I am horrified thinking about my sister, who is a medical PG student as well and has to frequently do 24-hour shifts.

I hope that this incident does not get forgotten like many others in the past. I hope that systematic changes are made to ensure that no woman in this country has to ever think twice about her safety.