On this Independence day, let us ask a simple question of “what exactly is freedom according to you”. For some it may mean independence, while for others, it may mean to act and speak freely. Going by the definition, freedom is the condition of being free from constraints.
Freedom is something that everyone has heard about, but it carries a different meaning for each one of us. This is because of differing opinions. Freedom can be defined as a state of mind and can be felt from within.
For me, freedom means to be able to walk around freely and to think and act without any restraint or hindrance. In other words, it is right to be yourself.
It is not just a word, but much more than that. With freedom, one has the right to express one’s thoughts and opinions. It is the freedom to build the future in our own way. It is the ability to express yourself without any restrictions. There are no uniform measures of how your life should be.
Moreover, freedom is a completely different concept for a woman. For women, freedom is to be able to walk down the street and stand equal to men. It is the right to hold office, get high paying jobs, ability to vote and have independent thoughts.
A society which was once unheard of women’s opinions, now have pulitzer prize winning works by women. Being in a country with freedom means that you can choose your own religion; especially, in a country like India, which is a secular nation.
With freedom, you can make your own decisions. And this is possible because of our great freedom fighters who ended the colonial rule. It is because of their sacrifice that today we are a free nation. We have received this freedom at a great cost. It is, therefore, our duty to understand the real value of it. You must understand that freedom does not mean violating or disregarding others’ rights.
We must also respect the freedom of others as well as their opinions. Looking at a greater aspect, freedom also means liberalisation from oppression, from discrimination, from racism among other things. In addition, the most prominent right that is enjoyed by all of us is the freedom of speech. It paves way to open debates and discussion of thoughts that is essential for the growth of a society.
It can be concluded that freedom is not just a word but a psychological concept and everyone has differing views on it. But, one thing that we can be sure about is that freedom is linked to happiness and is crucial for a society’s growth.