Independence Day Special

It's Independence Day. I watch on with interest at the splashes of tri-colour in every social media site, the lovely peacock doodle on the Google page, the sardonic status updates that stand testimony to the arm chair cynicism of my generation. Everybody seems to be scurrying to express delight and disgust alike on the world wide web. Social media has, unwittingly perhaps, urged urban middle class Indians to spare a thought (forgive me the cliché) for a nation that turns 66 today.

So here's my contribution. I will try and spare you the jai hind brand of patriotism as I will keep out the cynicism...I think there's been a fair bit of an overdose both ways. The momentary thought that I spare is to reflect on what growing up in a free, democratic India has meant to me, with the privileges that I tend to take for granted and the shortcomings that often seem larger than what they really are.

I am 26 years old and enjoy good health.

I had a happy childhood.

My parents were delighted and proud to have two girls and no boys.

I studied in some of the top institutions in the country. 

I can speak English fluently. 

Higher studies and a career of my choice were a given.

But it makes me sad to know that I may not have been 'allowed' to make the same choices if I was a boy.

I am employed in a large multinational company and make enough to pay my bills, rent a comfortable apartment, eat out often and go on an occasional holiday.

I  have traveled abroad twice...alone.

And yet I am scared to be out alone after 10 pm in any Indian city.

I have the space to choose my life partner when I am ready for it.

But I know there are rules to exercising that choice. Rules that govern who can be loved and how.

I belong to the 'majority', in terms of my faith.

I have rarely felt the need to justify my identity as a Tamilian Hindu Woman.

I have lived in the south all my life and grew up in Chennai-easily the most peaceful metro in the country.

I have never seen a riot, never missed school because of a terrorist attack.

When I look back on my list, I feel rather thrilled, almost smug perhaps about the privileged life that I lead. But even in the rosy hue something seems amiss in seeing my life as a privilege rather than the norm. After all, in the global scheme of things, I lead a regular life. Not one of extreme luxury or happiness. Perhaps what I or anyone else can realistically expect is to be (slightly?) better off than our parents. I suppose rags to riches wouldn't be much of a story if it happened to everybody. We are a large nation and for every one of us to slowly make that climb and reach a reasonable standard of living is going to take more...much more than 66 years.