LOOKING INDEPENDENT, FEELING INDEPENDENT AND BEING INDEPENDENT

I recently read a book by Swami Sukhabhodhananda, where he spoke of the concept of looking good, being good and feeling good. Looking good relates to looking glamorous externally that is so much in focus now and in fact is a fast growing industry. But this external good look does not last long unless it is complimented by feeling good which is automatically showcased in the form of being good.

This morning I read a post on Independence Day in Swahilya’s blog and suddenly could relate the above concept of good looks to Independence too. I sincerely feel that we Indians only look independent and are working very hard to make the look glamorous by ever increasing pomp in celebrations of the Independence Day. We are far from feeling Independent.

Its 59 years since we have attired the looks of independence and its high-time our Government / politicians start working on instilling the confidence in our citizens to feel independent. What more to say, even our politicians are not feeling the independence, because the ruling party is not able to rule and the opposition party is not able to oppose, independently with a clear conscience. I am sure you would not call, walking out of the Parliament at the drop of a coin, an independent way to oppose and amending the Right to Information Act, an independent way to rule.

I just read in a post in Thennavan's blog titled "We the People", that India is not branding itself properly. But then how can we do so when we do not feel the independence deep within ourselves. Its like the difference between living in a rented house, even if on a perpetual lease, and living in ones own house. Looking independent is like living in a rented house and feeling independent is like living in our own house. How can you expect the citizens of India to create a Brand image for their rented house? Just make them feel it their own, the sheer population of our country feeling the Independence is enough to give India an image larger, stronger and dynamic than any other country in the world.