Man is not satisfied with financial happiness alone, he wants the freedom to go beyond that. The value of 'freedom' must be considered in today's context.
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As we celebrate Independence Day today, the Kashmir Valley is in turmoil due to changes in Article 370 of the Constitution. 'Why this freedom?' Such a question is sometimes asked openly and sometimes secretly. On the other hand, those who play the role of 'it should have happened' are also enjoying full freedom. While all this is going on in the country, there is no picture of a rift between power and freedom even in the global context. Of course, this is not always the case, but in today's context, the value of freedom must be examined in the light of global events.
About 60,000 people protested in the Russian capital, Moscow. The police beat them. About 1,500 protesters were jailed. If you want to protest in Russia, you have to get permission from the government. The Russian government says the protests were not allowed. The protests in Moscow were not an isolated incident. Citizens in dozens of other places in Russia also tried to express their dissatisfaction, and the government suppressed it.
Protesters in Moscow have demanded that independent candidates be allowed to run in the by-elections. There are half a dozen political parties in Russia. Putin's United Russia party is in power. Why call this party a party? People ask such questions. Because this party is not bound by any philosophy. The Communist Party ceased to exist after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Putin, who was once a member of the KGB, formed the party by uniting some conservative Russian groups. Power is the philosophy of this party and Putin is the philosopher of this party. People and groups who challenge and oppose Putin's rule do not like Putin. The Russian government plans several measures to silence the opposition. One of the solutions is not to allow the election to stand. Many in Moscow oppose Putin's dictatorship. Putin denies him a ticket for various reasons. The protests took place in Moscow against the denial of tickets.
Protests in Moscow and elsewhere have highlighted allegations of corruption against Russian Prime Minister Medvedev. Medvedev has built huge houses, land, boats etc. Information about the wealth he has accumulated, photos are currently under discussion in Russia. The man, Navelny, has run an anti-corruption movement. They also have the support of the youth. Many parties and impartial people are demanding that Medvedev be questioned and action taken against him. The Putin government is raising the bar by declaring the demands and protests to be anti-national.
The protests in Moscow are not just political. There are some candidates in Moscow who suggest some improvements. The government does not allow them to stand. In Moscow and in Russia, everything is done for the benefit of a handful of people. The ruling party has not announced that the cities should be run as they say. Therefore, even those who speak on purely civil issues have to speak through the mouth of the ruling party.
After the end of the communist regime, Russia developed a difficult economy. There is government, there is government production system and there are private industries. But the whole system does not follow certain rules. The rules will be decided by Putin. The system works like any free market country but nothing happens against the will of the rulers. Today, Russia has a system of dictatorships with no definite philosophy. People want to have a say in governance, decision making, how the government should be run, how the economy should be. But the ruling party is denying this share. People want freedom of conduct and thought. They don't think they get it.
Similar incidents in Moscow are happening in Hong Kong. For the past two to three months, Hong Kong citizens have been on the streets. They want freedom, they don't want to live under the rules of the Chinese Communist Party. That said, there is a reason why it should feel so trivial. If a crime is committed in Hong Kong, the trial and subsequent execution must be conducted in accordance with Hong Kong law.
In China, all crimes are committed according to communist ideology and conduct. There is no independent judiciary in China. Judiciary in China follows the policy of the Communist Party, the supreme leader of the Communist Party. Judicial principles, which are followed all over the world like trial, opportunity to defend the accused, etc., are not followed there. The autonomous people of Hong Kong do not want to be handed over to China.
Today, China's economic situation is much better. Despite some poverty in rural China, the majority of Chinese people today are financially happy.
The issue of financial happiness is like the tail of a Maruti, it never ends. However, it is true that employment, daily needs are not in the teeth. Man is not only satisfied with financial happiness, he wants something beyond that. He wants freedom. The cage is made of gold, with melodious music playing around, the fragrance wafting, and a never-ending dose of pomegranate seeds.
Young people in China, the affluent middle class, demanded independence in 1989. Thousands of young people gathered in Tiananmen Square demanding independence. The Chinese government put tanks and crushed the children. In China, the government still pays close attention to the Internet, social media, printed paper, and so on. The Chinese ruling party tells the Chinese people that we do not know what is in your interest and what is your happiness. In short, he says, accept that we make you happy.
The people of Hong Kong are more economically prosperous than the people of mainland Peoples Republic of China. Hong Kong is one of the top earning countries. But along with that economic happiness, the people of Hong Kong want freedom of thought and conduct. China is not ready to give it up. That's why the people of Hong Kong have taken to the streets. The people of Hong Kong have taken over the independence movement by capturing the airport in Hong Kong. He has now taken the Chinese government to such a decision. The fear is that there will be massacres like the one in Tiananmen, right?
All this is happening around 15th August. The significance of August 15 is unlikely to be known to the Russian and Hong Kong people. But for the Indian man, this is Independence Day. The Indian man is worried about the situation in Russia and China. At the same time, the situation in Kashmir has been tense for the past two weeks. There is a curfew. Democratic leaders who cannot be charged with terrorism or secession are also in custody. The media is under control. On the other hand, it is also shown that Kashmir has all the albels.
The Kashmir issue is complicated and cumbersome, yet can be solved through abrogation of Article 370, it is true. No one today has a quick solution to that problem. Even the pinch of the ruling party understands that this problem is likely to go away after a long understanding. But they are also handy in a pinch. There is an undeclared emergency in Kashmir. The Kashmir Valley is not in the mood to celebrate August 15 as Independence Day, due to the Islamic separatist and left wing political parties keep stirring the valley, which is not a good sign.
There is always a fight between power and freedom. So whether that power is democratic or dictatorial. Power wants to be autocratic. If the people ask for anything independently, if it is presented separately, then the power seems to be in control. The power-independence relationship is very similar to the ahi-nakul relationship in ancient myths. Therefore, when this eternal struggle between power and freedom is happening before our eyes today, it is necessary to understand it. At least while waving the flag of democracy, realizing that 'power' belongs to the people, only then will our 'freedom' last forever.
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