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What freedom means to me
AS PER our Constitution, there is freedom to write and speak. But if you are speaking or criticising a higher authority or minister, you would be manhandled. If you are criticising a higher authority in writing, you or your organisation will be attacked. Nowadays nobody wants to remember the freedom fighters. Our Independence Day is being treated like a holiday. To me freedom is allowing to express one's views without restrictions. Freedom should be celebrated with duty, dignity and discipline. Freedom should not be limited to people who have money and power. We should not take freedom for granted.
R. Rajesh Raj,
5/79 Cauvery Street,
Athikulam,K.Pudur,
Madurai-7.
FREEDOM IS the personal liberty to act according to one's will and without any physical or other form of restraint. The absence of restraint is known in philosophical terms as negative freedom. An example is the freedom of a prisoner released from jail. Positive freedom refers to the state of self-mastery or self-realization, For example, breaking an addictive habit or conquering shyness.
S. Sathish,
44/15, SBI Officer's Colony,
Doak Nagar,
Kochadai, Madurai-16.
OUR GRANDPARENTS tell us about the sacrifices made by our forefathers to attain freedom from British rule. Half a century later after gaining independence, it appears we have only changed our masters, not our slavery. We are now well trained to misuse the world `freedom' in every walk of life, in the name of `democracy'. We have become more conscious of our `rights' than our `duty'. Each of us works with selfish motives. Public life has become worse than ever. Religion and cultural heritage are abused in the name of modernism. We have nationalised all criminal acts indiscriminately in all spheres of life. `Freedom' is now an overdose, causing indigestion in the Nation's health. I feel it is high time we fix some limitations to the sense of democracy and impose for a short duration `state emergency' to guard against further deterioration and learn to conduct ourselves in future in larger public interest.
Balasubramaniam Hemalatha,
14/12A, West Hanumantharayan
Koil Street, Madurai-1.
THERE MAY be lot of freedom such as freedom of speech, thought, action and put together they give complete independence. But I disagree. When many people are unable to fulfil even their basic needs how can we talk about freedom. As Gandhiji said, "For starving men and women, liberty and God are merely letters put together without the slightest meaning." I would say that complete independence is achieved only when all the people get one square meal a day. Only when an individual's basic needs are met, can he or she think about society or the country.
B. Chandralekha,
7, Durai Bhavanam,
5th Stop, Thirunagar,
Madurai-6.
ACT OF doing things at our will is freedom. It is true that freedom indicates the development of a nation and it is the free expression of thought and action of every citizen. But I feel freedom implies the expression of heartful feelings of a youngster to the parents without hesitation and the sharing and acceptance of thoughts between couples to act according to their wish. The final product of 'freedom' is happiness. Freedom means expression of one's self to satisfy needs and it starts at home. If we don't have freedom at home then there is no freedom outside.
K. Veenapriya,
I M.Sc (PB & G),
AC & RI, Madurai.
FREEDOM TO me is the ability to make choices and to carry them out. But in asocial environment, freedom requires a legal and institutional framework. On one hand, for a person to have complete freedom, he must be able to make choices and carry them out without being controlled by anyone else. But on the other, in a social sitting, one person's choice affects another. So we need laws to distribute the condition of freedom equally among all the people. Therefore, people are free if society imposes no unjust limits on them and also protects their rights. That is, the law both limits and protects the freedom of an individual.
C. M. Faizal Ahamed,
I Year B.Com,
American College,
Madurai.
MORE THAN 50 years have passed since independence but still we are bound by pressures of life. In today's world, we find every youngster as a puppet with strings held firmly by the parents. We should be able to respect each others pursuits, that is real freedom with which the country will shine.
V. Arunkumar,
39/31-B
`Meenakshi Illam',
Kovalan Nagar Main Road,
T.V.S.Nagar, Madurai-3.
FREEDOM MEANS different things to different people. I am 70 years old and do not feel free even now when my fellow countrymen are struggling to eke out a livelihood. I am reminded of our revered poet Bharathi's words on hunger. In a vast country like ours, every educated, able-bodied man or woman has a mission to fulfil as is well brought out from the youth forum's discussion (Metro Plus dated. 9.8.04) to eradicate mass illiteracy, poverty and unemployment. The Government alone cannot handle the colossal task without the dedicated involvement of all of us. The route is in educating the masses, developing a scientific temper in day-to-day living, increasing agricultural/industrial productivity, and optional use of our natural resources.
V. Venkataraman,
Plot 350,Anna Nagar,
Madurai.
DOES FREDOM means liberation? Liberation from what? Liberation from poverty, illiteracy and diseases. Liberation from this earthly life. Life has a lucid meaning and purpose. Liberation is only to live happily and meaningfully. Meaning to life may differ from one person to another. But everyone has personal thoughts on life and plans to carry them out. Freedom of self means freedom in thought and action. But modern day life does not permit one to decide and act independently.
It is an irony to point out that a majority of us cause damage to other's freedom with our words and deeds. Without realising the freedom of others, we cannot practice freedom in our own lives. There are different kinds of freedom — political, economical, social and spiritual. To me, freedom means the opportunity to understand life and live it effectively and meaningfully.
G. Natarajan,
H 714 Ellis Nagar,
Madurai.
NOT VIOLATING human rights is freedom. Freedom must be perceived from the angle of children, youth and women, who constitute the basic segment in nation building. Children are prohibited from exercising their rights and freedom from their birth. Their education, hobbies, and profession are decided well in advance by their parents. There is complete violation of "freedom to think and express". Parents must play the role of channelisers, rather than path makers. Present day youths however also tend to misuse freedom leading to social and cultural degradation.. A woman can be considered to have attained complete freedom only when she has complete protection from the dangers in society.
S. K. Subha,
No.67, Muthu Illam,
Ramalingam Nagar,
S.Alangulam, Madurai.
I AM not the one who seeks freedom to do whatever I like.
In the name of democracy, I feel that we are given too much freedom. Liberty is not a personal affair but a social contract.
During the period of British rule in India, we were treated as slaves. The sufferings our forefathers met, made them fight for freedom.
Had the Britishers treated us on par with them we would not have tried to get independence. But soon after our independence, we started misusing our liberty. If one political party wants to curtail some evils, another party opposes and this way we live in independent India. If every State wants to have freedom of its own, what happened in Russia will soon happen in India too.
K. Venkataraman,
A/T/2, Porkudam Apartments,
Bypass Road,
Madurai-10.
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