Independence in the sense, life free from encumbrance?

                                                 Wider approach

 In a wider  sense, independence or liberty stands for freedom from the yolk of  foreign rules. Human mind is supposed to be harnessed with  a propensity to live freely from any kind of encumbrance. A man desires not to live under any kind of restriction. This simply implies a life in which he is not under any restraint. But this situation generates “waywardness”, and a wayward man can be involved in  some criminal activity or wrong doing. That may not be acceptable to the civic standard of living of a society.

Now issue is, being an independent citizen, how much liberty he may enjoy? Fact is, mankind being a unit of the social system, bound to remain dependent upon the system directly or indirectly. Although he lives with a virtual feeling of a free citizen. Freedom, never in the history of civilization was granted absolutely nor any such freedom is supposed to be granted. This “personal freedom” is controlled with the help of various channels. When this “check and control system”  exceeds the accepted parameters of governance, man begins to feel suffocated and repressed. This torture impels him to get rid from all that. He now gives all his efforts to attain his personal level of freedom and that put him into the category of a “rebel.”

                                                   Code of conduct

Every social system or organization always needs  a “code of conduct”  in the name of discipline  to run itself smoothly. Here our society being a “civic body”  promulgates some personal freedom side by side. The same citizen, apart from being a unit of that  is also bound to become dependent to that governance.  A man as a unit of “society” or “organization” enjoys a liberty, but, on the same he is bound to follow the disciplined life.

The instance of  a member of some “armed force” is good example of this. When working as  an armed force personnel, his conduct is supposed to be disciplined. His that part of life is not ‘at par’ to his being a part of ‘civic body.’ There he persistently works  under discipline which is must to run the armed force working system.

                                                 Other instances

In another instance of a social system based upon democratic pattern, a student is bound to register his presence in school on regular basis. Meanwhile, on a lighter excuse he can manage to remain absent from the class for days to come. Apart from his being bound by the discipline of school life , in rest of the day, he is free to live his life in accord to his whim. Likewise, people working in a civil undertaking or other establishment enjoy the same status. Their life’s freedom on one part is restricted  but after that not so restricted one. But a man working in “armed force” does not entertain himself as such.

An amazing fact here is, being a part of ‘civic body’ it seems to us, as if, we are enjoying the unlimited freedom. Is that true in real sense? No! It’s not as such! Being a part and parcel of the social system, we are bound to fulfill so many civic duties imposed by law. And all that we follow in a routine way, and, the same ‘imposition of law’ helps us to live  a free and hazard free life style. The soothing example of this to obey the laws of road’s travelling. By following the  the rules and regulations of the road transportation, though under compulsion, we facilitate our easy right to walk on the road. This helps not create the situation of traffic jam in the name of ‘civic sense.’

In our day to day life, we follow so many such kind of rules and regulations. By being queue – up, we buy a cinema ticket. By stopping on a cross – road, we wait for the green signal and do not jump the red signal. We don’t try to steal the goods of other people. It’s not there that occasionally we are not tempted to become an outlaw , but we put a self-restraint. Why? for the reason, the freedom conferred upon us as virtual one should be maintained properly.

                                                Quantum of liberty

 The issue again with a new format is, how much freedom we enjoy as such? Here we can discuss about other restrictions imposed upon us, not by the State or law regulatory authority. These impositions are imposed upon us by our “social system” in a “customary way” on the name of “ethics and social norms.”Surprisingly, we follow all these norms and social moorings happily as well.  The social ethics to extend regard to elders and teachers, to shower affection upon juniors. The following of rituals pertaining to life and death, wedding ceremony, all customs we follow ceremoniously. Some of them are taught to us, other we learn through experiences and perception as being a participant to that.

The ‘pin point’ of this article, merely is, the ‘freedom’ we boast to enjoy of, in what quantum we gain in the life? If you don’t wish to follow the customary shape of life, you are at a liberty to gainsay that. But in that case, you may be ostracized by the society and left to live a life of a pariah. This denial be in shape of “social punitive measures,” which no where is scribbled. Our social system often is governed by the unwritten law. The State run laws are governed by the laws of books and they too along with proclaim some restrictions. In our India, “freedom of speech” is embodied as a fundamental constitutional right, but it also contains some restrictions . Even in certain situations, this fundamental right too may be suspended.

Now, being a citizen of a free Nation, you are free to ponder over it, how much freedom you are enjoying? Along with, you are advised to think that social ethics and norms too are beneficiary barring some hard conservative taboos. Penned by – Vinay Pharasi …..