As India marks the anniversary of its independence from colonial rule in August 2026, a sad reality becomes glaringly apparent: the struggle for true freedom continues unabated.
To understand where the nation stands today, one must turn back the pages of history. Eighty-four years ago, Mahatma Gandhi and numerous freedom fighters gathered in Bombay with a singular goal: liberation. India had endured foreign subjugation since 1757, and the time had come to break the chains.
On August 8, 1942, during the All India Congress Committee session at Gowalia Tank Maidan, Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement with a resolute call to action. He offered a simple mantra to the nation: "do or die"—we shall either free India or die in the attempt. By the following day, thousands poured into the streets demanding an immediate and unconditional British withdrawal. Despite widespread arrests of leaders across all societal strata, the movement persevered through immense sacrifice until freedom was achieved on August 15, 1947. Yet in 2026, the demand for liberty must be raised once again.
The nation's journey into independence was captured on that historic midnight when India awoke to life and freedom. Delivering his immortal "Tryst with Destiny" address to the Constituent Assembly, India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, called upon representatives to take a solemn pledge of service to the people and to humanity. He spoke of stepping out from the old to the new, a rare historical moment when the long-suppressed soul of a nation finds utterance. Those visionary words stand in stark contrast to the modern landscape, where the democratic ethos and constitutional framework face systematic dismantling.
Today, youth from Generation Z and Generation Alpha are out on the streets, refusing to remain silent. From protests against corruption and examination paper leaks to demands for transparency across government initiatives, the younger generation is asserting its voice. Protesters face harsh crackdowns, tear gas, and beatings, yet demonstrations continue from Jharkhand to Gujarat, with crowds chanting for liberation. The institutional decline is reflected globally; international observers routinely point to the erosion of democratic norms, deteriorating media freedoms, and the targeting of civil society as evidence of an ongoing autocratization.
This struggle extends across all spheres of public life. In the realm of justice, female athletes who fought against powerful political figures for accountability continue to bear a heavy burden despite institutional setbacks. In environmental matters, unchecked resource exploitation, destruction of forest lands, and corporate overreach threaten biodiversity and disproportionately harm vulnerable communities. Economically, high ranks on global hunger and poverty indices highlight the stark reality that millions still lack basic access to daily sustenance, shelter, and security.
India yearns for a restoration of its core values: equality, dignity, peace, and the celebration of pluralism. Citizens demand protection for constitutional rights, the secular fabric of the nation, and the right to dissent without fear. Marginalized communities, working-class families, human rights defenders, and independent journalists seek the freedom to live without fear, discrimination, or displacement.
In 2007, Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote a timeless poem that serves as a stark warning for our contemporary landscape:
"Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead them
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwaves
Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerors
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torture
Pity the nation that knows
No other language but its own
And no other culture but its own
Pity the nation whose breath is money
And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed
Pity the nation, oh pity the people
who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away
My country, tears of thee! Sweet land of liberty!"
These lines describe the perils facing the nation today. Yet, hope remains resilient. As Rabindranath Tagore once prayed in Gitanjali, the ultimate aspiration remains to awaken into that heaven of freedom where the mind is without fear. For the people of India, the pursuit of that ideal defines the ongoing freedom struggle today.
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*Human rights, justice, reconciliation and peace activist/writer
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