Seventy-seven years ago, we seized control of our destiny, forging a democratic union that endures to this day. On the surface, this seems like something to celebrate. But beneath that surface, our democracy is faltering, crippled by our obsession with  money and power.

Recent political spectacles, such as the Yatras where Congress and BJP hurled accusations of corruption at each other, expose a harsh truth: Our leaders have become shameless, devoid of guilt and lacking in conscience.

What’s most troubling is that these leaders reflect us, the people who elected them. So, are we, as a nation, truly shameless, guiltless and without conscience?

Given the leaders we’ve chosen, the uncomfortable answer seems to be yes.

It’s easy to point fingers at politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen as the only corrupt figures in our country. But the truth is, even ordinary Indians are part of this dysfunction.

In 2012, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Pratyush Sinha made a stark declaration: 30 percent of Indians are wholly corrupt, 50 percent teeter on the edge of dishonesty and only 20 percent strive to be honest.

This isn’t a recent issue; our moral fabric has always been pliable, making us vulnerable to manipulation, bribes and betrayal. Our history is littered with examples.

The British didn’t conquer India through sheer military might but through money. The Battle of Plassey, where Robert Clive secured victory by paying off Mir Jafar, Bengal’s commander-in-chief, set the tone for British rule in India.

Bribery and betrayal have repeatedly shaped our history. From Aurangzeb bribing Maratha commanders to Tipu Sultan’s defeat due to his sticky-fingered right-hand man, Mir Sadiq, bribery has often determined the course of India’s history.

The British East India Company mastered the art of ‘bribe and conquer,’ and the British Raj refined it further, using religion to ‘divide and conquer.’

The tragedy is that 77 years after independence, these strategies are still alive and well, now wielded by Indians against  fellow Indians.

In modern India, elections are won not by ideals but by dividing people and buying their votes.

This ingrained willingness to sell our dignity brings to mind a story from colonial India, recorded in ‘Reminiscences of an Indian Judge’ by Francis Lascelles.

 In April 1834, Lord Macaulay was visiting Ooty. One of his palanquin-bearers promised marriage to a local woman but didn’t. When it was time for Macaulay to leave, the local townspeople, angry and determined to protect the honour of their woman, confronted the travel party. They wanted the palanquin-bearer to marry her and take her along.

Macaulay, fearing violence, led the mob to the District Commanding Officer’s office. After a brief discussion, the palanquin-bearer and the mob dispersed peacefully.

When asked what had transpired in the ‘discussion’, the leader of the mob simply replied, “Tom Macaulay Sahib was a very good gentleman… he gave us Rs. 100!” — They had sold their dignity.

Seventy-seven years after independence, what has changed? Nothing. Once upon a time we sold our honour to the white man; now we sell it to our own.

As long as we remain a characterless electorate, self-centred and easily swayed, our democracy will remain dysfunctional.

Our patriotism too has become shallow, limited to singing the anthem, humming the national song, and changing our display picture on Independence Day.

But even this patriotism is a façade, as we continue to exploit, destroy and plunder our nation.

Perhaps Independence Day shouldn’t be a holiday at all. Instead, it should be a day for everyone to recite and be reminded of their fundamental duties as a citizen.

Rather than playing the national anthem in theatres, imagine if Amitabh Bachchan’s booming voice recited our fundamental duties. Maybe then, the importance of these responsibilities would penetrate our corrupt minds and perhaps seep into the veins of the next generation. 

For now, as our Prime Minister reminds us on a mobile call that Independence Day has become a festival, he’s right. It has become a festival, but a festival like any other — enjoying the holiday but not truly celebrating its significance.

P.S.: For those who hide behind the ‘Constitution’ to claim their virtue like the Congress party did recently, ask yourselves: Have you fulfilled your duties as an Indian citizen, according to that very Constitution? Here are the ten duties to reflect upon:

1. To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
2. To cherish and follow the noble ideals that inspired the national struggle for freedom.
3. To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
4. To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so.
5. To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood among all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities.
6. To value and preserve the rich heritage of the country’s composite culture.
7. To protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.
8. To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
9. To safeguard public property and to abjure violence.
10. To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity, so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement.

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