A little more freedom

No to rigidity, yes to respect

Freedom is not about being immune to obligations, but also about living in a manner that foregrounds respect not only for your own point of view, but that of others too. In a democratic country like ours, there are still quite a few prejudices in people’s minds with regard to opinions, culture and even working styles. So, honestly, I feel that there is a need to stop trying to be one up on people around us and learning to embrace differing perspectives as well. The day more of us begin to respect everyone else’s freedom to form their own opinions, even if they clash with our own, will be the day of true freedom and liberty for all! Shantanu Maheshwari, actor-dancer

Oppression free I feel truly independent. I live my life on my own terms. I’m mentally, emotionally and financially independent and that’s what true freedom is to me. I do, however, feel that there are many women who still need independence from oppression and children who need freedom from illiteracy. I feel a strong urge to do something substantial to contribute in my own little way towards women empowerment and education for underprivileged children. I choose to believe that India is becoming more progressive than regressive. I’m proud of the initiatives taken these days towards a greener, cleaner and healthier India. I’m a super proud Indian! Sherlyn Chopra, actress

Freedom from censorship The one freedom I think our nation still needs is the freedom of art. Ours is one of the biggest film industries in the world, and we don’t have the freedom to be creative and express ourselves freely through the medium we choose. There is still too long and complicated a process that we must go through before our creative output can see the light of day — we still have to go through cuts and beeps and so much more. A move towards progressive certification instead of regressive censorship should bring about the kind of change I’m talking about. It’s the 70th year of our independence as a country. Our filmmaking industry should have a right to true independence too. Poppy jabbal, actress

Freedom from illiteracy I can’t think of just one thing! There are so many. ILLITERACY is the most important one. 69 years since we have had our own governments and a large part of India still goes hungry, uneducated, medically unattended and homeless. After the political independence in 1947 this would be our social independence. Anubhav Sinha, director

No to shortcuts I would like to see a generation that believes that there is no shortcut to success, and determination, responsibility and vision are key. I’d like to see people being passionate about everything that they do and being in sync with who they truly are and training their minds to lead by example. I’d like to see a world free of the non-champion mindset. Anand Chulani, life coach

Need for better education Though we are celebrating our 70th Independence Day, I feel that there are a few things from which we still need independence. One of the most important is the lack of education in our villages, which are considered to be the holding roots of the country. It is the root cause of many problems that our nation is facing today. In this 21st century we need freedom from illiteracy because literacy is not simply to learn but to achieve. In the words of George Washington: ‘Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.’ Brijesh Shandilya, singer

Freedom from caste system Our country has been free for 70 years now, but there are still a lot of things that restrict the independence of many people attempting to live normal, happy lives within it. I feel that we have never really been free from bonds such as religious fundamentalism, cast-based discrimination, rampant corruption, and — above all — the many fears that lie within each of us as individual citizens! So, for me, true freedom would actually be to free ourselves from all these fetters and spread our wings wide. It is the only way in which we can finally work towards positive insights and really do something substantial to benefit society at large, in every way! Rithvik Dhanjani, actor

Freedom to speak out For me, the real meaning of freedom is to be able to express myself freely — to have my own opinion which I can share with people, not force on them. The idea is that if there is absolutely anything that I feel needs to be said, I want to be able to say it openly, without any fear. So, the day I feel free of that fear of speaking about anything close to my heart, will be the day of true independence for me! Asha Negi, actress

I think in our country, women are especially prone to a lack of independence. Many of them are still slaves to dowry, to the notion that girls do not need to be educated but domesticated, and to the prejudices against women working after marriage. These beliefs are what we really need freedom from at the moment. Deepika Singh, actress

Prejudice free The one thing I feel that we all need freedom from is inequality! Somehow, today there is inequality in every aspect of life between people. For various things and reasons which should really be worked upon! In regard to work, religion, cast etc. We are forgetting that this is a democratic country and that people, regardless of their background, should have the right to conduct their life the way they want to. So yes, I feel that once we are free of these prejudices, our quality of life will definitely get better and more free! Dipika Kakar, actress

No to violence The one thing that we as a country still need independence from is the violence that the whole nation faces. I mean if you go to see, there is this constant barrage of news of violence from practically all the areas where India shares borders with neighbouring countries. It is kind of frustrating with this happening all over. In fact, the whole world needs to get rid of violence and atrocities committed. Siddharth Mahadevan, singer

Having no ego Let us strive to be independent of our ego, because that is the one thing that has been creating havoc in all spheres of life. Thinking what ‘I know is supreme and no one else can match that’, is the beginning of all problems throughout the globe, not even just in our country. Let us be compassionate and empathetic, let ‘we’ replace the ‘I’ in all our actions. That will be true independence. Let us all embrace the ideal of harmony as citizens of the world at large. Let there be peace, happiness and mutually respectful co-existence, and there will be freedom. Abhijit Ghoshal, singer

Prejudice free The one thing I feel that we all need freedom from is inequality! Somehow, today there is inequality in every aspect of life between people. For various things and reasons which should really be worked upon! In regard to work, religion, cast etc. We are forgetting that this is a democratic country and that people, regardless of their background, should have the right to conduct their life the way they want to. So yes, I feel that once we are free of these prejudices, our quality of life will definitely get better and more free! Dipika Kakar, actress

Freedom from child abuse One thing that I need independence from is child abuse and the ill treatment of senior citizens. One always needs to remember that someday one will be old and someday one will have children of one’s own and everything that one does will have a karmic reflection, so live with awareness and try to do the right thing as far as possible and inspire others to embrace the righteous path as well. Children are a gift of God and they say that old people are children in disguise. So, bottomline: learn from them and love them. Neeti Mohan, singer

No to categorisation I want independence from categorising and quantifying the human race. Societies are built so that mankind can evolve but one’s access to different means shouldn’t define the respect and love that one is entitled to. No one should be treated in accordance with the level of income or education that they possess. Compassion is far more important than the degree or the bank balance and it should be freely given and accepted. Neil Nitin Mukesh, actor

Freedom from piracy We would like a world free of piracy. Creativity needs to be celebrated and record labels and production houses must devise ways to ensure content is available to the masses in the most cost effective way without copyright infringement. The governing laws need to be stricter and creative talent needs to be ensured that their work of art is protected. Sachin and Jigar, music composers

Freedom from superstitions According to me we are not free till we let go of our superstitious beliefs and fear of society. Real freedom will come when our thought process will change towards the betterment of our natural environment, showing empathy for animals and understanding the relevance of education for women. Till the time we take important decisions related to our lives not keeping in mind our individual happiness but what society thinks is apt, we will never be truly independent. Raghav Juyal, dancer

Freedom from criticism I’d like to see a future devoid of negativity and criticism. I think that the world is far happier when surrounded by positive vibes. I want independence from people who disrupt the Zen of life and instigate pessimism. Life is a gift, cherish it. Benny Dayal, singer

No to terrorism I’d like to see a world free of terrorism. No more massacres, no more blasts, no more bloodshed I’d like to feel safe and secure every time I take a vacation with my family or go touring. I’d like to see humanity live a life devoid of fear and anxiety. I’d like to see countries sign peace treaties instead of nuclear deals. Manj Musik, singer

Freedom from unemployment I think one issue that needs to be addressed is unemployment. Due to our population, it’s difficult to provide jobs to all but I believe everyone deserves a chance to have a respectable source of income. This is linked to the illiteracy rate as well and I think that the government is doing its best in providing education to all. Slowly but surely I am sure there will come a time when we can overcome these issues. Nakash Aziz, Singer

No to restrictions One thing that I would want India to be free of is lack of security and safety for women. There should be no restriction of movement for them and they should have the liberty and freedom to live their lives to the fullest. I wish our country could be free of all anti-social elements and women could roam around freely and dress the way they wish to, without the fear of being eve-teased. Amit Ranjan, model

Freedom from comparisons I want freedom from the mindset that always tries to compare you with others. We are what we are, and we should not try to be like someone else, comparisons just lead to disappointments. We should all try to be ourselves and stop comparing ourselves and our achievements to those of other people. Abhijeet Sawant, Singer

No to hypocrisy Hypocrisy in our society is what I believe we need to be free of. What we practice within our closed walls is what we criticise outside. Sitting in front of your so-called social gang, the mindset needs to be changed. We still fear to let our own thoughts out and that is very sad. We need freedom from our own fear, and also the fear of what our friends or society will say if we do this or say that. Ssumier Pasricha, actor-comedian