Written by Vanya Nanda, a grade 8 student – winner of the Independence Day Writing Contest

Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny and now that time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.

India is awake to life and independence.

India has made long strides in progress and development. Modern technology is shaping the life of the people. The production of food grains and industrial products has multiplied in these years of Indian independence. New agricultural universities have been established to improve the seeds, farming techniques, and increase farm production.
There are new schemes to help the farmers and poor people to provide employment, housing, medical facilities, and finance to break free from the clutches of financers. The poor are being provided medical aid of up to 5 lakhs under the Ayush Scheme, and financial assistance is given for building the houses. The villages have been connected with the cities. Poor are provided with free electric cooking gas connections. We have set our foot on the moon and reached Mars. We have achieved the record to send maximum satellites in one attempt. Remember that India is the motherland of languages; mother, of much of the mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Buddhism; mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways, mother of all.

But, are we truly the India that our freedom fighters had dreamt of? Are we truly the India that they had given their lives for?

Even after 74 years of independence, we are still slaves of poverty, of narrow mindedness, of classism, of non- free Indian minds. India is still one, and still democratic, but deep divisions exist. The gulf between the poor and the rich has grown over the years. The rich live in large houses, dine in expensive restaurants, send their children to expensive schools. At the same time, others continue to live below the poverty line, unable to live a comfortable life. Women are still treated unequally in many parts of Indian society. Girls are killed even before they are born. Women are given less money than men for the same work. Women are not employed in many companies because of the gender stereotypes surrounding them.

We are not independent if she fears living in her own country. We are not independent If there is a difference between the rich and the poor. We are not independent if we continue to be slaves. We are not independent until we are free. The real Independence Day will be celebrated, when we stand United and determined to remove poverty, castism, religious, social, and economic differences; work together to make every citizen happy, we have to make changes.

On this day, we fought for our lives to live, to exist. We should win this day.
Thus, the 15th of August should not be known as the Indian holiday, but the day we decided to live on, to survive, to not vanish without a fight.
We have to, on this day stand forward and pledge to try to make things better. To try to change India to what they- who fought for our country’s Independence, dreamt of it to be. Till the last person of this country enjoys the fruits of progress and has a happy life, we have to make changes.
We are determined to become the economic power of the world and have the strength to protect our borders. We will show the world the way to progress and prosperity, and remove poverty and diseases from the world.

Long live independent India.
Happy Independence Day!