In a little town, there lived a man who decided to produce chains. He did not know it at first but gradually as he put things together he began to realise that this was something good. When he felt that he had got it right, he began to wear his chains out in public. People began to take notice and some even came up to him and asked him for chains. He jumped at the opportunity to spread his product although to him it seemed like a fashion accessory the people obviously perceived something a little more. So, he began handing chains out to others and that too for free! People wore them nearly all the time. 

This is not just a parable. It is essentially the story of human kind. God made all people free but we decided to bind ourselves in chains.  Everything is born free. Think of the lovebirds, beautiful creatures really. What do humans do with them? Encage them and make a profit on them. 

For thousands of years precious metals lay peacefully in the earth. A couple of centuries ago, human beings realised their value and began wantonly pillaging these resources without a care. 

The point I’m trying to make here is just this, the things of this world were not made for chains; we were not made for chains and yet we have made chains an important part of our life. We wear them all the time and for the most part aren’t even aware that we have them. While some chains are clearly visible like the chains of pollution, power, greed and domination, there are other chains and often these are the more dangerous ones. Chains like prejudice, discrimination, division and hatred start out subtle but if left uncared for could turn out to be the heaviest and most deadly of all. 

Let’s go back to the initial story; the people were fine without chains. They lived happily. All of a sudden, our hero begins flashing his chains and some people take notice and are quick to perceive the benefits of wearing those chains. The chains gave power over people, resources and situations. This was how discrimination was born.

People with chains looked on those without it as ‘lesser’ beings; beings without the rights and privileges that they had. So they bound them with another set of chains. These chains defined these ‘lesser’ people as ‘lesser’ and therefore perpetuated discrimination. Prejudices bred into stereotypes and very soon the whole world was chained in either one or another set of chains. Every baby is born free but then his/her race, caste, class, creed and socio-economic status become chains. 

The chains of our political dominion by the British have fallen 71 years ago but the chains of our prejudice and discrimination have not left us yet. They probably will never be broken altogether but at least we ought to make an attempt to cast them off. We could all start by focusing more on our identity then on our differences.We are human beings before we are this or that caste or gender. We are children of God before we are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh or Buddhist. 

These chains are of our own making; let us have the courage to destroy them. That is the first step to Independence. Saluting the flag and proudly singing the anthem comes much later. Recognising in our fellow Indians a brother and sister and not a religion, caste, class, sex or status, is the real cause of a celebration. Let us all make our country great by breaking our individual chains. Jai Hind!