India has just celebrated 70 years of independence. It is time we rethink about what independence means and come out of cliches. In the history of any country rulers come and go. They leave a stamp on the populace. New rulers come and some mores change. It is one thing when a populace throws up a leadership. It is another when a foreign ruler assumes power. If the ruler of a country is strong enough, no foreign ruler will assume power. Weakness of a society may give rise to a foreign ruler. Also, when a society falls into complacency can invite a foreign ruler. Also riches of a country can invite invaders. In the case of India, both are the causes of foreign invaders. Brahminical tyranny weakened Indian society. Also riches of temples, shall I say, invited invaders?Shall we say India coccooned itself in the distant past and invited invaders? Neighbours must say Hello occassionaly at least and exchange gifts and goodwill to remain good neighbours. Why does not a common man hear of Indians going to Arab, the far east, the Europe. Of course, Bhagwan S Gidwani propunded a theory of Aryans being originally Indian, going to Europe and coming back to India again. But then what did the Aryans bring back? We do hear Arabs coming to Kerala coast. Much later Europeans came to many places in India. Invaders coming from the West and North West is understandable. India did export Hinduism and Buddhism in the East and Far East. But why don't we hear of an Indian Huen Tsang. Some say Christ got indoctrined in Buddhism to spread his message in West Asia. Is it that India's Theory of Rebirth made us look at the world and its societies the way we look at them? Could be.

Now coming back to India's independence from British rule, let us look at it differntly in the coming decades. Let 15th August be made into a National Remebrance day for all the freedom fighters. Let us mourn 14th August as Indian dismemberment day. Celebration should only be on 26th January, the Republic Day.