As we celebrate our 79th Independence Day, there is much to cherish and even more to reflect upon —where we went wrong and how to mend our errors
On this very day in 1947, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, delivered his “Tryst with Destiny” speech. It was a roadmap for the years to come, for leaders and people alike. An evocative phrase in that speech was “redeem our pledge.” The big question is: Have we redeemed our pledge, or are we close to our goal of redeeming it? And what was the pledge in the first place? It was the idea of India — so beautifully encapsulated in the Preamble to the Constitution: We aim to secure justice-social, economic, and political; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship; equality of status and opportunity; and to promote fraternity, ensuring the dignity of every individual and the unity and integrity of our nation. A country where people come first, and their welfare, dignity, and aspirations are cherished and valued. To be fair, it would be wrong to say that nothing has been achieved, but yes — much still needs to be done, particularly in the realms of social justice, dignity, and equality for all. Every 15th of August, the tricolour rises against the sky, and the nation pauses to remember. The notes of the national anthem float through the air, schoolyards echo with patriotic songs, and streets shimmer with saffron, white, and green. It is more than a date on the calendar — it is the beating heart of India’s identity. Each year, as we gather under the flag, we are reminded that freedom was neither gifted nor stumbled upon; it was wrested from the iron grip of colonial rule through sacrifice, unity, and an unyielding belief in the right to self-determination. The colonial yoke was more than just political subjugation — it was an assault on dignity, culture, and self-reliance.
Seventy-nine years later, the journey has been both inspiring and complex. India has grown from a fledgling democracy of divided states into a global voice of influence. The literacy rate has soared, life expectancy has more than doubled, and the economy has expanded from scarcity to becoming one of the world’s largest. Our space missions reach the Moon and Mars, our entrepreneurs build global companies, and our democracy — messy yet resilient — remains the largest in the world.
Yet all these achievements are tempered by atrocities against Dalits, the subjugation and mistreatment of women, and a fractured, polarised society along religious, linguistic, and regional lines. Poverty, inequality, corruption, and social divisions still challenge the very ideals we fought for. The path to justice, equality, and prosperity is far from fully walked. The echoes of our colonial past sometimes resurface-in bureaucratic inertia, in entrenched social hierarchies, and in unequal access to opportunity.
But if history has taught us anything, it is that India’s greatest strength lies in its capacity to endure, adapt, and rise again. To celebrate the 79th Independence Day is not to ignore our shortcomings — it is to reaffirm our commitment to overcome them. It is to remember that freedom is not static; it is a living responsibility. We must guard it, strengthen it, and extend its reach to those still on the margins.
