On the occasion of 70 Years of Freedom 2017, Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, in collaboration with Indialogue Foundation, New Delhi, organized a Round Table Discussion at Indialogue Foundation, New Delhi, on 16 September 2017. The theme of the discussion was 'Dimensions of Freedom'. Mr Bilal Acikgoz, host of the discussion and Director, Indialogue Foundation, New Delhi, welcomed the scholars and he thanked them at the end of the program as well. The Discussion was chaired and moderated by Dr M. D. Thomas, Founder Director, Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi.

Prof. Deepali Bhanot, Prof. Shashi Tiwari, Prof. Hemlata Mahishwar, Ms Lipsa Mohanty, Advocate Monika Sharma, Mr Sunil Kumar, Janab Ghulam Rasool Dehalvi, Mr S. G. Tiwari, Mr Net Ram Narayan, Janab M. Behzad Fatmi, Mr Naveen Chandra, Janab Bilal Acikgoz and Dr M. D. Thomas were the participants of the discussion. The discussion was designed as a workshop and was organized only among selected scholars from different affiliations. This was in view of enabling the analysis of the theme with depth and totality, along with full participation of all the members present.

Dr M. D. Thomas, Chairman of the discussion, by the way of initiating the discussion, observed that even after 70 years of freedom, 'we the people' in India are more slaves than before, in several areas. We obtained freedom from our neighbour, but, in great degrees, we have become our own slaves or slaves of our own people, which, obviously, is a worse condition. Freedom and slavery are like two sides of the same coinand they have to be understood in terms of harmony between rights and duties. Privacy is the right of every person and community and it is the foundation of freedom, too. The smooth running of life requires that privacy and freedom are not meddled with. It is necessary to spread the light of freedom in the layers of slavery that thrive in the garb of age, gender, time, religion, ideology, etc. Besides, fairness demands that freedom has not to be pulled to the extent of arbitrariness and dictatorship but has to be understood as a sense of responsibility. The campaign to liberate human beings in every aspect has to keep going and the betterment of the country is hidden in such a drive.

Supreme Court advocate Ms Monika Sharma said that the objective of the freedom struggle was freedom from the British and therefore, in spite of the fact that people were very much illiterate, there was clarity, a sense of direction, solidarity and balance in the thinking of Indians then. At the same time, all the communities contributed their share in the yearning for creating India anew. Today, our country has advanced in literacy rates and certain aspects of development. But, we are in the pursuit of a loose type of freedom, even at the cost of pushing the fundamental traditions aside. Manifestly, this not only is not possible, but is unreasonable and directionless. The irony of the fact is that while arguing for our rights vociferously, we want to stay away from our duties. By sidelining the values of humanity, the goal of freedom can never be effective. It is important to remove narrow-mindedness, arbitrariness and scatterings from the idea of freedom and pursue openness, maturity and a way of going with everyone. After all, only positive freedom is capable of being fruitful.

Prof. Hemlata Mahishwar, Head, Department of Hindi, Jamia Millia Islamia Central University, New Delhi, caution the gathering towards understanding what is freedom and from whom to achieve it? Getting rid of theslavery of discrimination and unsociability is freedom in the right sense. To get liberated from the clutches of imperial power and pursuing the democratic tradition also is freedom. During the freedom struggle, Jyotiba Phule and Dr Ambedkar did a lot to reduce discrimination in the society. But, in the present times, our politicians are badly short of willpower. What's more, running away from responsibly has become a common nature. Religion has become very much a liability, due to its addition to stories, customs and rituals. Parents fail to give their children right information about religion. People have become slaves of religious texts and traditions, especially of their wrong contexts and inferences. Only new interpretations, along with efforts for change can usher in a freedom that is replete with a sense of equality and responsibility.

Mr S. G. Tiwari, scholar of science, affirmed that religion is basically good. No religion teaches us to hate other human beings. Actually human religion is the religion of humanity, which teaches us to love theother. But, we do not really recognize the other because we are trapped in discordant rituals and keep distance from others, even in the name of religion. People of all religions were united in the movement of independence. We have an excellent Constitution, too. But, we are not able to implement it effectively. Due to extreme thinking, many people have problem in tolerating people of other religions. We stand in need ofbeing liberated from intolerance itself and we need to learn to respect each other, as well. Further, he highlighted the quality of work of the British time as ideal and lasting and compared the work craft in the independent India that is highly adulterated and fake, the proof for which is all around us. In favour of gaining real freedom, we need to learn from the British mindset in not compromising with skill and quality of workmanship.

Former professor of Delhi University, New Delhi, Prof. Deepali Bhanot said that we seem to seek freedom from even humanity. Our basic religion is the religion of being human, which we have almost abandoned. Our primary duty is towards family and society, which we do not care to perform well. We are playing with stereotyped rituals as a weapon against the other. We suppress Dalits and women. We have become slaves of wrong thinking. There is a craze for not giving a space for those who think differently. Most of the people are trapped in the clutches of fake babas as well as are slaves of religious heads. People compromise with falsetraditions and practices, because of the fear of being rejected by the society. The practice of manual scavenging is still present in the society. Power is being misused and abused. People are being stripped of their freedom of speech. People are being disillusioned by being imprisoned in their blockades and get derailed from qualities of humanity by seeing enemy in the other. It is the call of the hour that the country as well as one's self has to be liberated from the clutches of these tendencies and forces that spread hatred in social life.

Mr Ghulam Rasool Dehalvi, scholar of Islam, commented that before independence, even though Indians were under the grip of the British physically, they were free in mind and thoughts. During the period of freedom fighters, there was a sense of great harmony among people of all religions, which has become very weak in recent times. During the first revolt of 1857, the Hindu rulers had made Bahadur Shah Zafar as theirchief. The derailed and scary nationalism of these days has a sense of absolute slavery, which is extremely dangerous for our country. In the current environment, the country is a victim of hardcore communalism, extremism and one-sided politics. After 70 years of independence, the custodians of the Indian government need to do a thorough soul-searching and learn from their ancestors, in favour of taking the country towardstruly a free nation.

Ms Lipsa Mohanty, Director, Corporate Ashram, Faridabad, said that after independence, industry and trade in India have flourished very much. But, we have compromised with the values for earning more profit. We have gone even to the point of not knowing what is right and what is wrong. We are running away from our civilization and culture. We are ensnared in sensuality, anger, jealousy and greed. People are becoming slaves of their ego and conduct themselves in life without any law and order, like playing a game without knowing its rules. The very legacy of our country and the society is being rendered ashore. The new generation has also begun to question the old generation. The distance between the outgoing and incoming generations is steeply increasing. To overcome these shortcomings, we need to start efforts from our own families. The future can be mended only by giving right knowledge to the children, the future of the nation and the society.

Mr Sunil Kumar, President, I. C. Center for Governance, New Delhi, opined that in order to understand freedom in the right sense, we require a broad spectrum of world-wide vision, which is by and large weak. We are not able to ascertain how to go towards the good and the better. It is not possible to appropriate freedom without assuming a sense of equality. In India, in the whole world also, there is a sense of unsociability with religion, spirituality and democracy, which is not a good sign. Nowadays, democracy has become a divisive element. The society is definitely on the path of development, but the society is still under the clench of a high sense of high and low, in terms of caste, class, and so forth. There is a major loose-connection between the spirit and human being. Achieving freedom calls for interaction and coordination with others as well as cleaning up one's mind and conscience.

Prof. Shashi Tiwari, Secretary-General, Waves India, remarked that after 70 years of independence, we are becoming very conscious of our rights but are shunning our duties. Therefore, we have lost our focus on the purpose of freedom. Independence does not mean implementing one's own system, which is going on nowadays. We need to learn from history. People have forgotten the true meaning of religion. Spirituality has similar implications in all religions. Discrimination has increased in the society due to prejudices. Having deviated from the qualities and values of religion and humanity, development has taken a one-sided course, as well. Nevertheless, we have to maintain the spirit of optimism in the society by sustaining the hope that our future generations will go beyond these shortcomings and will polish the character of the human religion.

Mr Net Ram Narayan, Secretary, Valmiki Foundation, New Delhi, commented that after independence, there has been more diversity than unity in the country. There is lack of harmony even at the family level. Children fail very much to regard the parents. The majority community of the country is oppressing the minorities and are even killing them in some disguise or other. Power is being applied on those who are powerless. Humanity is being battered and is getting weak. The governmental machinery also is very much supporting the wrong people. The processes of justice become very defective, too. Advancing his point, Mr Narayan said that people of the lower sections changed their religion because they were under the pressure of being suppressed by the society. How long to tolerate the so called greatness of birth! After all, what did Dr Ambedkar, who made the Constitution of India, get converted in independent India for? The government, or any other force for that matter, has no business to come on the way of those who want to change themselves in any area of life, in view of bettering one's self and life. This freedom is at the core of human life.

Mr M. Behzad Fatmi, member of the Indialogue Foundation, New Delhi, invited the attention of the gathering towards political independence. He said that political freedom has to be properly used. The misuse of the same can bring slavery back and that tragedy should be avoided. Mr Naveen Chandra, member of the Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, referring to the Brahminical or dominating mindset of people in the upper classes of the country, said that this thinking has existed in our society from time immemorial and it is a block to the development of the society. This thought takes care of the development of one's self and of those of one's own. The current environment in India is very much influenced by this thinking and there is an urgent need for a change in this mindset, in favour of overall development and progress.

Mr Bilal Acikgoz, President of Indialogue Foundation, New Delhi, emphasized that India is a country of unity in diversity. 'Vasudaivkutumbakam' is the watchword of its ideal. But, problems are created on accountof the diversity inherent in caste, class, religion, etc. Difficulty arises when we begin to believe that our rights and duties are the topmost and we have more rights than others. We try to impose our thoughts andlifestyle on others. Our society is basically a pluralistic and heterogeneous one and it needs just that. We are trying to create a homogeneous society, unfortunately so. But, a homogeneous society cannot be a realsociety. We require freedom from the thought of placing ourselves at the top. We cannot change the demographic situation of any area. Therefore, we ought to focus our attention on improvising constructive measures for living harmoniously with one and all.

Summing up the insights that emerged from the discussion, Chairman Dr M. D. Thomas highlighted a few important points and they go thus -- 1. Our ancestors had a more balanced sense of freedom in them. 2. How could religion be worthwhile if it does not make a human being really human! 3. Religion and religious texts should be interpreted in line with the times. 4. We should stop becoming a slave of religion and the past. 5. Our country has become more communal, political and intolerant than ever before. 6. The people of India have not learned anything from the sense of quality of the British. 7. The obsession to keep others under one's grip is slavery in itself and one has to get freed from this tradition. 8. We are slaves of the custodians of religions. 9. We should get rid of the wrong and non-essential things in religion. 10. Political and religious polarization is increasing in the society. 11. Ethical education must be made mandatory in schools. 12. Steps should be taken to bridge the gap between the old and new generations. 13. The spirit of inter-faith harmony should be encouraged. 14. Attempt to curb freedom of expression is a crime. 15. Freedom has to be facilitated from being selfish and considering one's self superior. 16. The tendency of playing the dictator is pathological and one has to be liberated from that mania. 17. Discussions, especially among teachers and students, require being organized in view of translating the above insights into action.

By way of concluding remarks, Dr M. D. Thomas underlined making optimism the treasure of life and working together for removing the shadows of slavery from our country and the society. With the purpose of movingforward in the direction of the diverse aspects of freedom, we have to keep our minds so open as to see good wherever it may appear. All that is good and positive are the gifts of God and they are the common cultural heritage of the human society. Making a reference to one's own self, Dr Thomas said that in favour of getting connected with larger number of people in India, he made a total option for Hindi, the nationallanguage, even at the cost of his own mother tongue Malayalam, and no one blocked his way. In a similar way, no one should come on the way of those who, in view of bettering their lives, wish to shift their affiliation in the area of language, food habits, faith, religion, place, nationality, etc. Denouncing narrowness in mind, heart and spirit, we need to learn to foster freedom, respect, development and well-being of all human beings and thus engage whole-heartedly in the universal mission of 'creating God's family' in our country and on earth. If a Valmiki of a so called low caste could give this nation the great epic of 'Ramayana', none of us have any reason to hold ourselves back from contributing to the country and the society out mite. Our efforts in this line will not only add its share in making our society more enlightened, but also will certainly guide the new generation towards a more qualitative life.

The discussion occasioned a very open exchange of views as regards the various nuances and aspects of freedom and slavery in social life, in India and beyond. A general draft of the way forward was the fruit of the exercise. The collaborative endeavour between Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, and the Indialogue Foundation, New Delhi, was really worth the while as well as amiable. The discussion lasted two and a half hours and ended with lunch.