Today we are celebrating our 67th Independence Day. As an Indian I am proud of the fact that we are an Independent country and am thankful to all those brave souls who got us independence from the colonial rule. But is this really the independent India that we all wish to see? There are many things that we see around us which make it not only difficult to enjoy our Independence but also raise serious questions pertaining to the rights of the citizens of an independent country. Today we boast that we are a fast emerging economic and political power. Although this claim and the rightness of the socio-economic policies being implemented by the government in this direction are debatable, I sincerely wish that my country not only emerge as the best place to live but also set an example for the world to emulate by creating a just society through socio-economic reforms.
One of the most painful things in this Independent India is to see the country being divided in to more and more pieces in the name of forming new states. While it is justifiable to form new states for better administrative proposes, it is a pity that the root causes of demand for many of the new states are merely based on the selfish political aspirations of certain groups or individuals. 
Apart from this physical division of the country, the other most cancerous element is the division being created in the minds of our people on the basis of religion and caste. Today most of the political parties are competing with each other for the appeasement of one religion or the other for their political gains. It can be seen from history that the policy of divide and rule was one of the most efficient methods practiced by our colonial rulers as well as the rulers of our country post-independence, to achieve their political motives and to loot our great nation. It is a shame that we are still being exploited in the same manner by creating division among us in the name of region and religion.
Another area of concern is the growing number of terrorist attacks on our nation – both within the country and along the borders. It has been proved on several occasions that most of these attacks are aided and controlled by forces operating from Pakistan. All the countries across the world who are involved in state sponsored terrorist attack on its neighbors should realize that this kind of pseudo war is one of the most cowardly acts which shall lead to their self-destruction in future. The current situation in Pakistan is a very good example of this fact. The same terrorist groups which were used by some of their political groups and state organizations in harming India are now hitting them back in a brutal manner leading to a state of anarchy and religious fanaticism. Hope that the government and armed forces of Pakistan realize this fact and sincerely join hands with India to fight against this menace of terrorism. Hope that our leaders will come out with some strong actions against these terrorists so that we can live peacefully in our country.
The so called advancement in the path of progress of our country and the growth of print and visual media has also opened the doors for a sort of Cultural Revolution across the country. Today we can see many cultural changes in our daily life and most of these changes are influenced by the life styles in western countries. 
The media activism and the trial by media is at an all-time high, thanks to the unethical and brutal competition between the television channels for increasing their TRP ratings. While this has helped to unearth many big scams and crimes, one should not ignore the human rights violation that happens while an innocent person is being tried by them on the basis of mere accusations raised against him. Any news is sensationalized to increase the viewer ratings with no consideration for the people being involved with it. An accused person is being tried by the media even before his case is taken up by the Indian Judicial system. It would have been fair if the media airs their views and stories on the basis of solid evidences and facts rather than basing it on mere accusations and cheap gossips.
The real independent India which we all would love to see is the one in which every citizen enjoys equal privileges and works together for the progress of our country. The issues mentioned above are just a few of the social maladies in addition to other important issues such as Corruption, Environmental Pollution, Destruction and over exploitation of natural resources, lack of social security schemes for the aging population etc. which need to be addressed on priority to ensure the existence of a just and progressive independent India. Region or religion should not be a factor for any kind of discrimination and the rights of each citizen should be valued and protected. Hope our country overcomes all these challenges in the days to come and advance rapidly not only become the most powerful nation but also the best place to live.
Tkays 