We just celebrated 77 years of Independence. A day to wave flags, sing anthems, and feel that warm fuzzy feeling of national pride. But as I sit down to write this, I can’t help but wonder: are we really independent, though? Sure, the British packed their bags and sailed away decades ago, but it seems we’ve got new overlords, and they come with brand names and glossy ads.
Let’s start with our mornings. We wake up to the sound of alarms on our Chinese-manufactured smartphones. Oh, the irony! The first thing we do as free citizens is check gadgets made by the very people who produce almost everything else we use. We then reach for a bowl of cereal, but hold on—those crunchy flakes probably travelled farther than we ever will, imported from lands unknown. We dress ourselves in clothes and shoes manufactured in factories far, far away. The Swadeshi movement, if it were a person, would likely be rolling on the floor laughing by now.
And then, the festivities. Whether it’s Diwali, Christmas, or some other celebration, the decorations that light up our homes are often straight out of a container ship from across the seas. Every year, we’re bombarded with advertisements asking us to ditch the Chinese lights and go for Indian-made products instead. For a brief moment, we all feel like patriots. We declare ourselves ‘vocal for local’ and promise to buy swadeshi. And yet, by the time the next festival rolls around, what do we find ourselves buying? That’s right, the same foreign-made, cheap-but-shiny baubles. Because, let’s face it, old habits die hard, and who can resist a good bargain?
It’s not that we don’t want to support local businesses. The heart is willing, but the wallet is weak. We’ve become accustomed to the idea that cheaper is better, even if it means buying something that’s likely to break within a week. After all, who doesn’t love a good deal, even if it comes at the cost of a little national pride?
But let’s not stop at just decorations and gadgets. Think about the food on our plates, the clothes on our backs, and the very air we breathe. The globalised world we live in has turned us into connoisseurs of everything foreign.
We eat pasta from Italy, Sushi from Japan, and wash it all down with a glass of French wine. Meanwhile, our local dishes, the ones that were good enough for our grandparents, are relegated to the status of ‘comfort food,’ something to be eaten only when we’re feeling nostalgic or homesick.
It’s not just about the products we consume, but the very mindset we’ve developed. We’ve been conditioned to believe that foreign equals better.
It’s as if we’re still looking for validation from the rest of the world, even though we’re supposed to be a proud, independent nation. We’ve traded our colonial chains for the golden handcuffs of consumerism.
But before we get too down on ourselves, let’s remember that independence was never about isolation.
It’s about having the freedom to make our own choices. And while we may choose to buy that Chinese smartphone or Italian pasta, let’s do so with our eyes wide open.
Let’s be aware of the choices we’re making and the impact they have, not just on our economy but on our sense of identity.
So, as we move forward, let’s try to strike a balance. Let’s celebrate our independence by supporting local businesses, but without closing ourselves off from the rest of the world. After all, true independence is about having options and the wisdom to choose the right ones.
(The author is the IGP (STF and Admin), Assam. All views and opinions expressed in the article are the author’s own)