On Freedom

For long I thought we were free. Or at least I was - and I used to pity the people in parts of Africa. I used to think they were the only people in the world in the need for freedom.

I was wrong.

As a kid I used to think I'd be free from the burdon of un-necessary subjects like Social Studies and Hindi when I move to grades XI and XII. On reaching XI and XII, I realized that though I was studying science and mathematics, I was bound by a very uninteresting syllabus. I thought I'd be free when I go to college - no books to carry and no school dresses to wear. When I reached engineering college, I realized I there were too many expectations and a lot of competition, and so I could not afford to be lax. I willingly allowed my freedom to be taken over in pursuit of that extra marks, those better grades, those extra programming knowledge that would look good on my resume. All in the hope that I'd be truly free when I start to work.I would probably not go to explain what shackled me when I started to work. But yes, first time in my life I was unshackled from economic bonds - I was free.

Recently Kofi Annan mentioned precisely this. The world currently is under shackles, stronger than slavery, and more humiliating than discrimination. Its the economic slavery. The poor are getting poorer, and the rich are getting richer. And unless this is checked, the world runs the risk of a backlash by the have-nots.

Something needs to be done - not for them, but for ourselves.

And before its too late.