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Sadashiv Multispeciality Clinic, Rajeev Nagar Road, Vidyanagar, Hubballi
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+91 93539 37425
15, Aug 2024
Independence Day: Honoring Our Right to Choose
As we come together to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day, it’s worth reflecting on the deeper meaning of independence. Is it merely about our nation’s freedom, or does it also symbolize the independence of the individual—the freedom to make choices? Before we gained independence from British rule, we lacked control over many aspects of our lives. Our choices were not our own, but dictated by others. However, 78 years ago, that changed. We regained the freedom to make our own choices—the freedom to decide between right and wrong, good and bad. Every day, we are faced with choices that, whether we realize it or not, shape our lives. The power to choose is ours, and so should be the responsibility of making those decisions.
Here are some of the choices we encounter daily that have a profound impact on our lives:
1. The Choice of Health
The food we eat is a choice—whether to consume nutritious, wholesome foods or to indulge in junk that harms our bodies. We can choose to stay active by walking briskly, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding unhealthy snacks. We also have the choice to resist bad habits that can detract from our well-being. Our health is in our hands, and the choices we make today will shape our future.
2. The Choice of Cleanliness
Look around, and you’ll see evidence of the choices we make every day—gutka wrappers, plastic bottles, and packets carelessly discarded on the streets. These are the choices we make, sometimes unknowingly (not realizing these items are non-biodegradable) and sometimes knowingly (expecting someone else or the government to clean up after us). Cleanliness is a choice, and it’s one that affects not just us but everyone around us.
3. The Choice of Doing What’s Right
Every morning on my way to work, I witness a troubling paradox. Parents, who are supposed to be role models, take their children to school (where they are taught to follow rules) by riding two-wheelers against the flow of traffic on a one-way street. This choice sets a bad example, teaching children to break the rules while simultaneously expecting them to do the right thing in school. It’s a choice that undermines the very values we seek to instill in the next generation.
4. The Choice of Indifference
Consider the tragic case of a postgraduate medical student who was raped and murdered in Kolkata while on duty. The public, however, largely chose indifference. Perhaps the news wasn’t sensational enough, or maybe other political stories dominated attention. Most disturbingly, this choice of indifference might stem from the fact that it didn’t happen to them. But shouldn’t such an event send shivers down our spines and compel us to speak out? All it takes is the courage to voice your opinion—to stand up for what’s right before something similar happens to you.
Conclusion
The freedom our forefathers and freedom fighters fought for has given us a multitude of choices. Every day, we must ask ourselves whether we are making the right choices and whether we are respecting the dignity of those choices. Independence is not just about a nation’s freedom; it’s about the freedom to choose wisely and to take responsibility for those choices. Let’s make a pledge to take the right choices for our own good and the future of our loved ones.
Happy Independence Day to all!!
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- By princemilo