Independence

Every year, we celebrate Independence Day on 15th August. As we approach this significant occasion, it's time to reflect on this concept of independence itself.

THE ELUSIVE NATURE OF INDEPENDENCE

Literally read, independence suggests a state of not being dependent on someone else and being completely self-reliant. However, a moment's introspection reveals this to be largely a myth. Think about it: when I boarded a flight to Delhi last month, I wasn't just depending on myself and the pilots; I was dependent on an intricate ballet of air traffic controllers, ground crew, engineers, and even the person who refuelled the plane. Even our most basic needs, like food and shelter, are met through systems and individuals far beyond our direct control. From the farmer who grows our food to the architect who designs our homes, we are intricately woven into a vast tapestry of inter-dependence. As the American poet John Donne famously wrote, "No man is an island entire of itself." This realization begs the question: if absolute self-reliance is unattainable, what then is true independence?

INDEPENDENCE: A STATE OF MIND

The truth lies in understanding independence not as an absence of external dependencies in terms of actions and transactions, but as a st