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What is freedom? Is lockdown a curtailment of our right to freedom?

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What is freedom?

Freedom is that state of being, where one is under no hindrance to express his/her thoughts, feelings or to do his/her deeds. Thus, in a state of freedom the human mind has unlimited bounds in expressing its own magnanimity. Freedom as a state of being is synonymous with positive faculties of mind like joyousness or happiness. In this way, under the state of freedom the human mind, body or soul is unhindered by any barrier or shackles. The other meaning of freedom is that state where one is free to move or do one’s daily chores in an unrestricted way or without any barriers. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to state that, when there is freedom there is happiness, happiness and happiness all around.

At the same time, the state of freedom must be enjoyed by not obstructing the growth or desires of our fellow beings of our immediate society. In such a scenario, freedom as a state of being will usurp into a state of bohemianism. Then, freedom will itself will turn up into a situation of loop sided one thus becoming despotism. Freedom is such a situation which engulfs one and all in his/her body, mind and soul. Therefore, in such a scenario, freedom can never be usurped on an individual rather it is such a feeling which engulfs the free person that he gets utmost relief from others despotism and domination.

Therefore, it is pivotal to remember that, while enjoying freedom one must not act as a hindrance for his fellow beings in the process. In other words, constructive ways must be adopted while enjoying freedom. One must therefore adopt constructive approach in enjoying freedom. Constructive approach implies one’s enjoyment of freedom must not act as a barrier for his fellow beings. Therefore, one must adopt a careful and cautious approach in enjoying one’s freedom. He must remember that his enjoyment of freedom does not become a thing of pain for others. In such a scenario, true freedom will lose its relevance and the very concept of freedom will boomerang itself into a stage of anarchy, disharmony and hindrances for others.

Is lockdown a curtailment of our right to freedom?

At the present time the whole of the world is under the grip of Covid-19 pandemic. As the Covid-19 virus is contagious, so our country being a victim of the virus we have been compelled to declare lockdown in the country like most of the other countries of the world. Here, at this juncture it is worth pondering, “whether lockdown is a curtailment of our right to freedom?” This question has two aspects. Firstly, anything done for the betterment of the people or in other for the common masses of the country is always welcome. At the same time, we should in this regard remember that, what is the right to freedom in a pandemic situation if it only brings in death, destruction and anarchy for the countrymen. Therefore, from one aspect of the situation imposition of lockdown in the country or in other words, the move to impose lockdown has a lot of positivity.

Secondly, at the same time, there is another aspect of the lockdown initiative. With the imposition of the lockdown the whole of the country has come into a standstill. With shops, establishments being closed people or mostly the daily wage earners have lost their avenues of earnings. Therefore, we must remember that imposition of lockdown along with hungry mouths inside the houses due to lockdown in the country is itself a pathetic situation. In such a scenario the imposition of lockdown may certainly be considered as a deterrent in the way of enjoying the true sprit of freedom in the real sense of the term. This is so because, real enjoyment of freedom with an empty belly is never a possibility.

Therefore, the way our of such a scenario is rightly the steps like PM Kisan, Atma Nirbhar Bharat , One Nation One Ration Card, granting of cheap loans etc., thereby implementing all these steps by easing the lockdown gradually and continuously but certainly looking at the gravity of the prevailing situation. Here in this regard, I would like to state that, there are two aspects in Politics-Public Administration duo. One is policy formulation and the other is policy implementation. Therefore, we have mostly formulated our policies mostly in the right way. Now it is the time for our civil servants to implement these government schemes in a proper and a coherent manner. Then only we will herald in a new era among the masses of our country by ushering a new feather in their lives. This feather is of enjoying a sense of relief from hunger and starvation which itself will usher in a new path and one of the aspects of this new path is a sense of happiness with a sense of engulfing freedom.

-Jnandeep Bora

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