FREEDOMBEYOND CHAINS,BEYOND SCREENS

EVERY YEAR ON AUGUST 15, WE CELEBRATE THE HARD-EARNED FREEDOM OF OUR
NATION A FREEDOM FOUGHT FOR WITH BLOOD, SACRIFICE, DREAMS, AND UNSHAKABLE
BELIEF. BUT AS INDIA COMPLETES OVER SEVEN DECADES OF INDEPENDENCE, IT
BECOMES IMPERATIVE TO ASK: ARE WE TRULY FREE? NOT AS A COUNTRY. BUT AS
INDIVIDUALS. AS WOMEN, MEN, CHILDREN, AS WORKERS, PARENTS, AND THINKERS.
WHAT DOES FREEDOM REALLY MEAN TO US TODAY?

Then and Now: India’s Changing Tapestry

In 1947, freedom meant the end of colonial rule. It meant being able to speak our language, sing our songs, build our dreams on our own soil. It was external. Tangible. National.

Fast forward to 2025: freedom has taken on subtler, more personal layers. Today, it’s about breaking the invisible shackles, gender stereotypes, mental health stigma, societal expectations, digital dependency, and the constant demand to “fit in.”

Lifestyle Evolution: From Scarcity to Saturation

Back then, simplicity was not a virtue but a compulsion. Food was shared, clothes were stitched and re-stitched, education was a privilege. People dreamed small, lived close to family, and found joy in the little.

Today, we are racing. From modest beginnings to global ambitions, we are chasing abundance. We have gadgets in our hands, brands on our bodies, degrees in our folders. And yet, peace? Often absent.

We moved from scarcity to saturation. But did we find satisfaction?

Freedom for Women: A Journey from Silence to Selfhood

The Indian woman of 1947 was mostly confined to roles defined by patriarchy daughter, wife, mother, caregiver. Her dreams were often caged behind her sari pallu or buried under the weight of family honour.

Today, she is an entrepreneur, a CEO, an astronaut, a single mother by choice, an artist, an activist. She can vote, divorce, travel solo, speak out, and create without seeking permission.

Yet, for every step forward, there are still silent chains: gender pay gaps, workplace harassment, beauty standards, marital expectations, and a culture that still asks, “But who will look after your kids?”

Modern Indian women are not asking for freedom anymore…they are defining it. On their terms.

Children: From Obedience to Expression

Our childhoods once thrived on discipline, obedience, and silence, Questions were frowned upon, emotions dismissed, and “elders are always right” was the snchallenged truth.

Now, we are raising children who are allowed to feel, to speak, to question. Schools teach emotional intelligence, parents are attending parenting circles, and therapy is normalised.

But here too, the digital world has complicated freedom. Kids now have access to everything, but often lose connection with themselves. Their imagination is outsourced to screens, their identities shaped by algorithms

Are they truly free if their choices are guided by trending reels?

Men: From Providers to People

For too long, men were told they mart earn, protect, stay strong, never cry. Generations of men suppressed their vulnerabilities in the name of masculinity That wasn’t freedom…it was emotional imprisonment.

But a shift is happening. More men are now stepping into therapy rooms, into parenting roles, into kitchens, inte emotional conversations. They are learning that true strength lies in softnesa too.

And yet, society still raises eyebrows when men express weakness. There is still ahame in saying, “I feel lost.” Male freedom is still in progress.

Workplaces and Education: Evolving But Not Equal

The Indian workplace has evolved. There are more women, more youth, more inclusion. Flexible hours, hybrid models, mental health days, these were unthinkable a decade ago

But here too, freedom is selective. Many still face workplace toxicity, silent discrimination, and the invisible pressure to always perform. In schools and colleges, while access to education has improved, freedom to explore unconventional careers is still a battle many fight with their families.

but how We celebente “choice” free are we in the choices we make if they’re constantly weighed down by expectations?

Freedom and Boundaries: A Paradox

Freedom does not mean no rules. In fact, freedom without boundaries can become dangerous.

An parents, setting boundaries gives children emotional safety. In relationships, boundaries preserve self- respect. In work, they prevent burnout As individuals, knowing when to say no is the highest form of self-liberation.

True freedom, thus, is not the absence of limits, it is the presence of conscious choices

Digital Chains: Are we the Users or the Used?

One of the most deceptive captors of our age is the digital world. It came to connect and ended up consuming, We are free to post, scroll, share, binge But behind them in a silent Imprisonment:

Our attention by algorithms

Our self worth is entangled with likes

Our opinions are shaped by echo Chamber

Our relationship are disrupted by constant distraction

We look at our phones more than we into our partner eyes. we refresh notification more than we reflect on our emotion.

We are not living with technology anymore we are bring through it. And slowly, it is becoming the master

What Freedom Means to Me .

To me freedom is not loud. It is not always rebellion. It is the soft, sacred ability to be authentically me, without fear, guilt, or apology.

It is

Waking up and choosing how I want to feel today.

Saying no to things that drain me.

Saying yes to my desires without shame.

Choosing peace over perfection.

Speaking the truth, even when my voice trembles

Loving who I want to, and letting go when needed.

Knowing I am not defined by my past, or my prod

Freedom is not just about rights. It is about responsibility to live consciously, to love fiercely, to honour yourself and others

This Independence Day… Pause. Reflect. Reclaim.

As we hoist the tricolour and sing our anthem, may we ask ourselves

Am I free from inherited beliefs that don’t serve me?

Am I free to say what I feel without Sear?

Am I raising my children to be free thinkers?

Am I owning my boundaries?

Am I using my digital tools or are they using me?

India fought long and hard to earn its external freedom. The time has come for eto fight for our inner one.

Because true independence begins when we choose to live with awareness, courage, and love, no matter what the world expecta.

If this stirred something in you, you’re not alone.

-Surbhi Charitra, expressive arts therapist & psychodrama facilitator holding safe through 1:1 sessions and group circle