We enjoy being citizens of an independent, democratic country and for this we must be ever grateful to the people who fought for this, but as individuals are we independent? How many of us can boast of doing and saying what we truly want? They say in life the only thing you actually have complete power over is the power of making decisions regarding your life, but are we actually allowed to do so?
Then there’s the image you have to live upto. And let’s not forget society, which ensures we live by its rules to be considered nice, decent people.
Financial independence doesn’t mean total independence. Money doesn’t buy you total freedom. Deputy managing director of Samsung India, R. Zutshi explains, “India has changed a lot in terms of personal freedom at work. There is huge trend of individual entrepreneurship today. There was a time when there was no scope. But when it comes to personal freedom, I feel there is less room. Our life is now remote controlled by our work and there is very little time for oneself.” So true, work commitments barely give us the time to enjoy a whole weekend.
Manishi Sanwal, LVMH, country head asks, “In what aspects of your life do you actually do what you want to do, where you are not answerable to anyone? At work you have a system of people working around you. You have a boss, you have colleagues, you have people working under you, and you have to operate within that shell.” Actor Ronit Roy gives Manishi’s views a familial touch, “As far as I am concerned, I do not take independent decisions. We all tend to depend on someone or other to take our decisions or give their opinion. No one is alone in life and the word independence is at times a misnomer.”
Milind Deora, politician
My moment of freedom was also one of the most terrifying moments in my life. Five years ago I got the opportunity of a lifetime to perform with veteran blues musician Buddy Guy. I had met him five years before that in Chicago. When I learnt that he was to play in Mumbai, I got in touch with the organisers, who were my friends. I met him the night before the performance and 20 minutes of talking to him, he said, “Get your guitar ready.” That could’ve been my most sleepless night as I went through all my DVDs of him. Guy played a two and a half hour set and the first hour and a half I sat in the auditorium, worried about my performance. Here was a maestro at work and I, an amateur player, was to go on stage. Finally when I did go on stage, it was a true moment of freedom, joy and exhilaration. After all that apprehension and fear, I felt truly liberated for the first time in my life.
As told to Lakshmi Govindrajan Javeri