Freedom has been misunderstood as personal anarchy, where subjective free will based on one’s means prevails over the common good. But freedom is a responsibility and does not imply the opportunism of individual happiness. It presupposes equality so that society and government leverage their advantages to bring equal rights for all. The life we knew has changed—with the freedoms we took for granted no longer practical. We have identified 15 new touchstones to define personal and social independence today, and how to use them for national and personal growth.
Emotional Freedom
Emotions were the first victims of the pandemic that brought the world to its knees. Hysteria, helplessness, distrust and fear of infection dominated human responses even towards loved ones. There were fear, anger, worry and frustration. There was both camaraderie and claustrophobia. This shifting mindscape affected performance at work, and life at home and society. Moreover, medical shortages, disease and death became an expected reality. According to a RAND Corporation study, days women drank heavily to beat psychological anxiety grew by 41 percent during the pandemic. A young man jumped from the top floor of a Delhi hospital after he got Covid-19. Addictive online behaviour became a malaise, and online gambling became rampant.
Takeaway Realise that true independence resides in the mind. Cultivate mental strength to manage psychological and physical health. Reflect on actions and consequences, their affect on yourself and people, and take responsibility. Be aware of how you feel and act to understand how you may have changed. Our emotional response can build or break us. Developing an unshakable centre is a self-preservation mechanism to stop external circumstances jolting your equanimity.
Freedom of Childhood
Children are the biggest victims of the pandemic. Over 1.2 lakh of them are Covid orphans in India. Their education and mental health have been impacted adversely. The restrictions imposed by lockdowns and curfews snatched their primary right to go to school, visit playgrounds and interact with others. A UNICEF report calculates that school closure impacted 247 million Indian children. In the long term, this enforced discipline will affect the vitality of the next generation, reducing memory power, cognitive functions, motor skills and learning. As if missing out on school is not enough, children are digitally over- exposed, leading to obsessive behaviour.
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Takeaway Since freedom cannot be limited to having fun, recognise its developmental potential. Use this time and space to teach your child self-control, learn to form attachments, boost creativity and enthusiasm. Parents should prioritise providing a balanced work-study environment at home and policymakers must build safe outdoor environments for kids to be free.
Freedom from masks
The gross inconvenience of wearing masks is literally ‘in the face’. Breathing difficulties, claustrophobia due to lack of ventilation, and ‘maskacne’ (acne caused by wearing a mask) are a few side-effects of masking, in addition to headaches and blurred vision due to perpetually fogged-up glasses. The mask is the predominant symbol of the pandemic that separates people. It is also a political and social metaphor for conflict; though anti-vaxxers imperil the safety of others, the vaccine has ignited a debate about personal choice in some countries and has become a matter of ignorance, carelessness and callousness in India. Takeaway Recognise the new fact that breathing freely is not a right. Put up with the inconvenience of wearing a mask for the sake of others to improve your compassion index.
Freedom from hatred
Covid-19 exacerbated communal tensions further, whether it be the Tablighis or the Kumbh pilgrims. All political parties ignored pandemic restrictions during elections to play the faith card, as poll-gatherings became super spreaders. At the same time, bodies of Hindu Covid victims abandoned by their own families were cremated by Muslim volunteers.
Takeaway Faith is not personal, it is social when active. Use the opportunity to make the mind free of animosity and not to raise religious hysteria for political gain. According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, communal violence cost the economy nearly $1.2 trillion (`80.1 trillion) in constant exchange rates in 2017. This is 9 percent of the GDP or roughly `40,000 for every Indian.
Freedom from disease for all
It is the political and moral right of citizens to claim their constitutional privilege to good health. This could influence electoral agendas next year. In 2020-21, India spent just 1.8 percent of its GDP on healthcare—shamefully low for a country of 1.3 billion people. Covid-19 exposed India’s terminally ill healthcare infrastructure and the acute demand-supply mismatch that cost people lives, especially of vulnerable populations. The unavailability of beds, doctors, medicines, morgues, ambulances, life-saving medical supplies like oxygen denied people the right to die with dignity. A Lucknow journalist kept tweeting for medical help from his hospital bed until his last breath.
Takeaway Government must amplify expenditure on health. Existing systems and processes have to be strengthened by focusing on education, training, and research, not just in urban areas but also in rural India. To be prepared for the next global crisis—whatever that may be—will restore people’s faith in government and make them feel secure and free again. Private medical insurance coverage for all Indians is a must and should be enforced forcefully.
Freedom from Economic Dependence
When lakhs of lives were lost due to shortage of oxygen, beds and personnel, medical independence became a priority. Despite being the world’s third-largest drug producer by volume, the coronavirus crisis unmasked the Indian pharma sector’s dependency on China for its API procurement. Not just that, China continues to be an indispensable part of the global supply chain and India finds itself in the middle of several critical trade transactions.
Takeaway Economic freedom means an independent economy. Talk less of Atmanirbhar Bharat and create an independent economy to have a strong economy. Only then will citizens enjoy better healthcare, access to education, quality environment and income equalities.
Freedom from InEquality
The pandemic was the great equaliser, as both the poor and the rich, the powerful and the common man gasped for oxygen, were cremated on the streets or denied a family farewell, scurried for beds and rare medicines. No amount of money or status could provide immunity from disease, misery or death. In a sense, the pandemic became everybody’s common enemy. The long migrant march dissolved ancient caste and communal divides as they were all fellow travellers of tragedy, helping each other as human beings than being driven by social classifications. Takeaway Attain freedom from partisan postures, cultural biases, and economic hierarchies. Consolidate the opportunity to escalate the fight against caste and faith conflicts.
Freedom of Movement
Something as simple as just ‘getting up and going’ is now a matter of deliberation. The little things that people took for granted like taking a walk around the block, sitting in the park, running errands, getting coffee, travelling for work, going to the movies and browsing malls are now fraught with danger. FOMO has taken over lives, leading to resentment. Being stuck at home has imperilled the idea of personal space. This leads to family discord and claustrophobia. ‘Coronagraben’ in Switzerland refers to the different health response by the government to Covid-19. Some districts enforced containment provisions, while others saw them as an imposition on individual freedom and a violation of their fundamental rights.
In India, the Centre and the non-BJP-ruled states were at war over lockdowns and the economic fallout. Takeaway Having experienced quarantine and isolation first hand, find liberation in regular routine. To be able to go about your usual activities and not be worried sick about the next moment is what sweet freedom looks like today. Individual notions of liberty have to take a backseat for the collective good.
Freedom of Work-Life balance
For the majority of working people, their careers rooted their identity. After the pandemic struck and quarantine became the norm, people realised the importance of family. Communication improved. The elderly got better care. The downside is that many people are unwilling to return to office, or at least to the old ways of working. Companies are worried about employee loyalty since the workplace is not a physical space, which they are tied up for most of the day. Takeaway Location independence and flexible working models are the future. Corporations have to rethink incentives to reassure workers they exist in the physical world—a HR nightmare.
Freedom for Women
As couples were confined to home and people lost livelihoods, India saw 2.5 times increase in domestic violence between February and May 2020, according to the National Commission of Women data. Child marriages increased and online harassment of women flared up—recently Muslim women were fake-auctioned, causing outrage but the person who invented the app was non-repentant. Rape cases rose in Delhi in spite of social distancing rules—a child was secretly burned by a crematorium priest who had violated her multiple times.
Takeaway Assess the important role women have played during the pandemic to sustain the home economy and maintain the mental and physical well being of families. Allow women the freedom to live without fear, as they did during Harappa times and in many regions of pre-colonial India. A Women’s Forum study says that India could boost its growth by 1.5 percentage points to 9 percent per year if around 50 percent of women could join the work force.
Freedom to Socialise
The support structure of neighbourhood, friends and family collapsed during the pandemic as people isolated themselves. No get-togethers meant no celebrations. They felt lonely, had difficulty in processing emotions, and were weighed down by financial, health and employment uncertainty. This resulted in a drop in productivity and lethargy. Strong human bonds protect people from disease, studies have shown. It also improves self-esteem and enhances the immune system. Humans are wired to be tactile—it was the first sensory exploration of the prehistoric man. The pandemic contagion fear meant the end of the handshake, hugs and kisses, and a pat on the back. Touch starvation made people awkward and distant. Positive physical contact is known to establish sense of belonging and
emotional security.
Takeaway Prioritise maintaining strong human connections to increase longevity, reduce inflammation in the body, promote mental well-being, and recover from disease. Make that long-pending phone call to a friend. Make time to sit with your grandparents. Let your parents, children or spouse know that you love them. The emotional liberation of expressing what was considered a given will entrench emotional safety in the world. Even an elbow bump is better than no touch at all. Studies have shown that touch soothes cardiovascular stress. It protects the nervous system and promotes healthy relationships. It also stimulates pathways for oxytocin, the happy hormone, encourages positive thinking and expands trust. In the post-pandemic world, we’ll need a lot more of it.
Freedom from Excessive Government
Prime Minister Modi’s visage may be omnipresent on vaccine certificates to ration bags, but the dismal failure of the government and its refusal to acknowledge its mistakes or offer consolation, forced people to form their own support systems. RWAs and panchayats looked after the needs of residents. Strangers helped with food, medicines, transport and money. Independent social media information network gave real-time information on when and where vaccines, ICU beds and oxygen are available.
The government became a spectator on the sidelines and India learned it can look after itself with the help of Indians. A young man in Mumbai sold his car to buy oxygen cylinders.Takeaway Since Indians no longer turn to the government as their primary source of help, minimum government and governance has become better than miniscule governance. Let the people run the government and not the other way around.
Freedom to Travel
Though some countries kept their borders open, the world largely kept them shut. Suddenly powerful passports were no longer welcome. Travel is a liberating, educative and transformative experience that exposes people to other cultures, their cuisines, art and language. The pandemic has made us intellectually poorer.
Takeaway Get vaccinated, preferably with one that is recognised in other countries. Observe local conditions, pandemic laws and safety precautions. It’s a great time to discover India, and connect to our heritage and customs. Even small trips renew the spirit.
Freedom from extra rules
To live under the weight of a long list of rules and regulations, guidelines and protocols became the frustrating order of the day. From banning non-essential movements, limiting the number of passengers in a vehicle, restricting inter-state travel, staggering business hours, putting a cap on the number of people attending weddings and funerals, making Covid tests mandatory before medical procedures, to the endless isolation and travel guidelines, changing hotspots, containment zones... a plethora of prohibitions were difficult to keep pace with. Takeaway In order to stop living under the shadows of restrictions for long, follow the existing rules sincerely. This way we can stop the spread of Covid and ultimately eradicate it.