“What is Freedom”, asked our teacher. It felt like a silly question at the time, but we answered it anyway. Someone said it was “the freedom to do what pleases you, without boundaries”. Another added, “…without hurting others”. So our collective definition was about doing anything without boundaries, without hurting others. We were pretty content with that, we wouldn’t know what else freedom could entail.

As we started our tenth grade, all our teachers sang in unison – just one year, and then you are free! Some of them reminded us that we were going to carry these transcripts for the rest of our lives, so they better look good! We couldn’t deny, so we buckled up, and worked for that freedom. In a year’s time, we were done with the tenth, and through to the next grade. For a moment, we thought our hot pursuit of freedom ended. Even before we started our freedom march, the high-school bells started ringing.

Almost everyone realized it would take two more years to be free, so the celebration was short-lived. A couple of years of hard work, and you would settle down in life – so we were counseled, and so we stuck to the drill. We thought freedom could wait. Two grueling years later, we were finally done with high school. We earned our much sought-after freedom. When the four-year professional course started, we were on our own for the most part, with no one guiding us. The question really was, are we ready to handle it? Handling freedom, as it turned out, was not a cakewalk.

The sudden let off from the pressure-cooker situation worked in different ways with different people. Some of those who embraced the new-found freedom quickly learnt a lot about themselves; indulged in their vocations and excelled, while others faltered. Some defined freedom as exploring, learning the ways of the world, while others stumbled due to lack of direction, lack of boundaries, and assuming that freedom is about doing things that were hitherto disallowed. The true meaning of so-called freedom still evaded us.

When I transitioned from a student into a professional, I was supposed to be a free man! Surely, all working professionals have their freedom while they work (and earn), don’t they? You may chuckle if you please, but do tell me, what else is freedom, or where would you find it? Can we make more amends to our ninth grade definition to capture its essence? Is freedom a state-of-the-mind as it is often said? Is it more about the release from the clutches of oppression, exploitation and abuse?

If it is a state-of-mind, is it about being free from the assumed identities of ourselves, from the compulsions, and general formalities that perceivably do no good? Is it related to ones inner-self or is it something else? At a higher level, for a free nation, could it be about empowerment, self-governance, and establishing a nation’s identity or is it about allowing ourselves the freedom to make strides in science, technology, economy, and bringing good governance? Is it about leveraging the freedom of expression, learning, experimenting through inclusive and tolerant societal fabric, making the world a better place to live or fueling economies that flourish on manufacturing and services creating greater wealth?

Whatever your definition of freedom may be, I wish you the freedom that works for you! If it works for you, surely, you are able to handle it and able to tap into the limitless potential inside of you.

And thereby doing your part for the nation-at-large! Cheers!