Freedom vs Restrictions

Guys and girls being found in offensive condition has become very common in our surroundings. This is happening everywhere - be it a beach, a park, a college compound or a temple. The situation is becoming even more embarrassing with increasing nudity and inclusion of sexual activities.

In most of the cases the concern people's identities are kept secret. But still news spreads. It still has its effects.

The most surprising fact is that guys and girls not only involve in such activities but they capture pictures and videos of their own involved in those. Poor creatures, they can't realize what mistake are they commiting. These things provide evidences and proofs, and results into police cases and sometimes national issues.

I am concern about this issue b'coz these types of activities always raise the issue of the extent of freedom provided to us. Parents stop some of us from going out for late night parties. Dress codes are fixed in the colleges especially for girls. Entry of girls are prohibited in boys' hostels and vice versa. Some times we are being restricted to return to the hostel rooms before some fixed time, say 11:00 PM.

So my point is: Is this really necessary to bind us with rules? We all are grown up guys and I think we can take care of ourselves by identifying our good and bad (don't forget exceptions are always there but the major concern is/should be the Majority). In IIM's girls and boys share same hostel but nobody of us has ever read anything offensive going on there in any newspaper. So why are there so much restrictions in IITs?

These restrictions do not affect me ( and I think most of us ) at all b'coz of my self-controlled and somewhat disciplined life-style, but still I raise this issue just for the sake of someone else who (may be) needs some more freedom and which I think in principle he should get.

While writing this mail I recalled a poem which I liked very much in my childhood which conveys the message behind this blog to its best.

Hum panchi unmukt gagan ke,
Pinjad bandh na gaa paayenge,
Kanak teeliyon se takrakar,
Pulkit pankh toot jaayenge

Hum behta jal peene waale,
Mar jaayenge bhooke pyaase,
Kahin bhali hai katuk nimbori,
Kanak katori ki maida se

Svarn Shrinkhla ke bandhan mein,
Apni gati udaan sab bhoole,
Bas sapno mein dekh rahe hain,
Taru ki phungi, par ke jhoole

Aise the armaan ki udte,
Neel gagan ki seema paane,
Laal kiran si chonch khol,
Chugte taarak, anaar ke daane

Hoti seema heen shitij se,
In pankho ki hoda hodi,
Ya to shitij milan ban jaata,
Ya tanti saanso ki dori

Need na do, chaahe tehni ka,
Aashray chhinn-bhhinn kar daalo,
lekin pankh diye hain to,
Aakul udaan mein vighn na daalo

by Sumitra Nandan Pant