Babur established the Mughal empire in India in 1526 which continued until 1858 though it witnessed a steady decline from 1739. During this period the East India Company which was established in 1600 grew in influence and became a territorial power after 1757. So, for nearly a century, there was power struggle between the Mughals and the Britishers until the Britishers wrested power from the Mughals.

Basically, the Mughals ruled India for two centuries and the Britishers too ruled India for two centuries--that is our recent history.

For a country which was under continuous foreign rule for four centuries, notwithstanding the earlier incursions by Greeks, French, Dutch and Portuguese, independence must have meant a newfounded freedom.

So, on August 15, 1947 when India won independence, it must have meant absolute and unfettered freedom to us.

Does independence mean unrestrained freedom? Is unrestrained freedom good for a nation.

I think the freedom of the kite explains the intricacies of freedom far better than anything else. Perhaps, that is why we fly kites on our independence day. In fact, flying kites has become symbolic of independence day and we cannot think of celebrating our independence day without flying kites on this day.

What message do the numerous kites that dot the sky on the independence day convey to us. The message is clear and simple. It is a comment on what is better...absolute freedom or freedom with reasonable restrictions?

When we fly kites, they soar into the sky but they are attached to the spool through a twine. But, in the kite flying match which is open to everyone flying the kite when the kite of a kite flyer is severed by the kite of another kite flyer, the severed kite becomes absolutely free but it begins to descend and fall.

The question is: do we want to use our freedom to soar into the sky with strings attached or fall to the ground like the severed kite which is absolutely free.

Nobody knows the true value of freedom than the kite flyer. Therefore, independence should rightly be seen as the freedom of the kite.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL MY INDIAN BRETHREN!