Are we free?

Today, 14th August 2015, the eve of the Independence day; independence that we obtained from the British 68 years ago.  As I sit in my hotel room in Berlin, Germany, various thoughts come to my mind. Looking out of the window, I notice the carefree manner in which men and women, young and old as children of all ages go about their way. The older lot who had been witness to the Hitler regime, the middle aged ones who were moot witness to the Soviet style East German rule and the younger lot who heard the stories of various atrocities from their elders.  They all seem to have put their past behind them and moved forward. They have freed themselves from the bitter past.

My thoughts take me back 15 years when I had written an article for 'Seva,' the Club Bulletin of my Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Bangalore Indiranagar.  That article is reproduced below.

So, dear readers, what do you think? How have things changed in the last 15 years? Where are we on the freedom scale? I look forward to your comments.