Iqbal Singh Lalpura
For nearly a thousand years, India lived under foreign rule—first under the invaders from Central Asia, later under the Mughals, and finally under the British. The result was not just political submission but a slow and painful decline of confidence, courage, and reasoning. The foreign rulers came with a master’s mindset, disciplined, organized, and ambitious. The ruled learned to survive by pretending loyalty, showing false happiness, and hiding truth. Over generations, this created a deep mental slavery that continued even after 1947.
The chains were removed, but the mindset of slavery remained. Indians became free in law but not in thought. The British system of authority, hierarchy, and fear remained intact. In place of reasoning, obedience took root,in place of service, self-interest grew. The ordinary citizen began to believe that power must always be worshipped, not questioned.
Mahatma Gandhi warned that India’s independence would be incomplete if it did not change the heart and habits of its people. True Swaraj, he said, meant not the rule of Indians over India, but rule of truth over untruth, character over greed, and duty over selfishness. Yet, as the decades passed, that moral freedom remained distant.
When people live under slavery for centuries, they develop skills of survival, not strength of conviction. They learn to lie for small things, avoid responsibility, and submit to the powerful. The greatest casualty of slavery is reasoning. People forget to ask, “Why should we follow this person?” Instead, they follow whoever seems strong or rich. This mentality ,of serving power instead of serving truth ,has become India’s deepest weakness.
Against this moral darkness rose Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first great reformer of mind and soul. He did not come to build a religion but to awaken humanity. At a time when kings ruled through cruelty and priests exploited faith, Guru Nanak called both to account. He described Babar, the invading emperor, as the leader of “Paap ki Janj” the wedding party of sin “and condemned the priestly class as “Ujjade ka bandh “the destroyers of righteousness. His words were not political rebellion ,they were a moral revolution.
Guru Nanak gave India the idea of true freedom, the freedom of the soul from fear, falsehood, and discrimination. He declared that all human beings are equal before God; that a woman is not inferior to man but the giver of life; that living with honour is higher than living in comfort; that the highest worship is service to humanity; and that one must be ready to sacrifice one’s head for the right cause.
This was the birth of inner sovereignty, the foundation of self-rule in the truest sense. Two centuries later, Guru Gobind Singh Ji transformed those angels of Guru Nanak into saint-soldiers “Khalsa” who could defend righteousness with sword and soul. Thus, the teachings of Guru Nanak found their ultimate expression in disciplined courage—the fusion of truth, compassion, and valour.
The vision of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh offered India a moral constitution long before 1947. It was a code of truthful living, equality, and service—values that should guide every democracy. Unfortunately, the systems we inherited after independence often betrayed these principles.
Freedom without discipline is a shallow victory. The rulers changed, but the ruling mentality did not. Bureaucracy remained rigid, politics became personal, and justice grew slow. The colonial master was replaced by a political one. Legislators, bureaucrats, and judges “the pillars of governance” are meant to be servants of the people, but many have become servants of power.
Swami Vivekananda once said, “We need not only political revolution but a spiritual one. What we want is man-making.” His call remains unfulfilled. Without moral awakening, no nation can remain truly free.
The media, once called the fourth pillar of democracy, has also lost its sacred purpose. Instead of being a watchdog of truth, it has become a business of sensation. Instead of research and verification, we see noise and bias. The role of the media should be to educate, awaken, and question, not to divide or entertain. Truthful journalism is the lifeblood of democracy, yet today much of it serves profit rather than the people. When watchdogs turn into traders, truth becomes a casualty.
This decline of moral standards is not confined to politics or press. Even in our religious and charitable institutions, greed has entered the sacred. Recent allegations of corruption in the management of religious places have deeply hurt the collective conscience of society. When institutions meant for worship and service turn into centres of power and wealth, it is not only financial betrayal, it is spiritual treason.
Declining standards of Journalism
The same sense of moral failure is visible in tragic events that shake the nation. The recent Delhi bomb blast once again exposed the cost of negligence and moral decay. The release of Nithari convicts, accused of horrific crimes against children, has wounded public faith in justice. These incidents are not isolated. They reflect a larger collapse of accountability, when laws exist but conscience sleeps.
True governance demands accountability and compassion together. Both were present in India’s greatest models of rule, Ram Rajya and Khalsa Raj. Lord Rama ruled not as a monarch but as a moral guide. Every citizen had equal access to justice; no one went hungry or unheard. Gandhi’s dream of independent India was based on this same ideal ,a government guided by truth, service, and simplicity.
Khalsa Raj under Maharaja Ranjit Singh was another shining example of just governance. His administration was marked by equality, religious tolerance, and courage. He abolished the death penalty, protected temples, mosques, and gurdwaras alike, and ruled with humility and accountability. Foreign visitors described his government as the most humane in the East. He was powerful, yet simple; rich, yet detached. His Raj reflected the same spirit Guru Nanak envisioned, a kingdom where truth and compassion ruled, not tyranny and greed.
But the India of today needs to rediscover that spirit. Freedom is not a gift that lasts forever; it must be earned daily by truth and service. Legislators must remember they are the custodians of people’s faith. Bureaucrats must remember they are not rulers but servants of law. Judges must remember that delayed justice is denied justice. The power they hold is not for privilege but for protection.
Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” That price must be paid by every Indian institution, political, judicial, or spiritual. Responsibility means living by truth, not convenience. It means standing for justice even when it is unpopular.
Abraham Lincoln, the liberator of slaves, reminded his nation that “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” In India, the truth is reversed: those who misuse freedom will soon lose it. Corruption, falsehood, and selfishness are forms of inner slavery.
Nelson Mandela, who endured 27 years of imprisonment, said, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” This message is universal. Freedom carries responsibility—the duty to be truthful, compassionate, and just.
If India wishes to rise as a moral power in the world, it must reform its institutions through truth-based accountability. Every citizen must also become a reformer—honest in work, fair in dealings, kind in behaviour, and fearless in speaking truth.
At the same time, it must be acknowledged that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has regained a sense of national pride and global respect. Yet, pride alone is not enough. Human development, education, morality, compassion, and service , cannot come from government alone. It is the duty of society. Every citizen, every teacher, every parent, and every institution must participate in building the moral wealth of the nation.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji gave humanity a simple message, “Sachhu Orai Sabh Ko Upar Sach Aachaar.”
(Truth is above all, but higher still is truthful living). That message is the medicine for India’s moral illness. It teaches us that truth is not only to be spoken, it is to be lived.
India’s second freedom struggle, therefore, must be against mental slavery, the slavery of fear, lies, and greed. It must be fought with conscience and compassion, not hatred and violence.
When truth becomes our habit, service our faith, and courage our culture, then no ruler, no enemy, and no corruption can enslave India again.
That will be the day when the land of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh, of Rama and Ranjit Singh, of Gandhi and Vivekananda, shall once again stand as the light of truth to the world—a free nation of free minds.
(The author is former Chairman National Commission for Minorities, Government of India. Mobile – 9780003333)