Gone are the days when, as Indians, we had true love for the country and stood up for the nation’s self-respect. We have lost leaders, who would not allow anyone to insult our country, and with such leaders gone, citizens who would tread on their path are also missing.

During the freedom struggle, people, young and old, fought for the freedom and self-respect of the country. Thousands of names come to mind while recalling those who came out on the streets against the British, including Babu Genu, a child, who gave his life in Mumbai for the cause.

All those who made sacrifices, in terms of their lives, family life, or careers, to achieve freedom, must have felt that people in independent India would stand for the glory of the country and its people and at the same time, raise their voices against insults to India and its citizens.

But that is not to be. The case in point is the way illegal migrants were sent back by the United States of America and our silence on it. The US is fully justified in deporting illegal immigrants, but the way they were sent back to India is highly condemnable.

The deportees were handcuffed and chained for 40 hours and put on a defence aircraft, with no seats, making them sit on benches with no access to washrooms. Only when it became unbearable for some were they allowed to use the washroom, but with their handcuffs and........

© Free Press Journal