Ranjona Banerji: The India that I don't want in '18

This week is all tied up with the demands of the calendar It counts down and you do too People can scream till theyre blue in the face that time is a construct that this calendar is worthless compared to that and anything else they want People will still celebrate New Years Eve on December 31 and not on March 31 or April 13 or any other date that a New Year is celebrated onThen there are lists to be made the best of and worst of what to achieve and what to hope for Im no good at resolutions and Im not interested in the best and the worst So that leaves hope Its in short supply but Ive made a list of what I dont want our country to be like any moreI do not want a country where writers artists filmmakers are not free to create whatever they want out of fear of small vested interest groups File picI dont want a country where a woman cannot marry a man of her choice without everyone from the Supreme Court downwards getting involvedI dont want a country where a woman cannot marry a man of her choice without political thugs creating a ruckus outside her houseI dont want a country where a child dies of hunger because she cannot access government benefits for some specious reasoning over a voluntary ID card that is being forced upon usI do not want a country where leprosy patients are deprived of rations because they have no fingerprints and become nonexistent under the new biometric regimeI do not want a country where the prime minister expresses grief after a murder or an attack or violent death depending on the religion of the victimI do not want a country where we are monitored watched harangued harassed stalked cheated and spied upon because of an identity cardI do not want a country where our fundamental right to privacy is impinged upon at every stepI do not want a country where you are called antinational because of your religion your ethnicity your political leanings your face your dress your choice of a wedding locationI dont want a country where you can be killed lynched beaten up abused on the mere suspicion of transporting a cow or eating beef or eating anything at allI do not want a country where we surrender all our thought processes to politicians no matter how much we might admire themI do not want a country where students are jailed or attacked for having thoughtsI do not want a country that is unidimensional when it comes to culture religion ethnicity thought beliefs and knowledge or in any way at allI do not want a country where governments sacrifice vital aspects of our environment to chase some ephemeral shortterm development goalsI do not want a country where our celebrities are terrified to speak out against the government or politicians or about social wrongs because they are more bothered about their image or of losing favoursI do not want a country where writers artists filmmakers are not free to create whatever they want out of fear of small vestedinterest groups that apparently cannot be controlledI do not want a country where the discourse is controlled by narrowminded petty and illinformed political groupsI do not want a country where a persons religious identity trumps everything elseI do not want a country where arbitrary and selfish political decisions can impoverish everyone at one malevolent strokeI do not want a country where caste oppressions are accepted as normal after 70 years of Independence and growth and development and after being abolished by our Constitution over 67 years agoI do not want a country where children are not taught all of our history warts and all and instead are left ignorant and flounderingI do not want a country where a government accountant can take the whole country for a ride with no consequencesI do not want a country where you cannot eat wear think feel without being bullied or instructed or arrestedI do not want a country where we have been made into victims by bullies we are too scared to stand up toI do not want to be a country where women are constantly being constrained by patriarchyI do not want a country where we have wasted all the freedom that was so hard fought for and wonWhat I do want is for us to have a Happy New Year and see you on the other sideRanjona Banerji is a senior journalist You can follow her on Twitter ranjona Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go