Daddy what is Independence Day?

As our independence is approaching fast (August 15th), all the newspapers have features on our freedom and freedom fighters. Any story of freedom fighters of India would be incomplete without talking about Mahatma Gandhi and there was a picture of him in our newspaper. Lydia immediately recognized him and said “Hey there is Gandhi Thatha” (Thatha refers to Grand Dad).

I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to talk about our independence day so when I began talking, she promptly asked, “Daddy is Independence Day?’

“It is a day when India became a free nation” I answered knowing well that it is not a child appropriate answer and she would have more questions.

“Daddy, what is freedom”?

By now I had realized that I had to answer her questions in a child appropriate way otherwise I would miss out on a great opportunity to help her to understand the history of our nation.

“See honey, you have so many toys in your own room, right”?

“Yeah” waiting to hear more

“Let’s say someone comes to our house and says to you that they are going to take all your toys away and will give you when they think you should play and tell you what games to play, how do you feel”? Questioned I

“I don’t’ like it” said Lydia.

“I know you don’t like it, but they want to take it anyway. They are going to pull everything out of your room; they are much stronger than you are, what do you do?” asked again hoping to hear the obvious.

“Well….I am going to fight with them till I get my toys back” answered my little fighter.

“That’s exactly what happened to India honey. White people from a place called England came to India and wanted to tell us what to do and what not to do. Gandhi Thatha didn’t like it and fought with those people by not hitting them or anything like that but by arguing with them”

“And they left?”

“Yeah only after many years of arguing fighting, they did leave and the day they left India, it became a free country and we got our freedom back like how you would have gotten your toys”
There was an obvious contentment on my little girl’s face for learning a new history lesson about India.