Photo by Alvaro Matzumura: Pexels

Basic freedom is ‘to live a fair life’. Applicable to each and every creature. Insects, wild animals and humans, all flora and fauna are part and parcel of the ecosystem. Nature endows the law of freedom, accountability and decency.

It is special with the super–creature 'mankind', blessed with wisdom.

Nonetheless, behaviorism and social conditioning reflect how modern or traditional we are! Which is prominent in our character and personality, the base of a civilized society.

Right to life, education, work, liberty to take personal decisions and equality all are universal fundamental freedoms assigned to each and every individual.

Where people are lacking these characteristics out of ignorance or unwillingness to adapt and understand noble and realistic qualities of freedom, accountability and decency.

Freedom, accountability and decency are three legs of a round table; if one tool of these break, the table collapses. The same is the present set-up of the systems across the globe.

Starting with the freedom of, Right to Education , each and every child should get the right to go to school, have books and teachers available to teach them.

Freedom, accountability and decency loses significance when , the child uses the freedom to come to school to have a meal and makes paper boats with the free books given by the primary education centers.

What about the teachers at those centers take home the pulses granted for the mid-day meal? This also happens not always and every where but many of the government sponsored institutions.

Digital Creators 

Digitalization is a boon of technology for people to use the online platform for freedom of expression.

In pre-digital era, if and when a film magazine used to publish any gossip or derogatory story about a film actor, it was hard for them to clarify what is real or fake. To call a press conference, go to a news paper or electronic media were both time consuming and spending money for any well-fonded reason.

Now, Digital freedom has given to each and every person with a device and internet connection to raise their voice on any valid topic and issue. No need to pay or plead any paid and corrupted media.

This freedom is abused by deviating from accountability and decency with the intentional spreading of misinformation and disinformation.

The same technology also provides Generative Artificial Intelligence. It is useful for many other than big companies.

Digital solopreneurs are capable in increasing their productivity using the assistance of these AI models.

Again, advent of AI, not only some creators are losing their job but people are forgetting their accountability and decency. Thus, globally the concern is, although the world can not go back to pre-AI age but certainly can make norms to maintain proper balance among freedom, accountability and decency in the use of AI.

Reality Television Shows — The Introduction of reality television shows allowed people to have the freedom of showcasing the part of life, how to make decisions in certain situations when you have limited resources and no access to the outside world. Basically, a reflection of human life in a society surrounded by one or multiple categories of people and how to react. It is soft and mild, as well as, emotional or straightforward.

Again, the freedom takes away the charm by eradicating accountability and decency. For instance, reality TV show ‘Big Boss’ is a house of fights and shouts. Those who love such cruel entertainment are influenced by these mentally drowning programs and label their inner antagonists as social, habitual and moral.

Egalitarianism 

Any school of thought, socialism or capitalism, egalitarianism prevails over all ideological differences. In fact, in today’s world there is no socialist or capitalist country as per they say based on the definitions.

Each system has its fair share of egalitarianism mentioned in a welfare state of socio-economic equality. But corruption and ignorance are two terminal illnesses that ruin the freedom of egalitarianism with a wink to accountability and decency.

Secularism  is the freedom to practice a religion as the person likes. But the absence of accountability and decency makes people believe that their faith is the best, which divides society and the results are seen in assassinations and massacres.

Secularism permits everyone to practice the faith they believe in, at the same time respect other creeds too. Inability to maintain a balance is violation of serenity. This is losing sight of positive thinking. Here rowdy freedom drops the sense of responsibility and civility.

Social Mobility 

It  is the modern version of a welfare society or social democracy. Social mobility bestows the freedom to a person, no matter what background he or she comes from, to reach any place or position in the social stratification.

To mention indistinct scenarios of today and yesteryear, the caste system in India used to define the profession of a person's caste in which he was born. They could not go to top or down. Like, a goldsmith’s son meant to be a goldsmith. Since women were supposed to be only homemakers, in those times, their profession was not much in talk.

Baba Saheb Ambedkar, known as the father of Indian constitution faced the burnt of social blocks against social mobility. Since Baba Saheb Ambedkar was born in a family of lower caste in the state of Maharashra. Even after becoming a foreign educated and becoming a Minister he felt the social inequality towards him was not changed totally.

The renowned movie ‘Titanic’ is an example of polarity against social mobility in Western society. Providing life jackets to the rich passengers and not to the poor ones reflects the truth that, while the poor had the freedom to go on a voyage, also a mockery of accountability and decency. Because they were not considered at par to the privileged with the service of saving their lives.

In the present world, while social mobility is a fundamental right and freedom given to all, in many cases it fails because of the deficiency of accountability and decency. The excuses are manifold.

Gender Parity

 In today’s world, gender parity is not only between men and women. There are other genders, transgenders and fluid genders, who are also part of the society.

In reality, a woman Sunita Williams broke records by staying in the space for 608 days. Here, for a woman like Sunita Williams - sky is not the limit.

At the same time, the World Economic Forum report says, if action is not taken, it will take 134 years to bring equality between the two genders, male and female.

The contrast shows many layers of society and inequality.

We are proud of the woman astronaut, at the same time ashamed about the large portion of the world sitting with 134 years to fill the gender gap.

In case of astronaut Sunita Williams, solid achievement is, freedom of the woman, then there is a huge gap for a large section of women.

Another example of the shattering combination of freedom, accountability and decency of women is between developed and developing countries.

Child marriage is an issue in Africa, Asia and Middle Eastern countries. In these regions, women do not have the freedom to make independent decisions. The other side of the picture, which people do not discuss that the same women in these areas are advocates of the custom of child marriage. They also prefer a son, not a daughter.

On the contrary, in countries like the US and Britain, teen pregnancy between the age group of 15 to 19 is a social snag. They have freedom, still inattentive to managing the cultural freedom.

Freedom without accountability and decency is jumbled and a hurdle to genuine development.

Family, educational institutions, media and intelligentsia need to shoulder the responsibility of inculcating awareness and practice of freedom, accountability and decency. 

That will depict how modern or traditional we are.

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