On August 15, the Indian consulates all across the globe will be celebrating the 74th anniversary of its liberation from the British occupation.  

On such an occasion, the Indian establishment will be expecting the Indian diaspora, besides the elected officials of Indian origin in places like Canada. to join the ceremonies.  

India gained its official independence after years of struggle by the freedom fighters on August 15, 1947. Already, the Indian state has started creating hype for the upcoming 75th anniversary of the transfer of power.    

But what is there to celebrate really? Is India going to the dogs?  

The attacks on religious minorities have grown under the current right-wing Hindu nationalist BJP government that is determined to alter the constitution, which guarantees religious freedom and equality. 

Thanks to the pro-corporate agenda of the government, socioeconomic disparity has increased between the super rich and those who are poor and marginalized.  

Anyone questioning that faces charges of sedition and can be treated as potential terrorist. Chances are that they might get arrested and thrown into jail.  

A number of scholars, including a former Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba (who is ninety percent disabled below the waist), are being incarcerated under inhuman conditions.

This has come after many were arrested on trumped-up charges for merely raising their voices for the oppressed communities.  

Free speech is being trampled with impunity in the world’s so-called largest democracy.  

If this is not enough, it's been reported that more than 500 farmers have lost their lives during the ongoing agitation, though the national government has refused to keep records.

The Indian farmers have been camping outside New Delhi since November last, asking for the repeal of controversial agricultural laws that threaten their livelihood. The legislation was passed to favour corporates seeking control over the farming industry. The laws were adopted without transparency and debate.  

People familiar with India’s independence struggle know that the farmers had to fight for their rights under British rule as well. What’s the point of independence then, if people still have to fight for similar reasons under a government of their own?  

Notably, the founding fathers of the BJP remained indifferent to the freedom movement and kept a distance from those who fought against the British and envisioned for a secular India.  

It has become necessary for Indo Canadians to stand up against such barbaric rule and boycott the Independence Day celebrations. Especially in light of recent developments in Canada, they have a moral responsibility to shun the celebrations.  

This year, Canada Day wasn’t celebrated following the discoveries of unmarked graves of Indigenous children from former residential-school sites. Thousands of Indigenous kids died because of the disease, malnutrition and abuse at these schools, which were opened by colonists and the churches to annihilate their cultural identity.  

Many Indo Canadians also avoided this year’s Canada Day celebrations to show their solidarity with the First Nations. Not to be left behind, elected officials from the community also expressed their sorrow and outrage over these discoveries. 

However, a majority of Indo Canadian MPs and MLAs remain silent to what minorities in India are facing under a Hindu nationalist regime. This is either because of their loyalties with the government back home or fear of being denied a visa by Indian officials.  

This is despite the fact that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS), a Hindu supremacist group of which the BJP is a political wing, is repeating the history of residential schools. In seminaries run by them, (ndigenous (Adivasi) girls are sent to be indoctrinated into an extreme right-wing ideology.  

It’s time to challenge Indo-Canadians to boycott the Independence Day celebrations to show support for the farmers and all those who have suffered under the BJP. 

If we can skip this year’s Canada Day celebrations, what’s stopping us from refusing to be a part of the celebrations of Indian nationalism? Enough of the hypocrisy and doublespeak. It’s time to act. Say no to patriotism and observe August 15 as a day not worthy of celebration.