Freedom does not just mean ratifying a Constitution and holding periodic elections where eligible citizens voluntarily cast their vote. That is political freedom. The other side of the coin is economic freedom. Despite paying taxes properly, honest citizens in India feel unsatisfied as they must still bribe officials - either directly or through agents to obtain their legitimate entitlements relating to property, electricity, water supply, and so on.
Deeply founded distrust and fear of police, bureaucrats and elected legislators is widespread amongst law abiding citizens. On the other hand, criminals, religious fanatics, and tax evaders (generators of black money) live without fear. Prisoners "escape" from jails and ministers are involved in entrenched corruption.
The problem lies in the invasion of freedom through intervention of the state into matters that are not the business of government. With each passing decade since independence from British rule in 1947, religion (including caste) has strongly influenced the affairs of government, blurring the distinction between state and society. Industrial tycoons found it easy to manipulate a socialist government and effectively rule by proxy.
Indians have allowed pre-independence colonial systems of governance and administration to continue without a proper review of their relevance. Indeed this system has been strengthened to yield a huge concentration of power to the Prime Minister. There is also lack of democracy within the political parties themselves. Independence should have meant distributing power to the people - instead, India has an all-powerful government.
Things are changing. In the 1970s, the term "socialist" was added to the Constitution, but India's government is now slowly discarding socialist policies. While some parties still openly appease religious sects and run their campaigns on funds obtained from criminals, liberals have become more organised and regularly hold to account politicians that make reckless promises they can never fulfill.
The Lok Satta Party, at present India's only liberal political force, should press for reforms that ensure neither central nor state governments unilaterally take over tasks not specifically assigned in the Constitution. Self serving politicians and bureaucrats need to be brought down to size. Indians deserve a political party willing to espouse a firm belief in the innate freedom of people, secularism, democracy, free market economics and sound public administration.
Former British or French colonies including Singapore or Hong Kong have discarded colonial administration and given their citizens economic freedom. In a relatively short period these countries have become developed countries. But pre-1947 India now India, Pakistan and Bangladesh remains backward.
Some urgent reforms are needed. First, the Indian government must abolish cadre services such as the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, instead openly advertising positions and awarding them to highly qualified specialists rather than generalist career bureaucrats. The top civil service appointments could be filled on a three to five year contract basis. It is time to wind up the Planning Commission. Second, five-year plans must be stopped. These have led to huge leakages of money due to poor implementation and have had no significant impact on the number of "below poverty line" Indians. Economic liberalisation has reduced more poverty, more quickly.
State and local governments must be strengthened. Local governments should look after roads. Water supply should be privatized. Health should be privatized. School-level education should be funded by state governments via a voucher scheme. Registration of land and property must be made easier. The bulk of taxation should be conducted by the states. The national government should focus on defence, currency regulation and external affairs.
If after five decades of authoritarian governance, Indians do not scrap their colonial relics, real freedom will not be achieved.