After all these years of Independence, after celebrating this special occasion for all these years, why there's no drinking water that's free of cost? Why we have to buy packaged mineral water?

Saswata Chatterjee's quote raises a critical question about the state of independence and basic rights in India. He reflects on the long history of celebrating independence, but questions why essential resources, like drinking water, are not freely available to the citizens. The specific mention of having to buy packaged mineral water instead of having access to clean, free water highlights a disparity between the ideals of freedom and the practical realities of economic inequality in a modern nation.

The origin of this sentiment likely stems from Chatterjee’s frustration with the socioeconomic conditions that persist in post-independence India. Despite the country’s freedom from colonial rule, many basic services and resources remain inaccessible or unaffordable for large segments of the population. In his quote, Chatterjee uses drinking water as a symbol of the broader issues of inequality, questioning why something as fundamental as access to clean water is treated as a commodity rather than a right.

Chatterjee's statement critiques the commercialization of essential resources, where people have to rely on packaged mineral water to ensure they have access to safe drinking water. This reliance on bottled water underscores the lack of efficient public infrastructure or sustainable systems for providing clean water to the masses. The quote points to a growing gap between the vision of an independent, prosperous nation and the reality of its citizens' everyday struggles.

Ultimately, the quote challenges the concept of independence, asking whether true freedom exists when basic human needs, like access to clean water, are commodified. It raises a larger question about the fulfillment of the promises made to citizens in the aftermath of independence, urging a reflection on the state's role in ensuring equitable access to resources that are essential for life.