As India celebrates its 78th year of hard-fought independence, the echoes of its freedom struggle continue to resonate, especially for a younger generation navigating a rapidly changing world. The ideals that fuelled India’s liberation – resistance, unity, civil disobedience, and the power of collective voice, offer timeless lessons. Today’s youth faces new battles: climate change, inequality, misinformation, threats to democratic values and our basic human rights. But by revisiting the courage and ideals of freedom fighters, we can reimagine what protest, revolution, and responsibility look like in a modern context. Here’s what we’ve learned and how we’re carrying that spirit forward.
- Bhavninder Sanghera
What strikes me most about India’s freedom struggle is how resistance took so many shapes, from silent defiance to bold rebellion, from spinning khadi to writing poetry. Yes it was about overthrowing colonial rule, but it was also about reclaiming identity, dignity, and the power to choose who you are in the world. That, to me, is the legacy I hold closest. heirs to resistance
As someone who works in fashion and self-expression, I see clear echoes of that fight in the way our generation uses personal style, storytelling, and digital platforms to challenge norms. Our activism often begins with visibility, taking up space in industries that weren’t built for us, honouring our roots while redefining what success, beauty, or freedom looks like today.
For me, the revolution lies in ownership, owning our narrative, our image, our worth. Just like the freedom fighters stood tall in their truth, even when the world didn’t value them, we too are learning to stand unapologetically in ours. Whether it’s through a bold outfit, a brave conversation, or showing up authentically online, our generation is proving that expression is resistance. heirs to resistance
The movement then was about reclaiming a nation. The movement now is about reclaiming ourselves.
- Sakshi Thakur OAM
India has fought many battles, which were never perfect; lives were lost, people were hurt, and the trauma still lingers as we try to ‘decolonise’ and return to an Indian way of living. Despite the imperfections, past revolutions had one thing in common – clarity of purpose. People fought for the country, for their children, and for future generations.
Today, the wars are different yet the same – genocide, poverty, discrimination, violence, inequities. Many call this our Kalyug. Unlike past revolutions, today our courage feels dimmed. Fear and ego have often turned us into bystanders, too cautious to speak up or do anything. heirs to resistance
Recently, I have been inspired by controversial feminist writers of their time, Ismat Chugtai and Saadat Hasan Manto, who unapologetically used their writing to fight for social movements regardless of how much backlash they received. People like them chose to keep fighting ‘the good fight,’ even at the cost of their ego, status, relationships and family. It is this unwavering courage and conviction that I believe our generation has so much to learn from. While Chugtai and Manto were both writers, they taught me that everyone has strengths and passions that they can use as mediums to unapologetically fight for a purpose. I found my medium through our social enterprise, Sewing the Seeds which is centered around advocating and supporting women rights and social and economic equity through business. In addition to that, we prioritise educating the world about India’s sustainable textile practices through our work and ‘decolonise’ some of our ways of being through business.
I think what we can learn from the past leaders who fought the good fight, is that we don’t have to be in the army to fight a war. That every medium and effort counts when it comes from a place of inner strength, resilience and pure intentions. The moment we let fear and ego take over, we have lost all wars. heirs to resistance
- Kabir Singh
Growing up as an Indian Australian, I believe our generation can draw strength from the courage and conviction of India’s freedom fighters. They were built different back then. Like Bhagat Singh, who said, “They may kill me, but they cannot kill my ideas. They can crush my body, but they will not be able to crush my spirit,” and in his image we too must be fearless in finding ourselves on the right side of justice, whether it’s for refugees, mental health, or equality. The revolution then was for freedom from oppression; ours is for dignity, inclusion, and truth in a world still learning to listen.
- Jasmine Kaur Babbar
We once marched for freedom.
Seventy-eight years on, do we truly have it?
They jailed Faiz for his verses
but his words still breathe louder than prison walls.
Today, they troll Samay for a joke,
ban Kamra for a punchline,
threaten Ranveer for a clip taken out of context.
As if fear can silence a generation raised on WiFi and wit.
But remember
Shiv wrote in fire,
Amrita loved in rebellion,
Bulleh Shah danced through bans.
We come from poets who bled ink before ink was allowed.
We don’t inherit silence, we inherit resistance.
And like Rahat Indori reminded us,
“Hindustan kisi ke baap ka thodi hai.”
This voice is ours.
It’s time to take it back.
- Anmol Malhotra (Software engineer)
The Mahatma Gandhi era taught us about Satyagraha (non-violent) resistance with movements such as Non-cooperation movement & Quit India Movements. The main insights we can draw from this era to fight for our rights in today’s world are never giving up and being consistent. No matter the result of any type of marching or protest – it is important to keep at it and be consistent in your efforts. It may be a slow win but we will definitely get a win. However in today’s world we also have the support of technology and social media. A protest or march doesn’t have to be always physical – a social media movement is a powerful tool to fight for our rights in the 20’s era. heirs to resistance
- Radhika Mudaliyar (Actor)
Indian freedom fighters relied greatly on art and music in their pursuit of a greater hope for humanity. As an artist belonging to the current generation of the international Indian diaspora I greatly believe in the transformative and resilient power of art in the face of challenging and rapidly changing times. Our generation would benefit from paying closer attention to the power of something that slowly and defiantly changes the face of the earth as art will always be a more earnest and lasting force than the greed for accumulation. Something that will consistently feed the core of our humanity and hold up a mirror to what we lack as a people. Indian freedom fighters had championed the power of art through their poetry and song that is inseparable from our beings even 78 years later.
READ MORE: Independence Day photo contest 2025: The shots we loved
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