India has been a poor country – a very poor country. Suddenly, in the last decade or so, because of our spectacular GDP growth and probably because of the US need to balance China, India started being talked about as a country with great future..a great regional and global power. The fact is that GDP growth is and for a handful of people; the majority of the people has not gained by it. We have more poor in India than all in all the 26 countries of Africa. Our general quality of life and our infrastructure rank amongst the worst in the world. We are amongst the best for wrong reasons like corruption.
Is there no hope for India to become a great nation?
Well, actually there is. India can be a great nation IF:
- We talk less of freedoms and more about our responsibilities towards the nation.
- We stop looking at the interests of the small rich minority and look at the interests of the poor.
- Our people become less selfish about themselves and START to think about the nation.
- We do something about our abysmally poor infrastructure.
- We instil discipline in our people especially those who are our netas (leaders). Right now we rank with de most indisciplined.
- We take ourselves more seriously whilst asking this of US and the rest of the world.
- We get rid of such individual and collective amnesia. We forget all – including severe insults to nation.
- We have the courage and good sense to call to task both these so called “public servants”.
- Our institutions will work for everyone and not for just for the favoured few.
- Our justice system improves and it does not take decades to decide even the most ordinary cases.
- We behave like a nation and not parochially like states, castes, communities and provinces.
- We take our neighbours along the path of progress. We cannot be lotus in filth around us.
- We revere our scientists, teachers, jawans (soldiers), doctors and engineers more than Bollywood stars, godmen and netas (politicians).
- We stop defecating, spitting and urinating at public places and keep our places clean.
- We curb our littering habits and do away with the filth that adorns our cities, towns and villages.
- We have proper road signs rather than asking hundreds of people how to reach your destination. Right now it is a nightmare.
- The police in our country becomes less corrupt and people repose faith and trust in it.
- Our fierce religiosity is replaced by kindness and love and respect for all irrespective of caste, colour and creed.
- Movies like ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ fill us with resolve to change our lot rather than bask in glory.
- We spend less time on planning and more on implementation.
- We think of India all the while and not just in the last over of a twenty-20 match.
- We do not try to make money for ourselves even in disasters and calamities.
- We are in as much hurry to do things for de nation as in getting out cell phones in just landed aircraft.
- We ban criminals from entering politics; if we have minimum acceptable standards for netas (politicians) as we have for other professions.
- Our intellectuals take up people’s issues rather than only those that earn them popularity.
- We stop depending on America to sort out problems caused by Pak terrorism.
- Our transportation improves and becomes people friendly.
- The costs of our constructions come down and quality goes up. Presently, it is the other way round.
- We understand other people’s privacy whilst partying and participating in religious processions.
- Whilst running after modernisation we do not forget our ancient culture and values.
- We do not beg the world on our knees to be given a seat in UN Security Council but prove ourselves worthy.
- We do away the lengthy process of compiling and writing Inquiry Reports but do something, however little.
- We give more impetus to shipping, fishing and other maritime activities that languish in comparison to land based activities.
- We improve tourism and make our places more attractive to foreigners as compared to the present punishment for them.
- Rains and other natural phenomena do not make life come to a standstill even in our major cities.
- Even if 5 % of promises of politicians before elections had come true India would have become the best in the world.
- Men of character join politics and think of nation first and themselves last.
To be continued…….
Agree with every word of it.Very thoughtfully written.