India shining????

Recently we have celebrated 62nd year of Independence Day of our country. It’s a very special and proud day for every one of us for we got independence from British who ruled us for centuries and the day we usually remember the martyrs of the nation. To recall my schooldays Independence/Republic days are always special for many reasons .The day unlike routine used to start as early as 4.30am in the morning with attire especially made for the occasion and singing National anthem early in the morning. It was also one of those days where there used to be reunion of friends from different schools in a common place, the parade grounds. Finally the day used to end with a march in main roads of the town and with a matinee show in Doordarshan it’s more or less expected among Roja/ Mr. India /Parades. It’s not about the Independence Day celebrations I want to throw light on.

Post Independence, India has come a long way to be an economic hub and a force to reckon among the worlds best economies. Infact the last decade and half India has been the leader in software, telecommunications to name few and many other emerging sectors, if not wrong, fostering the economic growth to new heights when all others slowly and gradually making way to emerging India. India making a note in other fields as well such as in Space, Automotive,Aerospace,Defence, sports, entertainment…..

If Economic growth or India shining is one face of the nation there is another face which has been haunted by poverty, corruption, communual riots here and there, insecurity, and troubling neighbor nations. Since Majority of our country is a rural India there are millions of people, who are deprived of, having basic needs, accessing the basic public services though there has been a system in place, it hardly reaches out to the poor due to the corrupt netas/public servants. In built extremists such as Naxals/Moists are taking advantage of poor, illiterate tribal and rural people and jeopardizing the nation’s security within. Then there is illiteracy in most of rural India, fortunately after 62 years of Independence there was bill of free education from age of 6-14 passed recently in parliament. This type of system is already prevalent since long time in the countries like Australia, England, Germany, and Srilanka….according to my research. Given that India is a secular country there have been communal riots in the recent past erupting havoc among the people which justifies that there is still castiesm prevalent in India shining. The neighboring nations always have been a threat to the nation’s security with Pakistan having lions share posing problem time and again very frequently with its own strategy called terrorism infusing havoc among the secular, united Indians. Pakistan has been outsourcing hub of terrorits especially invading the Indian soil very often since independence.Though terrorism has become a global threat after 9/11, we are the one who are near to the source and highly affected than any other nation. Post independence, India has been ruled by one dominant Gandhi family till today for decades and also by many corrupt netas / public servants, and the above mentioned problems.

Its not that we are the one only one nation facing all these problems, off course all others have their own problems to deal with just like in our own lives. Ours is a unique nation with myriad of religions, languages, culture and even more unique with having all the problems we are a force to reckon. Many notable personalities, with due respect to Dr Abdul Kalam who started it all, claim that India in 2020 will be a developed nation. I have even heard someone saying that Delhi and Bangalore wil determine the economy of world by 2020.Ten years down the line is too long a time given the obstacles in front of us pragmatically it would take a longer time than expected 2020.And again nothing is impossible given the fact that how Japan has come up post world war-II!!!!! India can perhaps be a developed nation by 2020 economically but will there be an end to all the problems? Can we have better, safe, shining India for future?