If
there is one country which had everything; from heritage, culture, diverse
landscapes to a rich history, that is India. Epics like Ramayana &
Mahabharata demonstrates it. India boasts of being the birth place of Hinduism
& Buddhism & thought leaders like Gautam Buddha, Chanakya, Akbar, Swami
Vivekananda. India was always a cosmopolitan country; an amalgamation of
religions, caste, creed, culture & language. We call it “Unity in Diversity”. I am not
saying this because I am a proud Indian, but for the fact that you get all
possible flavors of life here, be here to believe it. India has always been a
desired destination for humans as it is rich in natural resources, arable land
& rivers.
It all began with Harappa & Indus Valley civilization. Going through the history, one can fathom that these civilizations were far ahead of their times, making them the most advanced civilizations of all. The medieval period was the golden age of India with Ashoka, Mughal Empire, Gupta dynasty, Maurya Empire etc. Modern history is a painful one where the British Empire ruled over India for almost 200 years. In spite of several changes of guard, culture & heritage in Indian society has transcended time. You can almost say that culture & heritage is India’s DNA even today.
Divisive politics has always thrived in a multicultural country like India. India exhibited united nationalism only under extreme oppression from British rule, the first time people from all the states regardless of their religion or caste fought against the British for independence. It was similar to Greece, Italy & USA where states united for a common cause to call themselves a Nation. But, have we been able to reinstate India to its glorious past since 1947?
Today, we call ourselves as one of the “Superpowers” of the world because we have the 4th strongest army & space technology in the world, we have a stable economy & market, we have the best brains of the world and we are the largest democracy of the world. India has progressed a lot, may be more than half of its progress has been after 1990. But the internal problems still haunt India today. Poverty & Illiteracy is still prevalent and has hindered further progress of Indian society. Average per capita income might have shot up aftermath 1990, but the economic difference between middle class & poor class has increased, probably the reason why Maoist revolutions are infested in 200 out of 800 districts in India. But these are given problems through which India has been surviving; there are several other reasons for which India has been limping behind in creating a model society.
Firstly, politicians of our country have been corrupt and inefficient; as a result, what we see today is the continuation of the imperial dominion. We are witnessing the same problems today for which our ancestors gave up their lives for independence. Politics in India is looked upon as the fastest money-making career, such deep rooted is corruption here. The political class must be directed by the constitution to live like an ordinary voter. J&K receives more central funding than Sikkim but Sikkim has a more balanced economy attributing to contrasting political leadership of these two states. Secondly, 67% of Indian population is associated with farming, but they live in dismal conditions because of the trade barriers imposed on them. Agricultural economy must be liberalized and producers must operate in a free market which in turn will help them income more and invest the same for more production. Agricultural innovations must move in now to increase productivity. Agriculture being the foundation of any economy, dedicated focus must be given to producers and agriculture sector as a whole. Thirdly, till date India has invested mostly in services & a little in R&D. We don’t have our own products or processes as we speak. Investing more in research now might give India a head start for the fourth industrial revolution. Fourthly, there is no social security for Indian citizens as such unlike US, UK. Accepted, that social security is possible in countries with robust economy and limited population per square km, but there should be social security schemes in an emerging economy in form of a comprehensive government-provided pension for workers with lower lifetime earnings and a strong foundation for retirement security with higher lifetime earnings. Fifthly, dearth of product-based start-ups has stalled job creation for the numerous students graduating each year. Sixthly, India has not put its impetus on manufacturing sector which also is a key to revenue earned from exports. Seventhly, a concerted effort should be made in improving facilities in government & government-aided schools to provide quality education in rural areas, which in turn will improve the average literacy rate. Lastly, improving relations with immediate neighbors and enabling free trade will boost India’s GDP in the long run.
To me, these problems constitute a fraction of the overall problems we face today as a country. If more focus is given to solving of internal & innate problems instead of lobbying for a place in G10 or Security Council, India will stand tall as a nation. India should not be perceived merely as “The Land of Maharajas” or “The Land of Taj Mahal” or “The Land of Poverty” in the future, it is up to the youth to ensure it.
It all began with Harappa & Indus Valley civilization. Going through the history, one can fathom that these civilizations were far ahead of their times, making them the most advanced civilizations of all. The medieval period was the golden age of India with Ashoka, Mughal Empire, Gupta dynasty, Maurya Empire etc. Modern history is a painful one where the British Empire ruled over India for almost 200 years. In spite of several changes of guard, culture & heritage in Indian society has transcended time. You can almost say that culture & heritage is India’s DNA even today.
Divisive politics has always thrived in a multicultural country like India. India exhibited united nationalism only under extreme oppression from British rule, the first time people from all the states regardless of their religion or caste fought against the British for independence. It was similar to Greece, Italy & USA where states united for a common cause to call themselves a Nation. But, have we been able to reinstate India to its glorious past since 1947?
Today, we call ourselves as one of the “Superpowers” of the world because we have the 4th strongest army & space technology in the world, we have a stable economy & market, we have the best brains of the world and we are the largest democracy of the world. India has progressed a lot, may be more than half of its progress has been after 1990. But the internal problems still haunt India today. Poverty & Illiteracy is still prevalent and has hindered further progress of Indian society. Average per capita income might have shot up aftermath 1990, but the economic difference between middle class & poor class has increased, probably the reason why Maoist revolutions are infested in 200 out of 800 districts in India. But these are given problems through which India has been surviving; there are several other reasons for which India has been limping behind in creating a model society.
Firstly, politicians of our country have been corrupt and inefficient; as a result, what we see today is the continuation of the imperial dominion. We are witnessing the same problems today for which our ancestors gave up their lives for independence. Politics in India is looked upon as the fastest money-making career, such deep rooted is corruption here. The political class must be directed by the constitution to live like an ordinary voter. J&K receives more central funding than Sikkim but Sikkim has a more balanced economy attributing to contrasting political leadership of these two states. Secondly, 67% of Indian population is associated with farming, but they live in dismal conditions because of the trade barriers imposed on them. Agricultural economy must be liberalized and producers must operate in a free market which in turn will help them income more and invest the same for more production. Agricultural innovations must move in now to increase productivity. Agriculture being the foundation of any economy, dedicated focus must be given to producers and agriculture sector as a whole. Thirdly, till date India has invested mostly in services & a little in R&D. We don’t have our own products or processes as we speak. Investing more in research now might give India a head start for the fourth industrial revolution. Fourthly, there is no social security for Indian citizens as such unlike US, UK. Accepted, that social security is possible in countries with robust economy and limited population per square km, but there should be social security schemes in an emerging economy in form of a comprehensive government-provided pension for workers with lower lifetime earnings and a strong foundation for retirement security with higher lifetime earnings. Fifthly, dearth of product-based start-ups has stalled job creation for the numerous students graduating each year. Sixthly, India has not put its impetus on manufacturing sector which also is a key to revenue earned from exports. Seventhly, a concerted effort should be made in improving facilities in government & government-aided schools to provide quality education in rural areas, which in turn will improve the average literacy rate. Lastly, improving relations with immediate neighbors and enabling free trade will boost India’s GDP in the long run.
To me, these problems constitute a fraction of the overall problems we face today as a country. If more focus is given to solving of internal & innate problems instead of lobbying for a place in G10 or Security Council, India will stand tall as a nation. India should not be perceived merely as “The Land of Maharajas” or “The Land of Taj Mahal” or “The Land of Poverty” in the future, it is up to the youth to ensure it.
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