The India We Want

     “In religion, India is the only millionaire……the One land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.”

- Mark Twain

     For a country where over a hundred crore people following 7 major religions speak almost 2000 different languages, rich in cultural and natural resources, India sure is unified in terms of the mentality of its inhabitants. The question that arises is, then why the conflicts? Every day we see news of protests and communal violence where national property is set ablaze and we citizens end up paying for it through increased taxes. It is on this that political and regional parties thrive. The corruption and chaos that arise from this, is not what we would like to see in the India we want.

     In India the focus has always been on education and making a good career, especially since a major portion of our population is middle class. There are some great institutes in the country that impart quality education. However, the quality of the students entering these institutes is deteriorating day by day, because of reservations and paid seats. No wonder then that companies do not prefer visiting these campuses for recruitment, which prompts youngsters to move out of the country for better job opportunities and a perceived higher quality of education. The India we want is a country where everyone has an equal opportunity to excel and make their dreams come true.

     Corruption is rampant in the India we know today, and this can be traced to the hoards of unnecessary regulations that are seen in every walk of life. For example, for opening a small restaurant, one requires 73 licenses. Now, if he decides to follow the procedure, he would get the licenses by the time he reaches a stage where not opening a restaurant is more profitable than opening one. No wonder he decides to buy his way through it. And this is where, corruption shows his ugly head. Existence of such redundant regulations is one of the major reasons why creativity is restricted in India. This attributes to the ‘brain-drain’ that is currently evident in the country. The India we want is free from such restrictions and regulations, where anyone and everyone will have a chance to give vent to his creativity. Excellence will breed in the India we want, and the fruits will be enjoyed by generations to come.

     The roots of India’s current state of shambles lie in the indifferent attitude of her leaders. Gone are the days where ‘leading’ a country and its people would mean keeping your country ahead of your personal interests. Now, all that the government in power wants to do is to stay in power. Little is done for the country with no ulterior motives, and not surprisingly, the most ‘outstanding’ work is done when elections are just around the corner. Now that’s not what we would want to see in the India We Want. The India We Want will see a teacher take up the Education Minister portfolio, a sportsperson the Sports Minister portfolio, and a farmer with the Agricultural Minister portfolio. India needs leaders who can inspire people, bring the ‘drained’ brain back to India, and lead the country to its envisaged ‘superpower’ status.

     It will only be possible with the relentless efforts of its people, the missionary zeal of its leaders and the synergy between the two that the India we know will become the utopia of India We Want. After all, Emerson could not have been more correct in this context with his quote: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.”