India is a spectacularly diverse country and I am proud of her accomplishments. The country’s growth story is termed as a miracle. On the contrary, I would rather say that the country was well poised in this trajectory. I am not surprised as we Indians had dominated trade pre-colonial invasion.
Having said that, this country has a long way to go and there’s untapped potential for future growth. In this article, I will attempt to elaborate a roadmap for India from which the Indian polity can draw insights before the crucial 2019 elections. I have classified my vision into three broad spheres – economic, social and political.
On the economic front, growth and enhancement of productivity of capital should be the singular focus. India lives in its villages and the majority of Indians are still dependent on agriculture. News pouring in about extreme ecological disturbances like droughts, floods, unsuitability of soil, etc. aren’t pleasing to the ear. These ecological uncertainties have put the villages and farmers in a fix at the cusp of modernity. There is a need for home-grown research and development solutions with closely knit collaboration between educational institutions and farmers working in tandem. Unemployment is rampant. There’s a necessity for skill development and a possible push towards self-employment and entrepreneurship with an enabling ecosystem.
There is also need for social transformation. Widespread inequality across castes/communities, religions, gender is not just unjust but equally disastrous for the social fabric of this country. India’s traditional values stand for togetherness and harmony; cooperation over conflict; respect for elders; virtuousness and morality over injustice and immorality; diversity in viewpoints over singular imposition of norms and culture; flexibility and agility over rigidity. We as a society have to stick to our virtues and stand by these ideals for our own betterment.
In addition to this, the political arena of this country has to evolve for the better. Polity has always been a vehicle of transformation and social change. We should be proud of our democracy and we should strengthen it further. There’s a necessity for constant connection between legislators and the masses. Both masses and legislators have to set really high standards of transparency, integrity, law-abidingness, etc. for each other. States have to be empowered and federalism must be followed in word and spirit. Debates and discussions should overshadow personal allegations. Legislature, executive and judiciary should work together in its constitutionally envisaged domain.
With these comments; I conclude by saying India is a rising star and is a land of billion dreams and aspirations. The trajectory we take together as individuals will determine our destiny.