Happy Independence Day Dear India.
Of all the Facebook status updates this morning, many of which talked about Independence day , flag hoisting and laddus, here's a message that made me re-think :
"Freedom is not political , but of the mind, from the chains that hold us back from realizing our own potential, the possibilities that lie ahead.. freedom is when no one tells you what you cannot or should not do, freedom is when you can pursue your dreams unfettered by the constructs of age, gender, culture and class, freedom is when you do not have to bribe hundred people to get things done, freedom is when you do not have to elope with someone whom you wish to marry, freedom is when you do not have to fret over how to afford a decent education for your child, freedom is when you are free from the favor of affirmative action"
... alas .. my dear India .. are you free ????
This morning I asked some odd 20 foreigners, engineers or professionals like me, if they would someday even think about living in India ...None said yes owing to the corruption, poverty , politics and general notion about the country. Unfortunately, it was the biggest shame I had ever faced.
The job opportunities, atleast I know about IT, are much much more in India. So why does no one even think about going there. Although it seems, with the growing economy we have, time is not far when the world will start looking upon India for opportunities in terms of mass migration and living standards. But something that has always bothered me is the gap ...the gap between the rich and the poor, the gap between Bandra and mumbai slums, the gap between qualified and unqualified. Unless this gap is filled, the conditions of corruption and crime are difficult to improve. So when and how can we build the country to a stage when global community will strive to go to India. Honestly I do not have an answer ...
A very simple example I can think of the "complexity" of improving India is driving. Can we ever improve the driving system in India. How can we implement rules, regulation, discipline on Indian roads. Millions of drivers are already on the road ... is it possible to re-educate them. It may be possible for the new drivers but the existing ones ?
But of course there are much more important and difficult issues to challenge India's contention to be a world power. Freedom is what we want from poverty, illiteracy, corruption, caste-ism and dirty politics. And then , we are no doubt the number one.
As for now, there are miles before we can proudly say "Welcome to India" and not face shame when someone comes back from a business/holiday trip to India and complains of stomach bug he had. There are miles before we can say we are doing what we chose to do and say boss ... I am better-of in India.
It seems impossible though, but if I look back at India as it was 20 years ago, it has really come forward and successfully placed it among the top "developing" nations. I wish and I hope India takes over the world with his hospitality, culture and potency, abolishing the images of corruption and offering an everyday life of high standards. I may have sounded downbeats , but I am what my country has made me and I am proud of it.
Good Luck Freedom.
