“This is the country of tomorrow. Starting today.”
- cover page punch line on Special Report on India brought out by Khaleej Times, Aug 15, 2003.
For more than half a century after India gained independence, we tried to do things in a manner that failed to produce the desired results. But things have suddenly changed. There is a lot that needs to be done. But there is a lot that has started to happen.
The factors responsible for the upsurge in the Indian fortune have been:
1. Exposing Indian industry to global competition and doing away with licensing provisions,
2. Allowing industries like software to operate with minimum legal hassles,
3. Easy availability of low-interest consumer credit coupled with stringent recovery procedure,
4. Rising aspirations of the masses due to media explosion.
Paradoxically, factors like consumerism, competition and ambition have done what talks on spirituality, Swadeshi and tradition could not. Yet ‘some people’ just don’t want to change. They continue to behave in a manner that serves their purpose. They take shelter of relative concepts like religion, morality and patriotism. They try to instill fear of the future in the minds of the younger generation.
We, my dear friends, can never achieve perfection. Anything pursued to an illogical proportion, turns negative. This does not mean we should not strive for perfection. This simply means that we must learn the art of balancing.
What is it that we are missing? What is it that needs to be corrected? There seems to be an attitude problem, as if we cannot shake ourselves out of a mindset of limited achievement.
– APJ Abdul Kalam.
Materialism has many negative aspects. But we have to use our judgment and choose between pursuing bread and pursuing ‘Mandir/Masjid’ – when about one-fourth of the population sleeps hungry. Youngsters today may not worship the goddess Lakshmi everyday, but they honestly and aggressively pursue money. They may not be interested in gifts and charities. They are more interested in earnings.
After having earned their fortune, they don’t mind attending an ‘Art of Living’ session to gain peace of mind. At least, now, they can afford to be free from the thought of money.
We are almost there as global leaders in the export of spirituality. Since we have immense knowledge base in this field, some of it will go in taking care of our own youngsters. Teach them the values of integrity and honesty, train them in channelizing their youthful energy in the right direction and allow them to pursue their dreams vigorously.
Therein lays the hope for India – in the ambition, dreams and aspirations of the youngsters, who are not afraid of the competition. Rather, they are making the competition afraid of them, as umpteen numbers of glaring examples that our countrymen and women produce on a regular basis in multifarious fields, demonstrate.
Hardly anyone in the world would have imagined that the outstandingly worthy sons and daughters of Mother India, which was mercilessly plundered and exploited by the oppressive rule of the foreigners for centuries together, would be among the coveted list of the Top Ten Richest Persons on earth, over barely half a century after independence.
If there ever was a right time to be born an Indian, it is now! God willing, we shall live to see India as a global economic superpower by the year 2020.
But hope alone is not enough. Actions are necessary. There is no worse crime than letting an opportunity go by, unexploited. If we do that, future generations will not forgive us.
A great nation cannot abandon its responsibilities. Responsibilities abandoned today return as more acute crises tomorrow.
– Gerald Ford.
Twitter: MrGladPortBlair
A beautiful post sir!!!
ReplyDeleteI loved it~~!!
Fantastic post and I so agree with what you have said...I feel that older generation feels that we are going away from spirituality and religion but I believe that is not so. Even if younger generations does not believe in going to the temple everyday there is an essence of spirituality running through most of us.
ReplyDelete@Azad Thank you, Himanshu! :-)
ReplyDelete@Lazy Pineapple That's right, dear Ms. ...! :-) In fact, I've been wondering as to how to address you befittingly, since it's your cool sobriquet that's available everywhere and not your name. Thanks for your kind endorsement! Cheers! :-)
Wow! What an inspiring and uplifting post, Shrinath Sir! Keep it up!!
ReplyDelete@Parth J Dave Thanks very much, dear Parth! :-)
ReplyDeleteThere are those who feel we must return to the "golden age" of India where villages had their own laws and customs (like honor killing). The resent the Constitution of the country which gives every person the freedom to pursue their own happiness.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's not just old people who feel this way. A small but vocal minority of young people think like this too. It's quite sad - but I'm hoping that they don't speak for the vast majority of people.
@Bhagwad Jal Park Yup! I agree! Quite aptly put and let's hope that the majority does get together in deciding finally to act towards cleansing the outdated laws of the land and modernising the same by working out a viable consensus soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks, indeed, for sharing your valuable opinion with all of us here. See you back soon for more. Cheers! :-)