Young India: Politics

Since childhood we are told India is a great country, our leaders were presented as heroes, our culture is the best and we should take pride in it.  Do we really understand the iconic meaning of the terms like- great, hero and culture ? Do we? Well, who the hell am I to talk about these perspectives ? Perhaps not the most apt person, maybe ! Nevertheless, if I can prove my point with a short write up I will try rocking the boat; being a young Indian (Well, I still consider myself young ;)). I am not writing this against corruption, racism or against any such practice. It is just about a muse I want to share with Indian youth and perhaps for a coup to a vision.

Happenings of recent past  has set in a sense of cynicism, anguish  and anger among the people. We are blaming politicians and leaders for all the woes. But isn't politics a reflection of soceity. Where do we get our leaders from? From Mars or Venus? Today's youth will be tomorrow's leader and politician. Then why not blaming ourselves rather than blaming politicians. I am not supporting politicos by any means, but what is the use of mulling the past and not working on future. A person while entering politics thinks only of  power, not the responsibilities. I remember a dialogue from Sam Raimi's Spiderman "Great power comes with great responsibility". Indeed true, but do we follow that?

Considering the current state of politics in India be it financial scams, sex scandals or chiding opposition (from both sides) we often say the sate of politics is filthy. But who elects these politicians? They try dividing on the basis of religion region caste and language  and we get divided. I have been living in Germany for a long time now which some people call racists but believe me I never felt that sort of thing in here,  I had more of it in India living in different cities. As Indian we are so individually self centred that we have lost a vision for the future we need or we consider utopia. Given this, we are getting what we deserve.

Well what we had till now cannot be altered; past is past, tomorrow can be fixed. The youth that enters politics should pause and ponder. The youth that votes should analyse. The youth in bureaucracy should rationalise. We have to give up the thinking that politics is ugly. It might be dirty but some has to enter in order to clean it. We have certain traits and trends in politics running for ages but everything that is old and traditional need not be good. If we have a positive intention good vision it is very much achievable . I do not expect everyone should enter politics but it is definitely everyones responsibility to contribute to its betterment in his or her own way.

If you want a change you have to be a part of it.

cheers,

India: Young at the age of 65

Namastey (Greetings), 

I am India, a 65 years young country. Well my my actual age is few thousands years in terms of civilization but I was reborn 65 years ago from my ashes created by colonialism, losing some feathers in the process. To introduce myself, I am the worlds largest democracy, one of the oldest civilization, birthplace of four major religions of the world followed by a quarter of world's population and I house around 17.5% of world population. 

Historically, I was one the worlds first urban civilization, first country  to have developed counting, zero and decimal. The civilization I cradled was the first to start a university, a proper language and grammar system and was among the first one to know that the earth revolves around the sun. Perhaps one of the few countries with more than five kings titled "the great".  I was the richest country in the entire world before I was captured and killed and was called the Golden Bird, or the Jewel of British Crown. 

Well enough of history. Today, I have the second largest army, fourth largest air-force and navy. One of the most modernized air-force in the world. My navy in the only "to be Blue water navy" in Asia. I am one of the few recognized nuclear powers on earth, one of the five countries to have a lunar mission and  only 2nd with a lunar landing mission. I have the second fastest growing economy across the world. When the big power reduce their research  budgets I double them. There are only two countries in the world that generate more number of scientists and engineers than I do. The world is being cured by the doctors and nurses I trained. I own, the 2nd largest railway network, largest communication network. I have 8 of world's 100 richest people.  

My people claim that we never attacked any country, but thats not true, Indian kings attacked and ruled Srilanka and parts of old Persian empire, and my people still continue to attack within the country in terms of caste, religion, region and language. Most of the attack on me were the invited by my own people be it Moghuls or British.

No boasting around anymore, lets go to the irony. I have about one third of poor people of the world and $2 Trillion of my money illegally lies in other countries.  Though, I started the university system in the world, a quarter of my population is illiterate. I provide doctors across the globe but I have 0.7 hospital beds per 1000 as compared the international requirement of 3.96 and so is the trend in number of doctors. Some of my kings planted trees around the roads and today I am among the worlds highest CO2 emitter. We have a sex ratio where males outnumber females, a result of aborting female child although many of my people worship female Gods.  I import more than we export, even after such growth of economy. My national animal tiger is endangered in my own lap. I have a high desertification rate a lot of people do not get clean drinking water. Concretization of land has led to reduction in ground water recharge.

But all is not lost. I turn 65 today, I have many years of life ahead.  I believe my people can generate more wealth, fight to get back the trillions. Respect female child with equal rights, educate people, develop infrastructure without disturbing ecological and natural balance. Some of the efforts have already started paying. I am the one considered among the top countries in harvesting renewable sources of energy. The emissions are being cut in an ordered way, methods of enginnering a more eco-friendly infrastructure is evolving. People who left me for a better future want to come back. My people own some emperial companies. I am striking back. Hopefully the illegal flow of money and legal flow of Brain will slow and ultimately stop one day in near future. 

You know good thing about my people that they always hope positive no matter what the situation is. And, I am still young enough to enjoy the fruits from their efforts.

Have a great week ahead,

India