Fifteenth August, 1947. A new India was born. After a long and arduous struggle, the nation became independent from British rule. Today, on the 65th anniversary of India’s independence, we must contemplate as we celebrate so as to remember the struggle and tyranny that the Indians had to face before freedom was finally achieved. For the sake of their countrymen, many freedom fighters sacrificed their lives. The journey towards freedom had its share of bloodshed. Moreover, the division of India caused by religious violence affected millions of lives, caused countless deaths, rendered thousands homeless and left many others to battle with hunger and abject poverty. The demographic split led to bitter relations between the newly formed states at the dawn of this long-awaited freedom. On the eve of 15th August 1947, the tricolor flag was unfurled by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, at the Red Fort in Delhi. Nehru’s famous speech held the country spellbound. “Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we will redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.”
Sixty five years is a short time in the life of a nation. What is noteworthy, however, is just how much the country has achieved since Independence. It has sent satellites into space, built 1.25 million miles of new roads, multiplied its steel production, and increased its exports significantly. It has the biggest film industry in the world. Green revolution in 1965 brought about a new era in agricultural production and self-sufficiency in food production, whereas the white revolution made India the largest producer of milk in the world.
The economic reforms in 1991 opened up new channels for the global market, and showed the Indians the power of globalization and acceptance of competition at home and abroad. Telecom revolution brought rural and urban India together. Extremely significant is the development of space technology as well as software technology. Software companies have created a huge number of jobs in different sectors. The list of achievements is long indeed.
However, the question is: what is holding India back from being among the top nations in the world? Is it because of corruption, a social evil that is as subversive as the caste system? Why does 37 percent of Indian population live below the poverty line even though India exports food? There are many stories everyday about atrocities towards women: which includes cases related to dowry, sexual harassment, destroying female fetus and so on. After 65 years of Independence, India still faces the menace of communalism and terrorism-related violence.
The need of the hour is to come together and get united. Each and every global Indian should become a responsible citizen, embrace India as their mother, and keep our thousands of years of tradition and vibrant culture alive. India has always been the mother of innovation, and the ‘way- to-go-land’ for many opportunities and diversities. In the context of the current downturn of global economy, an important question is: what can India and Indians do to improve the situation, and inspire economic growth globally by fostering networking and connectivity among Indians worldwide?
NGI is organizing the Global Indian Business Meet, GIBM 2012, in New York to bring business leaders, thought leaders, states and entrepreneurs together to assess and address this concern, and build a better and strong world of business at this one-stop-business platform in such challenging times. The idea is also to make sure that we can help others to grow and overcome the hurdles on the way. We invite you to be a part of this great event and explore and contribute.
Also, we are extremely happy to share that, after New Delhi, NGI magazine had been launched in Dubai last year. Last month, we took another significant step and launched our Durban edition. NGI thanks our readers, subscribers, supporters and well-wishers for their continuous support. And, let’s us make sure that India shines forever.
