It appears that India has suddenly shaken off the stereotypical ‘caste, cows and curry’ image in all media and textbooks. The nation’s economy has touched a new high. It is now, almost third largest and militarily third most powerful. India has one of the largest educated middle class populations. That has made some people to call India, a super power. The potential is there, but what does being a super power mean?
In the contemporary sense, power means economic and military power. This power could mean bullying and controlling world affairs, which is not the will of the people of that nation but the result of the dreams of a few ambitious ‘leaders’ with aspirations of ‘ruling’ the world. After the advent of Communism, Russian revolution seemed like a messiah to millions across the world. Even Mao received the status of a god. Today, both Lenin and Mao are neglected in their own countries.
The rise of Hitler taught us many lessons. Once an imperialist super power, Britain had to shake hands with Communist Russia and democratic America. America’s birth was to show the path of liberty and democracy to the mankind. Yet, the world asks today: Is America the protector of human rights and freedom or an aggressor, especially after the invasion of Iraq?
But all these talks of power and peace prove hypocritical when one looks deep into Indian life. Is it peaceful? Material prosperity with basic needs fulfilled and happiness is the precondition for a peaceful society. Are the Indians happy? The rich and powerful are exploiting the resources to become richer. The middle class is desperate to be part of the gold rush. What is being sacrificed, therefore, is the ecosystem, the morality, and above all, humanity. The largest number of poor and illiterate people lives in India. Until they are uplifted, becoming a super power will be an unrealized dream.
To become a partner in international development and to promote peace, India must focus on a few areas. First is education. Hundreds of educational institutes are on the way while countless institutes are already there. When the graduates hit the job market, most are unemployable. India must develop an education for training its young workforce for jobs of tomorrow. India must move from a job seeker’s society to a job giver’s society, which means entrepreneurship. That needs trained and motivated entrepreneurs.
Energy and drinking water crises remain. India’s untapped resources can give a lot more than mere self-sufficiency. Solar, wind and low risk nuclear energy sources such as Thorium should be India’s chosen path. It will empower the economy and entrepreneurship at the same time.
Finally, the society and the education system must go back to India’s age-old teaching of Dharma – which stands for duty, ethics and justice. What should have been India’s greatest strength – the global ‘guru’ for peace and harmony – seems non-existent with millions rotting in complete darkness. Swami Vivekananda? whose 150th birth anniversary falls this year had warned long back: “Whoever you are leaving behind will drag you down….. You will have to be equal in disgrace to each and every one of those you have disgraced for millennia!” The global Indians have a major role to play. It is an opportunity to change a nation, and by virtue of that, the entire world.
