Interesting crossroads in India today
Trust deficit is the highest in its almost four-year-long tenure for the rulers led by Congress. The principal Opposion, BJP, is searching for its leader to take on the rulers, with the only obvious choice being equally loved and hated within and outside his party (well, December state elecons in Gujarat will answer this queson to a large extent either way). The other Opposion pares, led by six regional satraps (Nish Kumar and JDU in Bihar, Mamata Banerjee and TMC in West Bengal, Mulayam Yadav and SP in UP, Naveen Patnaik and BJD in Odisha, Jagan Reddy and YSR Congress in AP, Jayalalitha and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu), are a formidable force. They can
even win a General Elecon, if only they can decide on a common leadership!
Economically, the nine percent growth rate of GDP has plummeted to below six percent. Rupee slide has been stopped, but it is sll 55+ to a US dollar. India is sll below
100 naons in the Human Development Index. Rural development parameters look beer even in Bangladesh as compared to India.
Corrupon is at its all-me worst in independent India. Tribal and landless poor, almost a quarter of the populaon together, have been geng a raw deal in mes of crony
capitalism and rape of the jungles, hills and water-bodies. Recently, 50,000 of them walked for 18 days to make the government sit up and take noce, and even meet them at Agra with an agreement to assuage them, lest they walk up to Delhi.
Socially, the fabric of India is under stress. More than a 100 districts of India, 20 percent, have a red corridor across them with several blocks and villages run by Maoist rebels. Urban India has seen the rise of minority ghettos across most cies with Muslims huddled in specific areas, best avoided by Hindus. Some major cies have strong polical streaks based on linguisc chauvinism, as in Mumbai.
Alternavely, forces against corrupon are rising from within and outside the polics. Anna Hazare-led social movement, Arvind Kejriwal-led polical movement, Bengaluru
Civil Society iniaves, Jai Prakash-led Lok Saa Party in Hyderabad, green iniaves across the naon, an-nuclear movement in Tamil Nadu, Jan Satyagraha of tribal and
landless poor, Jal Satyagraha by the rural destute of MP, upright aempts by serving and former bureaucrats to bring in transparency in governance (Aruna Roy or
Dr Khemka and their tribe): all these point to a New India on the rise, and the next two years shall be intensely polical and change-demanding.
In this changing context, if the 30-millionstrong Indian diaspora with a combined income of more than ten percent of India’s GDP play a bigger role than just being money bags and gi boxes for the government and their relaves back in India, it would be remarkable indeed.
Many of our esteemed diaspora members have indeed contributed to educaon, healthcare, rural development and industrial growth in India. For a greater percentage,
however, India sll epitomizes pleasant nostalgia, occasional visit during weddings and deaths, and a subject of discussion over coffee or wine. Many have lost money by trusng wrong people or joining hands in wrong projects. Many more have talked about a lot of things to do without doing anything much.
In spite of the huge challenges that India faces today, it is sll the best bet for the world, along with other BRICS naons, to revive the globalized slowing-down economy. It has higher returns on investments in banks or in land, has higher human impact of any project, has higher demand creaon possibilies than any other country except China, has greater talent availability, has a flexible culture and belief systems because of the coexistence of diverse opinions and faiths, pracces and
approaches.
This flexibility, diversity, growth potenal and welcoming atude in the land of ‘Athi Devo Bhava’ should be the best bet not just for the Indian diaspora, but for the world to come to India.
Visit India at the onset of the New Year, come to Pravasi Bharaya Diwas in Kochi from January 7th to 9th, and to Vibrant Gujarat from January 11th to 13th. Contribute to the economy as it changes for the beer.
