Happy 77th Independence Day to all Indians at home and abroad! For me, it is a day of celebration of course, but also one of reflection. I like to take stock of the strides India has made, at least from the time I remember, and also consider the journey ahead.
My earliest recollection of Independence Day celebrations was at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Madurai when we sang patriotic songs and distributed sweets and flags to all those around us. India may have been poor then- I am talking about the early seventies after all- but we were mighty proud of our country. Bangladesh was becoming free. I was told by my Father to paint the headlights of our car black which I duly did. This was to make sure that in the night the enemy aircrafts did not spot us: never mind that this was Madurai in the deep South. For me that was patriotism!
I remember we had to be careful not to waste Milk or food of any kind in the family which comprised four siblings. Not just because we were modest, but because these were not exactly in plentiful supply in India. But proud we were. So, imagine my pride when I was selected for the prestigious Indian Foreign Service and more importantly, chosen to represent India abroad. The night the UPSC results were announced, I could not sleep a wink!
Telephones were a luxury in 1981. My Father wrote a letter to the General Manager, Telephones, in Chennai asking whether he could get a landline quicker than the customary 5-year waiting period, since I was serving abroad in public interest and he needed to be in touch with me. Even as late as 1992, the wait for a cooking gas cylinder in Delhi was six months and one had to use Minister’s quotas to get one sooner.
India, therefore, has come a long long way since then. There was a silly childhood dream of mine: to visit 100 countries before I die. I have visited 78 countries and given the fact that I turned 66 years recently, it is not altogether certain that I can still fulfil my dream. But this much I can say without fear of contradiction: there is no country other than India I would rather be in! We are diverse, democratic and driven, so what is not to like and love!
That said, we do have some distance to traverse. India may have a multitude of problems but for me it is poverty and deprivation which is the main challenge. We have to get our economic act together, become a 10 Trillion dollar economy and bring down the number of people in abject poverty to a low number, if not zero. And the interesting thing is that for perhaps the first time in the country’s history, this is well nigh possible. India finds itself in a geopolitical sweet spot, is one of the world’s fastest growing economies, it is very young and its youth are innovative and dynamic. Let us all resolve to do our bit then to make sure no one in India lives in abject poverty.
JAI HIND!
Diplomacy and Geopolitics 