This is an essay I wrote for OPGEMS scholarship applcation. Maybe it's a bit irrelevant or politically incorrect. But I wrote whatI felt:
Regarding vision 2025:
Experts have already predicted that by 2020, India will have 13% growth rate, 80% literacy rate, and it will be the fourth largest manufacturing nation.
While all above predictions focus on technological and economical development, I think that India must retain its cultural features, appropriate traditions, spirituality and family values that prevail typically only in oriental countries. India wants to become 'tomorrow's America' but owing to lack of cultural values American nationals are themselves not contented with their lives.
Economical progress will occur on its own accord (driven by market needs and helped by some basic infrastructure) since India has largest number of English-literate, cheap, skilled and semi-skilled laborers compared to other nations. Multinational companies put profit above everything else, they will manufacture goods and use service sector in whichever country where it is available in plenty and cheapest. Fortunately we also have institutes like ISRO, TIFR, BARC, IISc to take care of research and development.
Let us first decide what is meant by "Development of India". I interpret this as a state in which all of Indian nationals have nearly equal rights to live comfortably and equal access to all means of self-development. India must also shine in world as a top well-developed country and leader of third-world nations, but that is not the only condition to call it progress. If 2% of people hold 99% of nation’s wealth and majority suffer from lack of education and unemployment, it will not be called progress.
Second basic question is Who to call Indian national? and do all Indians deserve democracy? Must I feel sympathy and affection towards someone only because he/she resides in Indian territory..?
Unfortunately in our beloved nation there exist
people who incite and engage in communal riots, people who freely accept and demand bribe, people who treat public places as garbage cans, participate in rasta-roko/rail-roko aandolans for whichever reason, and eve-tease every lady they come across in secluded corners of city. There are the leaders of so-called oppressed minorities who want student reservations in IITs and IIMs (in faculty as well). There are tribes that engage in violent acts to get the “Status” of backward caste.
There are educated criminals looking for easy money, and followers of associations such as SIMI. Then we have ‘sons of the soil’ who want all jobs for themselves and want all non-natives out of their state.
And worst of all categories, we have Separationists like some of the Kashmiris and north-east militants who don’t consider themselves Indians and wish to shatter India into pieces..
It will be incorrect to say that above mentioned people behave in said fashion because they are ignorant. They are so selfish, their souls are so corrupt that they give higher priority to their personal gains to the thinking that out comings of their deeds will hinder the nation’s growth in the long run.
I will not call them as Indians and I do not care whether they live or die.
To achieve all-rounder progress, activities of such anti-social elements must be kept under check, and even common Indians must learn to keep discipline in public life. Many people tend to show up late in (usually government) offices, leave early and demand for more holidays and increased salary for work they never finished. Even such seemingly harmless acts decrease the nation’s productivity. As a management guru has rightly said, “If you are not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem!”
Regarding the second part of essay:
It is difficult to describe exactly how India will be like 20 years from now since progress also depends on positive and negative factors like international treaties, prices of oil, wars, terrorism, technological development. Some of these factors are totally unpredictable while others are not exactly in total control.
I can not comment on what others will do for India till 2025, it is not in my hands.. Only thing I know is what I will do.
One can always give a math lesson or two to an underprivileged child or make a small donation to a social institute working for people affected by natural calamities. But then it is one’s responsibility, not one’s pastime. I will not be doing any favors to my countrymen in doing so, this is something I MUST do. Failing to do that will be a crime towards nation.
Beyond this, I honestly do not plan to undertake any large scale effort till 2025. There is little an engineering student or an employee of a multinational conglomerate can do for his country. Small-scale efforts can only give satisfaction of ‘having done something’ to one’s own mind but it will only be a very small step towards the final goal.
But when I retire from my job/business, I will retire a millionaire, and then I will set up a large institute providing vocational education and shelter to street children and weaker sections of society, regardless of their caste and religion and based only on their need. Concept behind this, is that minds can be molded best when they are young. They will be provided with the best possible education and facilities. The brighter ones, chosen solely on basis of talent will be awarded with scholarships for further education and even funds to setup their own business. If children are given lessons in patriotism right from their childhood, they can aspire to do big in life and share their wealth and resources to help their less lucky brothers and sisters. This way, efforts will grow exponentially.
This is my dream. (contributing to India’s progress, not retiring a millionaire)
