During the 77th Independence Day address, the Prime Minister unveiled an ambitious vision for the nation, aiming to achieve developed country status by 2047. As I traversed the NCR Region at that moment, I searched for signs that might bolster this declaration. Regrettably, the surroundings failed to inspire any confidence. The scenario extends beyond just the NCR; the state of most towns across our country is distressing.

Contemplating the basis of the Prime Minister's assertion left me puzzled. While the Prime Minister's predictions could be founded on thorough research, recent trends suggest that political motives often color his assurances and decisions. Consequently, their credibility and Effectiveness can be questionable.

What is Developed Country and How do we Assess ?

A developed country, by one definition, offers a high quality of life, boasts an advanced economy, and possesses advanced technological infrastructure relative to less industrialized nations.

However, this definition is abstract and confusing, particularly for those unfortunate Indians who haven't experienced developed nations firsthand.

To assess development more objectively, it is prudent to rely on the developmental indices released periodically by the UN and its agencies. These indices offer insights – as to where we stand today and also highlight parameters that contribute to rankings, guiding us toward becoming a developed nation.

Therefore, Evaluating our journey towards development requires focusing on indices that gauge governance rather than superficial metrics like height of Statues, Roads, Temples etc.

Important Indices that We should Focus On.

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a vital indicator reflecting our progress as a nation. Published annually by the World Bank, India consistently ranks around 130, recently sliding to 132nd place out of 191. HDI's parameters encompass per capita income, child mortality, skilled population, education, healthcare, and more.

Countries like Norway, UK, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, and US lead the HDI, while India has been languishing at 130s for decades and now slided further to 132 in 2022, is surrounded by nations like Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Then comes the Human Development Report on skills, which is obviously linked to HDI. This is also an important indicator that shows to us the condition of our work force because the earning capabilities are often associated with the Skills they possess. The report says ;

Barely one in five Indians (part of the labour force) is “skilled”, this implies; hardly 29 % of our work force is skilled. Whereas, whopping 99.99 % workforce in Japan, that occupies 19^th rank on HDI is skilled. USA, Switzerland, UK, Germany, all occupying Top positions on the HDI,  have almost 80-90 % workforce as skilled.

Thereafter, is the Poverty Index which once again highlights disparities as richer nations atop the HDI exhibit lower poverty rates, while India ranks 62 out of 107, sharing proximity with low-ranking nations. Parameters include child mortality, nutrition, sanitation, and housing. India's high child mortality rate stems from inadequate nutrition and healthcare, explaining its 104th position on the Global Hunger Index.

Per capita income is another crucial measure, gauging individual prosperity. India's per capita income ; $2,283 in 2021 pales in comparison to the UK's $44,117, despite India's position as the 5th largest economy that has recently overtaken UK. 

 India’s GDP (current prices) during 2021 stood at $3.18 trillion and UK’s GDP was at $3.19 trillion, it primarily implies that the economic productivity of 1.39 billion Indians is almost equal to 67.3 million Britishers.

So, the economy of India might have become bigger than that of the UK in 2022, but the productivity or the average income of an Indian continues to be substantially lower than the average income of a British citizen. Based on PPP, the GDP per capita of India is ranked 128, and is amongst the lowest.

A Call for Pragmatic Progress

Understanding these indices holistically unveils why nations like the USA, Norway, and Japan are considered developed. India has miles to traverse before fulfilling its predictions. Instead of dismissing these indices and calling them as Bluff, gradual improvements on these parameters are crucial—better healthcare, education, skill development, per capita income, and more.

It reminds me of a true incident. An elderly lady who had just returned from a two month tour to Europe, was praising Holland, Denmark etc , so I asked her , as to when we shall also become like them, afterall, we have also started our reforms process. She paused, for a while, straightened her spectacles, I could see few wrinkles appearing on her forehead as if she was not expecting this kind of a question. After a while she said sombrely but emphatically ; Beta mujhe nahin lagta merey Jeevan kaal mey ho sakega aur na hi terey.(son I don’t think this can happen in my life time but I feel that this can not happen even in your life time).

Progress must be grounded in reality ; Schools, healthcare, law enforcement, Sanitation, Water, basic amenities, eradication corruption, and skills need attention. As citizens, we must question the governance and make strides toward actual improvement, enabling the dream of "Acchey Din" by 2047 to materialize.

Political parties and their mentors have a history of evading responsibility and successfully shifting blame onto others. This pattern can be traced back to the pre and post-independence era, and it continues to be evident in recent events, as well.

For instance, during the time when BJP was in power at the centre and had appointed its own selected Governor in Kashmir, the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from their homes took place due to threats and violence. Instead of taking accountability for their role, BJP conveniently passed the buck and distanced themselves from the situation.

Similarly, in the case of Manipur, BJP once again is resorting to blaming the opposition, Chinese, and immigrants from Myanmar for the violence that erupted.

However, the real cause of the conflict was a High Court judgment directing the State to consider including the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list. This decision triggered an ethnic conflict between the dominant Meitei community and the tribal Kuki-Zomi community. It is evident that this judgment might have been influenced by the vote bank politics prevalent in Manipur, where the Meiti Hindus hold significant sway.

One would be naive to believe that the HC judgement had nothing to do with the Local Politics. The issue of vote bank politics has plagued India, and political parties, including the BJP, and they seem unwilling to learn from its damaging consequences.

As a result, it is the ordinary citizens who bear the brunt of such divisive politics. This pattern of passing the blame and avoiding accountability has led to dire consequences in regions like Kashmir, Punjab, and Manipur, where innocent civilians suffer the consequences of political manoeuvring.

It is therefore, crucial for political leaders, including those from BJP, to take responsibility for their actions and decisions rather than resorting to blame games. A sincere commitment to address the root causes of conflicts and a focus on the well-being of all citizens, irrespective of their religious or cultural backgrounds, is necessary to build a united and harmonious nation.

It is essential to remain mindful of the fact that our nation is geographically surrounded by potentially hostile powers, and they will always seek opportunities to exploit any vulnerabilities we may have. Therefore, it becomes imperative for us to introspect and question why we should willingly provide them with such openings.

As responsible citizens, we must recognize the significance of safeguarding our country's interests and national security. By avoiding internal strife and divisions, we can strengthen our unity and resilience, making it difficult for external forces to capitalize on our weaknesses. It is crucial to prioritize our collective well-being over vested political interests.

Azadi ka Amritkal !

By the time Indians wake up , it may get too late to do any FIRE FIGHTING.

 

Is it Really an AMRITKAL ?

No, It is an era of dirty communal politics being played on Indian Roads and in the minds of People ; Muslims BOLTEY HAIN HINDUYON NEY HUMAREY LOGON KO MAARA AUR HINDU BOLENGEY MUSLAMANON NEY HUMAAREY LOGON KO MAARA . It will not be surprising many more communities will join in this BLAME GAME, in near future.

 

It is an era where there is NO AMRIT but the minds of the people have been Poisoned.

Arun Shourie once remarked that Modi Sarkar Needs To Act Like A Government, Not A WhatsApp Group.

However, it paid no importance to that advise because afterall its Bhakts get impressed by this kind of governance and comical statements; lynching, Bulldozing houses, Plastic surgery of Ganeshji, and so on.

As a result, what can you expect from someone of this calibre who has studied “Entire Political Science” instead of just Political Science from a reputed University.

So, here comes another statement from the Entire Political Science scholar that; “Congress is Foreign in nature like the East India Company as it was founded by a foreigner”.

I will not be surprised that his Bhakts on Social media would be going Gaga over it and would now be busy circulating their Masters Voice all over social media as if their master has really ENLIGHTENED them.

This is incredible that someone as responsible as this gentleman can make such a ludicrous statement to cover his inadequacies and failures.

Anyways, let’s ask him following;

What were Lala lajpat Rai, Balgangadhar tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurbindo Ghosh, Dr Radhakrishnan and above all Sardar Patel and Subash Chandra Bose doing in that Congress that was founded by a Foreigner ; AO Hume. Many of them held the Highest office in that party.

Lala Lajpat Rai was the President of Congress in 1920, Tilak had joined Congress in 1890. Sardar Patel joined Congress in 1917.

Were these gentlemen fighting for British Freedom?

“You can fool some of the people(Bhakts) all of the time, ........., but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”

I think it would have been much better HAD HE STUDIED Just Political Science instead of ENTIRE POLITICAL SCIENCE, the generations to come would have benefited from his knowledge .