India: The Political Show-off...!

I am very happy to be able to get you back to reading this post. I couldn’t update my blog for a long time, and I assure you I was getting really anxious about it. So there is actually a lot that I feel like sharing with you all right now. But there are several constraints – the constraint of words, the constraint of perceptions, and of course, the constraint of time – both at your end and at mine.

You must have read about all the scandals and scams that are surrounding the UPA-II government over the past few months. From the 2G licenses allocation, to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi-2010, to the Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai, to the Yeddyurappa government surrounded by accusations regarding allotment of land to kins and cousins (It will be fair if I make a clear distinction that Yeddyurappa does not belong to the Congress, though I see no reason how that makes a lot of difference!).

There are a little less popularised stories such as the CBI putting hands up on the case of murder of little girl Arushi Talwar in Delhi. I feel like laughing that if the top-most investigating authority of the second fastest growing economy in the world can’t solve a murder case, how we expect it to probe into the matter of Rs 1.76 lakh crore scam which involves unfair allotment of licenses to carry out 2G services in India? Oh sorry, I forgot, the figure of 1.76 lakh crores is still not “officially” confirmed... it may be a little less, says Kapil Sibal, who wouldn’t have been very proud to take over A Raja!

So if you all expect me to talk about all this, may be I should have put a disclaimer at the beginning. But then, even though these are not exactly the kind of issues I would like to touch upon, I can’t actually go ahead in my post without making a mention of them. I am really sorry for shaking you all up and waking you to the reality. We must absorb the fact that India has to go a long way in becoming a country where people would live happily.

I was watching the live telecast of the railway budget that day. Mamta Banerjee was accused of favouring Bengal a lot in her budget primarily because she is eyeing the elections coming up in West Bengal in a matter of months. I am not here to opine about everything, but I guess facts and figures speak more than I want to. So the funniest part was when the railway minister spoke these sentences to the Opposition in the Parliament–

“When I say Mumbai, you don’t shout! When I say Ahmedabad, you don’t shout! When I say Kerala, Karnataka, Chennai, Delhi, Punjab... you don’t shout! What is wrong with Kolkata?”

Well, madam, no comments. But a single question – why do you feel something is wrong with Kolkata? So friends, let us just keep the political background of India in your mind before we move on to read this post.

I had a serious discussion with one of my friends recently on politics. I am sure she was speaking for most of the Indians in the country when she said that nothing will happen with India...! I kept asking, more for the sake of keeping the discussion alive than because I really don’t believe so – “Why do you think nothing will happen? As long as we people have this feeling that nothing will happen, nothing WILL happen!”

Some of you might recall the “secret” law of attraction – which is now as much a secret as is the fact that Mr. Michael Jackson is no more! I am not here to ignore the black aspects of the country, and keep on being happy at the way India is shining in the current period. It is not possible for us to shine as long as the shining comes from the core heart of India. Aren’t we surprised at the amount of variation we see in the country?

The large air-conditioned conference halls in Nariman Point housing some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world and the biggest slum at Mahim, surprisingly, co-exist in Mumbai. We can’t only be talking about the size of the economy and be happy with it. Distribution of economic benefits is the biggest challenge that lies with India at the moment.

Let me elucidate how. India is the second largest populated country in the world. And to tell you more if you haven’t yet heard this somewhere – our nation is the youngest in the world. Our population is the youngest population. Largest sector of the Indian population belongs to the working class. I am sure most of you who are reading this are also of the working age. That only shows the amount of potential we have for growth in the future, especially when we know that China and Japan are already going through the phase of an ageing population.

Well just in case you don’t misunderstand me, let me clarify. Moving ahead of China or the US is not what we want from the country. We only want that the economic benefits be shared in a justified manner. Note: I don’t say that money should be allocated “equally”... I only say that money should be allocated in a “justified manner”.

And what according to me, is justified?

Wait a minute! I haven’t given up yet... I will answer it soon!

I only want to say that we as citizens of the nation should not be unaware of all this. We must rise and speak-up. That is what I said in my last post – we must learn to take sides, and we must express what we believe. You don’t express things only because you want to change people, you express things only because you want to make it known to others what you feel.

I haven’t completed all that I wanted to say. This post is, as they show in TV serials at times... “To Be Continued...”

But I don’t want you people only to come back here and continue reading from where you left. It will only be wise if you think a little about this before you get back here.

In my posts to come, I will continue my point from where I left it and I will talk about what I think about this country and its future. The fact that India has a lot of problems to tackle is undeniable, but not necessarily undesirable. Because what will life be if it is always without any problems!!?

Think about it. For now, let me leave you with these lines written by me...

Khush rehne se, manzil jaati hai mil...

Sabko hanste rehna chaahiye, chahe Jack ho ya Jill.

Dard ho bhale hi, ya doctor ne di ho koi pill – 

Muskurane ka nahi lagta hai koi bill!

Ek baar smile karke toh dekhiye – kitna young lagega aapka dil!

So keep smiling always...

Yours forever,

Palkesh Asawa