India....an Opportunity Or Challenge

India……..An Opportunity or Challenge! “Since, I returned from South Africa, I’ve traveled over much of India, and I know, that I could travel for many more years and still only see a small part of her. And, yet I already know that what we say here means nothing to the masses of our country. Here, we make speeches for each other; and those English liberal magazines that may grant us few lines. The people of India are untouched; they’re politics are confined to bread and salt. Illiterate, they may be, but they are not blind; they see no reason to give their loyalty to rich and powerful men, who simply want to take over the road of the British, in the name of freedom. This congress tells the world it represents India, my brothers, India is 700,000 villages, not a few hundred Lawyers in Delhi and Bombay. Until, we stand in the field, with the millions that toil each day under the hot sun, ‘we, will not represent India’ ”.These words, that touched many souls were used by Mahatma Gandhi in his first public speech, and I am confident, he will repeat the same, if he returns back now. India is progressing in terms of industry, information technology; boosts to be the youngest country in the world. Political statements like “The next generation belongs to India”, make me question, aren’t we aware about the dragon (China), Brazil or any other low cost destination. We are a country of more than a billion people and I don’t believe in statistics that show reforms. There are more than 380 million people in the country, who earn less than $1 a day, adult literacy rate at 61%; about 150 million people don’t have access to proper drinking water; and almost half the children below five years of age are underweight. My, generation reads billion dollars coming in, as investment in infrastructure and also witnesses the grass root realities. We, hear about the industrial progress, and struggle for employment later graduation; out classed

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with a tag “Low Quality”. Our generation receives calls in call centre, with all the creative mind and develop application software, with “innovation” in heart and soul. The obligation, for us is to follow the rule that are already set, and play the game, in which we are not interested. If, I disrespect to an Ex-MP’s request, to have candid conversation in his home, and my generation can’t even name five ministers in the assembly, then, I guess, we are not at fault. We are very proud of our thousand year’s history, and I don’t want to waste ink for the present. For, my generation, it’s very difficult to understand, what is the society created later independence and the path to our destination “Developed INDIA”. Early this year, top Indian InfoTech companies posted drool inducing results for the quarter. According to estimates by the IT industry lobby, NASSCOM, Indian IT exports will grow 26 percent to $29.4 billion this year, a figure that could touch $60 billion by 2010. We, are aware that, the English speaking, technically sound and motivated Indians made the world turn their eyes on us, and won the respect in IT/BPO sector; added other different industry domains. They came here for cost but stayed for quality. The industry that generated employment, suffered attrition and still progressing. But, as per the TeamLease services, survey: By 2020 Indian unemployment rate is estimated at 30 percent or over 200 million people. This implies a fifteen fold rise from the existing level of just over 13 million. Ninety percent of the unemployed in 2020 will be in the 15-29 age group.Haveing, this in hand if our renowned Indian economists, write to turn 60 percent of Indian population, who are dependent on agriculture, to switch to other domains i.e. non-agricultural jobs, then, we are disrespecting our prime minister Man Mohan Singh ji’s words, “The technologies and the strategies unleashed by the first green revolution have run their course. This requires, as I have said before, a second ‘Green Revolution’ ”. Economists William and Paul Paddock wrote in Famine 1975, that all food aid to India 2

should be stopped and the country should be allowed to starve to death. The food could be better utilized else where, in places that had future. I don’t know what made them write so, but my generation witnesses the corruption at each and every level of our life. And, I am not surprised, that we are ranked #1 in business corruption abroad; no plans are effective and the right to information act, not withstanding.(Introduction video reveals the point). “India is witnessing the agri revolution; the budget is an out and out agri budget. Most distinguishing fact, was it addressed the grass root problem; the fundamentals of the agriculture. A budget for long term sustainable growth of agriculture”, these were very impressive words used by Shri Rajesh Srivastava, MD-Corporate and Commercial banking; Rabo India Finance in the agri revolution conference. The other side of India, the farmer, is not aware about the budget, nor can understand how it can effect their progress. They are illiterates, as noted in the Kisan Bandhu model. The Farmer-Banker relationship is not effective. In “BARDOLI” 1928, Sardar Vallabhai Patel stopped Farmer’s paying their tax, a form of injustice, to the British. But, in 2007 free India when a farmer performs his duty by paying the tax, he is not aware or the beneficiary for his rights. The Hierarchical governance allows them to remain slave forever. I don’t know what punishment does our Iron man of India, has for these corrupt officials (A Farmer speaks out in the video).As, a solution seekers, I guess we need to start saying “Strength respect Strength”, words used by our President APJ Abdul Kalam or may be, on the other side, “Strength and Honor”, words used by Russell Crowe in “The Gladiator”. The corporate, has made India to add more phones per month then in the first 45 years since independence. The internet is growing, with companies setting up networks,ITC’s e-choupal and Hindustan Unilevers iShakti;with Reliance industries expecting to have 600 rural kiosks across the country in the next three years as part of its retail roll out. But, 3

people from villages migrate to the cities, for the Banjara’s, it’s tradition; for the farmer, it’s hunger; for the youth the reason may be different. The result of this mass migration has become two fold. One, population of the cities has drastically gone up in the last 15 years. Two, urban poverty has spiked up drastically. And, when Shri B.Jayaraman GM, NABARD asks me “Why people migrate?” I, am speechless, but tried to disclose the fact/aggressiveness/anger in the video. I can’t close my eyes, to hide the truth and apologize if I am wrong. They, say “The country with oldest history, is young”. In 2025, the median age for India will be 31, against 39 for the US and China, and 44 for Russia and the UK. It is said India will be providing the workers to the world. But, my friends at the IIM’s are turning down Rs 1 crore plus salaries to set up shop on their own. The fear of failure, for the Indian entrepreneurs, exists only in the mind of the old. This is where the action is, this is the new land of opportunity. I pray, in 2020,my 37, will witness the vision of our President APJ Abdul Kalam: “ I, visualize a prosperous India well before the year 2020. We expect the people below the poverty line to come to near zero and our literacy must be nearly 100%.The human development index of India will be less then 50 against the present 127. Every Indian will either have a good university degree or quality training with globally competitive employable vocational skill. E-Governance would be in position, making the governance system transparent with a national ID card in position. Teledensity will reach over 75%.All our villages will have reliable, uninterrupted quality electric power supply.600,000 villages will have all three connectivitiesphysical,electronic and knowledge connectivity through the programme of PURA. The interlinking of rivers and water bodies and use of technology for water collection, water re-cycling and water management will result in equitable distribution of water for drinking,irrigation,industry,navigation and as natural beauty. There will be no shortage of water in any part of the country nor will disasters due to floods, water logging etc”. 4