For India : A Ray of Hope!

We often hear people say ‘We need change!’ Most often this ‘change’ is not qualified or described. And then we get what we deserve. Unless we are specific, be it in our personal life, public life, professional life, private life or political life we do not get what we think we should. This happens for a variety of reasons but mostly because someone else takes control and we let go or don’t know the reason why something happened or even worse we become indifferent as we are least affected. When I say ‘we’ and ‘I’ refer to here is the Great Indian Middle Class.

The Great Indian Middle class which comprises 60% of the population  on an average estimate (25% live in abject poverty and 15% live in utmost affluence) collectively pay the highest taxes, face the most amount of difficulty in day-to-day living and are those who keep saying ‘we need change’ and are seldom the ‘agents of change’.

Thanks to greater awakening, citizen activism, online social networks the tides of change are beginning to see the light of the day there is hope in the next decade to see a good mix of Indians embracing professional politics who belong to this ‘Great Indian Middle Class’. The change has to begin within. And some of it is happening here and now. From questioning to seeking answers, from letting things happen to making them happen from being taken for a ride to being the one in the driver’s seat is what will make a positive difference, help make things better and make the country world-class.

The nation is fed up of politics being run by a few families. This has to end. The question remains, Yes we do want dynastic politics to end but if these families back off, which one of us is willing to take the reins? 

Then comes the question  of Reforms. We need reforms in a few sectors and changes in a few processes to make this a reality. Education, healthcare, science, women’s welfare, elections, police, environment and business are in dire need of new and positive direction. There is a lot of deep diving that needs to be undertaken in each of these eight areas.

India is poised for greater things. The future is in India’s favour. The nation needs to move ahead as one united force to eliminate the 25% who live in abject poverty and not let the 15% who live in utmost influence run the lives of the majority. We can no longer be a nation of South India and North India, we can no longer be a nation of the the politically Left against the Politically Right, and we can no longer be a nation of the super-rich and the ultra-poor. We have to be the nation that leads from the front: A nation that other nations look up to for inspiration and direction. If the Government and the Opposition work together (with constructive criticism when needed) there is no stopping India from achieving the status of being economically and politically an inspiration for the global community. Because we have it in us and we just need to come out of our shells to be different, to be better and to be world-class. The Time is Now!

'Better, Different and World- class : This is what India truly deserves!'

Amit Prabhu

@amithpr on Twitter

The writer is a communications management professional currently based in Chicago.