Date: 1/12/2003
THIS IS THE MAIL FROM A YOUNG MAN, BUBBLING WITH PATRIOTISM, OPTIMISM AND ENTHUSIASM ABOUT THE FUTURE OF INDIA. HE WRITES-
Dear friends.
"Recently "The Hindustan Times" conducted an essay contest. I wrote the following one for it. I wish to share it with all of you."
.......................============
The essay is about the India of 2025 AD. IT IS WRITTEN BY A HOPEFUL YOUNG MAN IN THE TYPICAL STYLE OF THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CLIMATE OF A COUNTRY THAT HAS SWALLOWED "PARTITION" AND LEFT NO TRACE OF IT.
AFTER FINISHING READING, ONE NEEDS TO ASK,
WHAT ROLE WILL SONIA KHAN, HER POWERFUL BUT INVISIBLE ITALIAN BRIGADE AND HER VERY VOCAL AND VISIBLE ISLAMIC FIFTH COLUMN PLAY IN THE COMING YEARS?
HOW WILL THE KASHMIR CONFLICT BE RESOLVED? WILL THE NUCLEAR BOMBS STAY WRAPPED UP IN COTTON WOOL?
HOW WILL AN ESSAY WRITTEN BY A FRESH GRADUATE FROM PUNJAB UNIVERSITHY IN LAHORE COMPARE WITH THIS ONE WRITTEN IN INDIA?
HAS THE WRITER HEARD OF THE MAXIM, "MAN PROPOSED, GOD DEPOSES," AND IN THE CASE OF HINDUSTAN, IF "MAN PUTS UP ONE WALL, GOD DESTROYS TWENTY."
AN INDIAN IN 1930 WOULD HAVE WRITTEN OF THE INDIA IN 2000 AS ONE UNITED COUNTRY (AKHAND BHARAT), A WORLD SUPER POWER. NOW READ ON.
...................==============
INDIA 2025: LOOKING INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL
It is the year 2025 and India has all what had been dreamt for her by the millions for ages. India has become a nation “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; where knowledge is free; where the world has not been broken up into fragments of narrow domestic walls; where words come out from the depths of truth; where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; where the mind is led by thee into ever widening thought and action” – the grand vision of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore has really been achieved.
Mother India has reawakened and is leading the world with all her stupendous vitality. The India of 2025 is brighter, greater, and much higher than she ever was. She has recovered her old spiritual knowledge and experience in all its splendour, depth and fullness. This age-old spirituality is constantly flowing into newer forms of philosophy, literature, art, science and critical knowledge. The Indian spirit has revoked and the contemporary problems are being seen in that Indian light. The society is formulated on a greater synthesis of spirituality. Mother India has again lifted her head higher towards the supreme source of light and strength and is discovering the complete meaning and a vaster form of her dharma. The Indian Renaissance as dreamt by Sri Aurobindo is almost complete.
The Indians have regained their “rishihood”. They are truthful; have a spotless character; a deeper vision and thought towards life. Indians are all educated. They are people of high learning and intellect. There is a deeper realization in Indians that a divine potential is present in them. Their spiritual vision, their spirit of inquiry has revived with much vigour and vitality. Everyone does his duty with utmost dedication and commitment. There is satisfaction and contentment all over. There is jusT one race all over India – the Indian race. There is just one ‘dharma’ – the Indian ‘dharma’. There is one religion – the Indian religion. India had never been so glorious in all her existence.
There is a high degree of nationalism in all her citizens. This nationalism pervades the entire globe, the whole of universe; it is not confined to some physical boundaries. Mother India has succeeded in instilling her version of globalization in her children. Today the meaning of globalization is the Indian one – “vasudhaiva kutumbakam” (the entire world is one big family) and “swadesho bhuvantrayam” (the entire world is your own country) are the order of the day.
India has re-structured her national institutions to the level of utmost efficiency. The political and administrative structures have been geared up to meet the requirements of the new millennia. There is a greater emphasis on good governance and effective administration. The democratic framework of the nation has been integrated. Right from the local self-governing bodies to the highest law making body, the Parliament, there is a thread of control, which lies in the hands of the masses. The lok-sabha constituencies and vidhaan-sabha constituencies are kept intact. The vidhaan- sabha constituencies are further divided into smaller ones namely the panchayati constituencies. There are direct elections only at the local level – the panchayati level. There is only one sort of local self-governing bodies all over the nation – the panchayats. The people directly elect the members of Panchayats. The members of Panchayat of a vidhaan-sabha constituency in turn elect the member of vidhaan-sabha from among themselves. The members of Vidhaan-sabha of a lok-sabha constituency in turn elect the member of lok-sabha. There is a provision to call back the representatives at a particular level by the people who are just below them in democratic hierarchy. There is a wider delegation of authority. The power of control lies with the people at all times. There are numerous safeguards and agencies to monitor the conduct of public representatives. Wider constitutional amendments have been made to meet the challenges of the Resurgent India.
The politicians and administrators of the day are people of character. They are man of high learning and experience. There is a larger elite council, composed of distinguished educationists, scholars – modern as well as traditional, and other man of high mettle, which guides the government in major policy decisions. The polls on a particular issue are subjective in nature. One has to support his decision with proper reasons backed by facts and figures. The days of the “illiterate” and “vested” politics have gone.
All the social evils of the past – casteism, linguism, untouchability - are no more. An entirely new social fabric based on love, harmony and division of labour has come into being. All get equal opportunities to grow in intellect, skills, learning in various fields of knowledge etc. People choose what suits their tastes, get versed in a particular trait and serve the society as a whole with their skills and learning. There is a mutual trust and a mutual sense of interdependence even in the era of a very complex socio-economic structure. There is a minimum standard of living, which everyone enjoys. Special skills and learning are much respected in the society. There is a social security inherent in the new social order. No formal institutions to insure the risks to life, wealth and property. Relationships are much harmonious and are the basis of the entire social structure. A much richer set of culture has started growing. No dormancy is ever prevailing. Everything is based on reason and rationale to enhance love, belongingness, harmony, trust, sense of inter dependence in the society. Indian society of now stands alone in the entire universe, what to say of the world.
The educational system of the nation is unparallel on various frontiers. The education of the day is an assimilation of life-building, man-making, character-forming ideas. The education methodologies and content are very practical. The basic education is imparted to the children of age-group 6 to 12 years. In these tender years the kids are made fully aware and familiar with nature and all creature living in it. After imparting the basic education the children are reared and nurtured to become full citizens of the country. They are made able to participate fully and responsibly in all discussions and debates, which take place in their society. The next two to three years are spent in teaching the numerous livelihood skills. There are adequate opportunities for higher education for the brighter and dedicated students. The rest are trained in various vocational traits to meet the day-to-day necessities of the society and also to back up the highly trained professionals. The entire educational spectrum exposes the students in a lively fashion in History, Geography, Environment and living creatures. The university system has been re-built to provide the real essence of higher education - Intellectual alertness, quickness and originality. These temples of learning are producing the leaders, the philosophers, the thinkers, the scientists, the technocrats, the economists, the artisans, and the lawyers of the new age by leaps and bounds. The richness of Indian education is surpassing all.
On the economic front, Indians have succeeded in evolving an environmental friendly regime, which practices the age-old principle of preservation. The USP (unique selling proposition) of the Indian economy, now, is – optimal consumption. Natural resources are utilized optimally and also there are wider measures to replenish them in a time bound framework. Indians have picked up the genesis of continuity. Indian civilization of today can boast to continue for another tens of thousands of years with all its richness and vigour. The economy is based on the fundamental principle of “bahujan hitaaya bahujan sukhaaya” (well being of all, happiness for all). There is wider employment. There is no exploitation. A minimum level of economic support is available to all.
None goes to bed with empty stomach. None live with torn clothes. There is a shelter for everyone. Wider support for entrepreneurship is available and the economy is conducive for newer ventures having a social touch in them. There is a check on those products and services, which harm the human society as a whole in the long run. There is emphasis on luxury with simplicity.
The agrarian structure of the economy is further strengthened. Production of high quality food products is one of the major emphases. Productivity is enhanced by natural means. There is a wider research on traditional methods; they are being modernized to cope up with the contemporary needs. The rich bio-diversity of the Indian agriculture is furthered by the intelligent use of biotechnology and traditional time tested approaches.
The manufacturing sector of the country is coming out with a plethora of products. The portfolio of the Indian industry had never been so rich. Indian manufacturing drives the Indian economy to self-sufficiency and is also setting standards for the entire world. There are products which satisfy the needs of consumers and also the whims and fancies. Indian industry is setting up the foundations of third age industrial revolution based on sustained development and intelligent use of natural resources.
Indians have come up with excellent methodologies of various sorts of conservation. Be it the forests, wildlife, be it the water resources, energy resources, Indian conservation principle stands alone. The Indian principle envisages that check the erosion right at the roots. It is no intelligence to first set up industries, which pollute the environment, and then bring up complicated devices to minimize those levels of pollutants. Indian industrial processes are based on environmental friendly techniques from the very beginning.
Having dealt with their basic problems – polity, society and economy – Indians are on their creation spree. There is a tireless striving towards creation, towards invention and innovation in all possible fields, man can ever think of. Be it science – the material science, the psychic sciences, the spiritual sciences, and the medical sciences; be it technology – space technology, nuclear technology, technology in all its myriad forms is being developed and refined by the Indian mind. On the aesthetic frontiers, Indians are developing all sorts of arts – paintings, sculptures, articles, music, dances and what not; monuments with mesmerizing splendour. The Indians have left out no field. Indians have integrated the time-tested traditions with modern technologies to arrive at a harmonious blend. There is sensitivity in every Indian venture. They are not throwing away their past, rather are refining and building on it. This is the very reason why India of 2025 has grown so prosperous in such a short period. The Indian psyche has revamped its strong feedback mechanism. It invents and develops things, tests them in nature’s laboratory and refines them, add on them.
The crystal ball is showing all this. Prabuddha Bharat has taken deeper roots. India of the ages has re-awakened. She has started living with all her liveliness. She has lifted her head higher towards the supreme source of light and strength and has started discovering the complete meaning and a vaster form of her Dharma. Let us join hands to achieve this India , the India of the year 2025 which the crystal ball is showing to all of us.
.......................============
MY GRANDFATHER'S ESSAY ON THE FUTURE OF INDIA, WRITTEN IN 1930 READS, "IN THE YEAR 2000 INDIA WILL BE A SUPER POWER AND THERE WILL BE BHAGWA FLYING OVER RED FORT AND MILLIONS OF PILGRIMS WILL TRAVEL TO AYODHYA TO VISIT THE SRI RAM TEMPLE.
KASHMIR WILL BE A TOURISTS' PARADISE WITH MORE TOURISTS COMING HERE THAN GOING TO SWITZERLAND."
I WISH MY GRANDFATHER HAD NOTED MOHAMMED ALI JINNAH AMONG THE INDIANS OF HIS DAY.
...........................000000000
[_private/ftarc.htm]