70 Years of Independence; Looking Back Towards The Future!
The real success stroy of India is just beginning!
“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom…”
With these words, India heralded her freedom on 15th August 1947. It was a statement, declaring to the world that India had finally arrived.
It was the moment when more than a million voices celebrated the new-found freedom, which was hard-fought for and was seeped in the blood of countless people who fought for independence.
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Exciting Time!
It must have been an exciting time! With newly gotten independence and the winds of change blowing throughout the country, people must have been looking forward to better times.
Technologically too, India was looking forward to make strides and create a new standing for itself in the world.
Over the years, technology-wise, India has progressed beyond anybody’s dreams. In just the last decade alone, India has embraced technology like no other nation and has emerged as the second-largest largest nation of mobile phone users.
We are rapidly moving towards a digital India which can boast of a deep penetration of technology in all walks of life, including agriculture.
An Accelerated Journey
Mobile Phones were introduced in India in the year 1995. In just 22 years since then, India has over 1.18 Billion mobile users along with some of the lowest mobile tariff in the world.
To put things in perspective, the next country on the list is USA with around 327 Million mobile subscribers.
Today, mobile communication has penetrated even the remotest of rural areas. It is all set to improve with the introduction of affordable 4G services and compatible devices.
It is an exciting time to be a mobile phone user in India right now. With scores of telecom companies vying to sell their services, it is the Indian consumer who is the ultimate beneficiary.
Companies are eyeing India as a lucrative market are ready to invest billions just to get a share of the India pie.
Economy Booming?
From all counts, it seems that India is progressing towards a better and a stable economy. The recent consolidation of taxes into one GST (Goods and Sales Tax) is a sign that India is ready to go through considerable pain in order to emerge as a stronger, more stable player in the world economy.
Companies now make products to suit Indian conditions and Indian tastes. Now if that’s not progress, then we don’t know what is.
Opening up the economy to the world markets was a wise decision taken at the right time in the timeline of India’s economic journey. It has given the world a taste of Indian markets and Indian consumers the options that they previously didn’t have.
New Frontiers
India has been at the forefront of nuclear technology, with a focus on more and more indigenous development, in order to have zero reliance on foreign technology.
India has made itself a global nuclear power to reckon with. India also possesses the nuclear deterrent in case of an all-out war with any of the unstable neighbours. But India’s focus has always been on harnessing nuclear power for generating clean energy to light up its villages and cities.
India’s space program is well on its way to become one of the most premier and foremost space programs in the world. It is regularly reported and appreciated in foreign media.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched their most ambitious project yet, the Mangalyaan, on 5th November 2013. India became only the third country to successfully send a vehicle to orbit around Mars. India also has the distinction of their Mars mission costing the least among all the successful ones so far. More information on India’s Mars mission is available here.
Not Everything Is A Bed Of Roses
Like all things, wherever there is good, there is always some bad to balance things out. On one hand, India is rapidly making progress in scientific and technological fronts and on the other is facing basic issues such as providing sanitation to all its people.
The steps are being taken to make India free from open defecation. It is slow going and it is going to take time. But it is happening. That the Government has acknowledged it as an issue is the first right step towards getting rid of it.
The caste system is still prevalent in some areas in the country. It is indeed a shameful fact that it is still being practised even when people know better than that.
Reservation is a burning issue and meritocracy is in danger of being wiped out. Rapes and human rights violations are becoming a daily occurrence and we, the people, are in danger of becoming de-sensitized of such important issues.
Hope is Eternal!
Even a small change can prove enough to move mountains. It is so perfectly put into words by Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
People are waking up to some ground realities. And now, they are ready to fight for what they believe to be right. In short, they are learning to stand up for themselves.
They are learning to take action instead of just complaining. They are becoming the change, instead of waiting for a change.
While this is happening, there is still hope that India has what it takes to be a superpower and its people are ready to go to great lengths to make it happen.
We sign off holding this hope in our hearts and keeping our hands ready for action. On its 71st namesake, we wish India a Very Happy Independence Day! Let’s all wear our national pride on our sleeve and work together to better our lives.
