Independence - Have we used it well? Contest for August 2008!

Dear Dolor,

Thank you very much for your kind mesage of congrats.

Dear Usha,

Thanks ever so much for your congratulatory message.I shall post the entry soon.

Aruna Habibi, Your Majesty,EQ of the kingdom of Masti Magic!!

Thanks so much for your warm message.Yes, I shall post the article here after going through your tips on how to accomplish that !
It is your motivation and support that is bringing gifts my way so
Thanks for everything again.

Dear IndusLady, Posting my contribution as per request.

Independence -- Have we used it well?

Freedom and Independence came to India on 15th August 1947.On that day, our first Prime Minister,Jawaharlal Nehru, captured the mood of liberation and independence that we as a nation collectively felt when he referred in his speech to “ A moment which comes but rarely in history, when we step out of the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of the nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.”
Looking back ,61 years later, how do we view this moment? How has India fared in its endeavour to give voice to its soul?
Sixty one years is a landmark event in the life of an individual but in the life of a nation, it is a very short span , hence any assessment has to be done with generosity and a great deal of optimism.
We are a nation comprising of 28 states,1618 languages, 6 ethnic groups, 640 castes, clebrating 29 major festivals, believers of all the faiths existing in the world find their home here.
Despite centuries old religious beliefs holding sway in various regions of the country and co existing peacefully , sporadic ugly reverberations incited by undesirable elements raise their ugly heads to create volcanic eruptions whereby the lava of communal hatred seeps into the very foundations breeding catstrophic calamities.
In recent times, the Amarnath land issue has Jammu and Kashmir seething.Many of us may not be aware that it was a Muslim shepherd called Bota Mallick of Pahalgam who discovered the lingam and the cave 150 years ago.On seeing it he rushed back and conveyed the news to the Pandits
And even today a share of the offerings at the shrine go to his descendants.
In the following years Hindus from across the country flocked to the cave aided by local Muslims who assisted them on their journey – the pony wallahs and the tradesmen who set up shops selling puja items.This yatra has been a shining example of secularism where Muslims help the yatris and communal harmony seems as natural as breathing.This year a record number of 5 lakh piligrims have already visited the shrine
India is a country of continental proportions and considering the challenges that had to be faced , the journey that was embarked upon in 1947 has resulted in impressive progress on all fronts.
The other day , as I waited at the traffic lights signal, I happened to observe a woman construction worker laboriously piling sand from a huge mountain of sand into her basket to be carried to the site of construction.Nearby sat a little baby playing in the sand and just across sat a little girl wearing her school uniform writing on her slate with a piece of chalk.Suddenly, I heard the baby screaming and the little girl ran to pick up the wailing baby.She ran carrying the child. to the mother who promptly took out a packet of biscuits and handed it over to the little girl to feed the baby.The woman then opened a little pouch tucked into her waist band and out came a cell phone .She made her call and chatted for a few seconds and switched it off and returned it carefully to its pouch and piled her basket with sand and balancing it on her head walked on to complete her days work.As I drove off when the lights turned green, I thought to myself if this is not progress what else is? We have come a long way indeed .It has been at a very slow pace sometimes and surprisingly at times with lightning speed too.
We have increased life expectancy from 32 years to 65 years with the vast improvement in medical facilities and the establishment of Primary Health Centres with special emphasis on immunization against all communicable diseases.
In the year 2010, 54% of the population will be 25 years old.If the potential of this young nation could be tapped and the citizens energy and enthusiasm could be harnessed to the task of nation building what fantastic opportunities could be utilized.The young work force will require a huge job generation effort.Our GDP growth rate has been a robust 9%.Henceforth the Indian economy will need to grow even faster, and for long years in a sustained manner.
An important area of development has been in that of infrastructure .We inherited excellent roads and the mammoth Railway institution from the British. Gigantic strides of development have been witnessed in both these areas with 20 lakh km of new roads being laid. Several new seaports and airports have also been developed.
The Government has been giving special attention to the development of education with a massive increase in public investment in education at all levels, elementary, secondary and higher education as well.The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been strengthened and the mid-day meal programme has been expanded in all districts of the country.Several new schemes for pre-matric and post matric scholarships for children from the SC, ST and OBC categories have been launched , as also National merit cum means scholarship for students hailing from economically weaker sections and children with disabilities have also been approved fro the current year as the Prime Minister announced in his Independence Day address to the nation.
A new Skill Development Mission which will work under the supervision of the Prime Minister created with active participation of the private sector will impart special training to our young men and women , our workers and our technicians.
Our national confidence has been enhanced with the result oriented initiative of the Green Revolution begun in 1965.It transformed India into a food surplus economy from a food deficit economy and India became an exporter of food grains ten years ago.
The year 1991 saw the initiation of the economic reforms which opened up the minds of Indian corporate leaders to the power of global markets, introduced them to the concept of accepting competition within the country and from outside and raised consumer awareness. Our hard currency reserves have grown to a stupendous US$ 220 billion today.This new development encouraged entrepreneurs to dream big, create jobs, enhance exports and acquire companies abroad.
The Telecom Revolution brought Rural India in touch with Urban India.
People no more feel they live in isolation as they discovered that they could reach out in a jiffy to anyone they wished to contact.
The blossoming of our Space Technology connects millions of us across the length and breadth of the country with our full scale television facility.The opinions of a billion people can now be heard by all.Besides this India is now launching satellites for international consumption.
The Software Technology program along with the economic reforms of 1991 laid the foundation for this industry’s spectacular progress.Indias IT Exports are projected to reach $60 billion by 2010.It has demonstrated that Indians too could succeed in the most competitive of global markets.India has the best young brains and the large youth population has immense potential and are already positioning themselves as the knowledge hub of the world.The young professionals are making waves in foreign countries and the IT industry has progressed in leaps and bounds.
In the automobile sector, India has become a leading manufacturer of cars, commercial vehichles and components.The advent of the Nano car is an important milestone in the small car manufacturing segment.
We have ample proof to convince ourselves that we have come a long way from 1947 and all the major achievements have transformed our lives in a way we never imagined would happen.Nevertheless the fact remains that we still have a very long way to go.
An astounding 350 million are illiterate and 260 million people are still below the poverty line.Access to clean drinking water is a major concern for a large number and malnutrition is another factor that haunts a large number of children.The face of rural India has changed a great deal , yet there is much more to be achieved for a better quality of life , for India lives in her villages.
Nearly half our population consists of women and yet there is still a lot wanting for them to attain the respect and rights naturally.The birth of a girl child is not celebrated with the same fervour as that of a boy child and female foeticide is still practiced.The evils of the dowry system still takes its toll among young brides who are the victims .Women must be given access to opportunities for education and become economically independent to lead fulfilling lives .By alienating them half the country’s human resources are being wasted.The 21st century has seen a lot of progress with women taking up careers in all fields, be it politics, medicine, law, the police force and in the corporate sector.
Of the many disturbing issues the one that is most visible is the improper distribution of wealth to an alarming extent. It is basically due to the rampant corruption and failure of our governing system.The powerful are reaping financial benefits without any fear of public perception and will go to any lengths to twist the rules in their favour and to the detriment of the common man.Todays citizens must have their faith restored in the rule of the law.Our judiciary needs to find a way to deliver timely justice to all, for justice delayed is indeed justice denied.
Corruption is the bane of our society and it is the single most important reason for people losing faith in the efficacy of our system.To eradicate corruption completely is an Utopian thought and so the challenge lies in finding ways and means to make it unrewarding and attach a stigma to those indulging in it.This is where the Media can play a vital part.By exposing the wrong doers and encouraging fairness, accountability and transparency in governance a lot can be achieved in establishing this Utopian ideal of a corruption free society.
India is an established regional power and the second most populous country in the world.Pluralism of religion is a cornerstone of the Indian republic and it is a sad state of affairs that 2008 has seen mind boggling scenes of calamity and destruction in the wake of the bomb blasts in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad and the Amarnath land issue.On the 15th of August the Prime Minister delivered his Independence Day Speech to the nation from behind his bullet proof enclosure to empty seats in the VIP rows.Those who watched the telecast would have noticed the thin crowds and heard the Prime Ministers pointed references to terrorism with sad sympathy.
Let us not allow ourselves to be disheartened with this grim dark reality of the present situation.It is beholden upon us the citizens to pledge ourselves to work with integrity and dedication to ensure a bright future for the succeeding generations.
What is it that will help India move forward? It is the deeply engrained democratic approach that has given India her identity over the past half- century.The creativity of the people, the diversity that we are proud of ,our spirituality , our legacy bequeathed by leaders who were stalwarts who sacrificed for us so that we may become our own masters,our deep rooted sense of human values,the care and share within families and communities, and especially the extra supporting spirit in all mothers which is truly incomparable will all ensure that India will remain a peaceful, multi-religious and multi-ethnic community.

JAI HIND

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Dear Paulina
I am totally at a loss for words after reading this impressive and impeccable article you have written.
Thanks to Induslady for choosing this gem of an article as a winner. And the prize is so beautiful and worthy too.

You have covered a wide range here that its more like reading a section of history written by a renowned professor. And the statistics that you provide substantiates and compliments this writeup.

Your lines travelling from parts of Nehru's speech to the movement across the border to the point where the daily worker uses a cell phone...
WOW how else to describe your writing!

I am knowing more about Skill development mission and Green revolution..
And above all you have mentioned the impact of Corruption.
The last 2 paras are gems to sum up the whole article.. the statistics again is par excellence.
Such a priveledge to read your article and immerse myself in this writing.

Jai Hind

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Dear Dolorcosta
congrats on special mention here.. your writeup was very nice and a proof again of your excellent writing skills. Do keep writing more and more..

JAI HIND Lalithamy great Rani Paulina Amma
Just no words to write I am speechless no wonder you got 1st............
I only wish I had some friend who is a Journalist, would have given this article to print it in the newspaper.......the whole nation should read this
You have covered each and every moment so beautifully from the time of Independence till today.......it is up to date
With all the developments and still what all needs to be developed..........
Just enjoyed reading this article my dear just hats off to you
to our winner

Hi Dolorcosta
Your articles is to good you have summed it up so well.
Thanks your for posting your article for us to enjoy reading it............
I had read it yesterday itself but just couldn't write so sending an fb today
Thanks for sharing............

Paulina,
CONGRATS...you deserve it...
Went through the winning post...you had covered sector by sector, giving appropriate developments and advises in those areas....
As AC had pointed out, the last para gives us everything in a nutshell..
Let us all unite to use the Independance we had gained, in a way it serves true to its word..
JAI HIND!

sriniketan

Dolorcosta,
Went through your post...
With freedom, we get responsibilites which should be handled with care..
True, we had to go a long way to enjoy our Independance, fully...