"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 measures, but very substantially"

The words of our first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at the dawn of the world’s largest democracy still echo in the ears of every Indian. Nothing comforts as soothingly as a sweet nostalgia, especially when we find ourselves on the threshold of the dream that our founding fathers saw, crossing another milestone. 75 years of a successful democracy, is not just another moment for celebration but also for an unbiased introspection. 

What shall we mean by India, Just a landmass carrying 1.4 billion inhabitants and their distinct diversity of habitat, Culture, thoughts, and opinions, or a legacy of Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic? A so-called land of gross contradictions and antagonisms or a diversely United ideology capable of being Vishwaguru? I think if we have to truly understand India, we should try to gaze at it through different spectacles.

The idea of 'Hind' as a nation was rather a sui generis and first of its kind. To quote Firaq here, "sar zamin-e-hind par, awaam-e-aalam ke, qaafile baste gaye, Hindostan banta gaya" which summarizes it all. 

After a gradual mounding of history and forging through colonization, India finally established itself as Republic on 15th August 1947. But this was not the end of the line but a start of a new story. 

India rather started as an unstable union on a modern political scenario. Winston Churchill even said,

“If Independence is granted to India, power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters, all Indian leaders will be of low caliber and men of straw. They will fight amongst themselves for power and India will be lost in political squabbles. A day would come when even air and water would be taxed in India" 

The world had its eyes on us, and I can proudly say that we have left them in awe. The same nations call us with heavily lauded suffixes like “ the ‘Asian giant’, ‘The Pharmacy of the world’ ‘ The world’s largest democracy ‘workshop of the world’, and much more. To measure ourselves on developmental parameters, at Independence our Literacy rate was 12% of our population, today it's more than 77.7%. Our Poverty rate was 70 - 75% of our population, today it's at nearly 10 %. We survived as Importers of 17.7 MMT rice from the west and today we have a 39% share in the global rice trade. I am not saying that everything is gold and shiny, but we have certainly crossed some bigger icebergs. 

I often feel that Disasters and Obstacles are the "great equalizers" bringing out the best and the worst of humankind's civilization. India has seen them all, to quote a few like the purging wars of 1947, 1962, 1965, 1971, and 1999, or the great economic resentment in the form of balance of payment crisis. We often say that "we are all together in this", but pandemic has laid bare the falsity of the phrase. Access to information has not been equal. The access to resources has not been equal. But one thing that remains equal is the Hope that we will improve through these adversities to make us the best version of ourselves. 

Who doesn't need an improvement..! 

For balancing the tripod of the judiciary, executive, legislation, India surely needs some reforms we shall invest more on our core necessities such as education, Healthcare, Environment, and food security, as a noted economist and Nobel prize winner Amartya sen has suggested. It is unacceptable if even a single person died of starvation in our country when the godowns are overflowing, also India should work on its opportunities with demographic dividends on a priority basis before it turns into a demographic disaster. India needs "Social Engineering" to Get rid of the shackles of casteism, prejudice & stereotyping, communalism. 

India needs Human Development Product as a rightful measure of development than GDP.

HDP should consist of -

• Female labour force participation 
• Gender income parity 
• Water Quality and availability analysis 
• Nutrition & nourishment index 
• Quality of polity
  

Environmental sustainability of development growth equity goes hand in hand, otherwise whatever we achieved will be only a handicapped development. In the century of gross adversities, Climate change has established itself as a "great equalizer" which will spare none, irrespective of the developmental, ecological, or economical criteria of respective regions. Despite its impact, this presents an opportunity in disguise for developing countries like India. India was under obligation to announce some form of ‘net zero’ commitment, which it finally commitment for at COP 26. While India’s much-lauded commitment was the new flavour of the season. 

1. The agricultural sector of India is the pivot of our economic and food security. After critically analysing the fortune and dooms of the green revolution. India needs an 'Evergreen Revolution' with sustainable and climate Resilient Agricultural practices. 
2. The manufacturing sector has immense potential to utilize our demographic dividend and Asian economies like China, Japan, etc stand as a torchbearer. India has the opportunity to start Green industrialization to meet the domestic and global needs of the century. 
3. The service sector of India has always been an epitome of rises, along with the rise in climate-friendly Unicorns, there lies much-unexplored scope in front of us to be a global leader in sustainable services. 

The strength of the nation lies not in its loud claims and mouth-watering realms of rhetoric policies, but in the spirit of service and that of the complete dedication of one’s both body and soul to the cause of unity and integrity of the nation. There is still a long rally ahead. But I am feeling equally mesmerized that I will not find enough space to note down all the achievements that India has surpassed through all her obstacles. A. P. J. Abdul kalam sir has rightly said that,

"India has all its necessities, just the problem is they are unequally scattered". 

Our Past, as a key, to present on the voyage towards the future. In the end, I remember what Sardar Patel said about this land,

"There is something unique in this soil, which despite many obstacles has always remained the abode of great souls."

I hope those torch-bearing rays will keep my country on the right path and I will pray that where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thoughts and actions, Into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake..!!!

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