Making India Great - An opportunity to fulfill the vision of our pioneers

The foundation of India as a nation has been laid down in our Constitution. Framed after  a rigorous  and methodical study of various countries in the world our constitution have been developed by stalwarts who have pondered over most of the important areas. We can say that the Constitution is a ray of hope for us. It is a fact that through numerous amendments in the constitution many concepts have changed but the main goal laid out is unity in diversity, integrity , sovereignty and upheaval of secular ideal in the world.
It could be seen that since after getting independence in 1947 there were wide speculations among western political observers that the structure of this nation will fall apart. There were so many regional interests, language -wise divides and prevalent economic inequalities that from western eyes it seemed quite inevitable this will happen.
That it has not come true is because our constitution has been flexible enough to accommodate regional concerns and the quality of governance and administration. After Independence, it was quite a monumental task to  incorporate the various princely provinces through accession to India .
This task was mainly taken care of by Vallabhbhai Patel  and numerous negotiations in diplomatic levels took place for achieving that.
Today we are here because India has provided the most favourable accommodation to the second largest Muslim population in the world and all other major religions.

In the language front, an emphasis was seen regarding use of Hindi as official language but we have English being accepted whereas many other vernacular languages given special importance .

If we look at the Gorkhaland or Kashmir related issues today we will see that a clear dilemma of thought  between separate statehood and total 'azadi' is prevalent in sections of masses. But 'azadi' from whom and to what good use has to be clarified. If West Bengal doesnot provide the resources for the Darjeeling District and the hills then where are they? Apart from the government jobs through competitive exams what else they have managed to secure for themselves. Without the educational Institutes and colleges here where are their expectation of modern life fulfilled?
It is a grievous question. And why only Gorkhas , There are numerous other sects like Kamtapuris, Rajbangshis, Lepchas etc. and so many who could claim there individual land. It is West Bengal that is able to provide the  economic and developmental package for them all. The amount of development work  done by the current West Bengal Government in the Hills is quite admirable.
To derail it by leading the masses to agitation  is not only calling for deprivation  but misleading also. It is bound to end up in a soup. We have seen the consequences of partition in Bengal and how it has affected us culturally and economically. It is imprudent to say that Bengal has been the oppressor to them and they get nothing from us.
The use of Bengali language in itself in Bengal is very limited unlike all  other states that uphold their own languages. If Bengali is started as a supporting language or optional subject it can only increase the depth of understanding being one of the richest languages. To turn it into a political game  is not only catapulted but eye washing of the people also.

Effective implementation of our defence forces for maintaining peace also calls for observation of human rights. Atrocities committed by Indian army personnel in J&K are well known and it needs a formulated policy of the upper echelons of the forces for making a battalion that is run on standards and not oppression.
When Raja Hari Singh acceded to India he was the Hindu king of a Muslim dominated region.  But how can we ever forget the Pundits who have been uprooted in herds to leave the valleys over the years. If 'azadi'  for Kashmir is the issue, then a voice of theirs also needed equally important. Azadi means absolute sovereignty rather than becoming  banana of a neighbouring state. Without the infrastructural standard of Indian nation where is the valley to provide for its people? There is every chance of  the resources being concentrated on handfuls and common people living in despair. Indian state has the capability to chalk out the development plans that can actually turn they valley into a goldmine. From reincorporating the youth in the army jobs  to developing the academic arena through the universities and institutes the place can reclaim the very best where people will again visit to get refreshed and purified by nature. It is not a question of the Indian state illegally acquiring the land but the scope of what India can provide to people using its vast resources. It is for the good of the people that the valley is part of India and we have the Kashmiri minds with us.

Separatism is an idea that often breeds with the focus on identity. While looking carefully we would see it is socio -economic well being that actually fulfills the identity. With the vastness of India it is natural that here it can be done most effectively.

India's main focus for development have to be  agriculture, science, education and healthcare and not only any one or two. While we have seen misguided policies for the farmers for many years and that they are  unable to get their dues , education sector has suffered for lack of resources and proper utiliation.

In india the emphasis on research has shifted from policy implications to knowledge development. We need to develop research works that will not only guide Indian policymakers frame better policies but open new dimensions in education. The creation of job is also related to these ideas. It is a question how many of the theses in the government database ever get pondered for material for actual utilization.There is no such thing as gauging the quality of research work or incentive for better research work. We also need a competitive framework in the research field rather than a laid back approach of generating knowledge.

Indian healthcare system has for long lacked government infrastructure. The high quality of treatment in some private hospitals also calls for huge amount of money . Sometimes medical insurance takes care of that but in case of emergencies government hospitals lack modern infrastructure. A thorough upheaval of the government hospitals, health clinics  and paramedic facilities will not only be worthwhile investment but will also take the sheen out of the monopoly of the private sector healthcare. Here rather than free treatment , an economic ability- based system comes handy.

But this again generates  an important question of who is economically eligible and who is not.
In the present caste- based system in our country the problem of creamy lair and improper distribution of resources is well- known. To make a system based on economical criteria we have to transform this whole system. There was provision in Dr. Ambedkar's ideas to evolve a better system with changing times which has not been done for political unwillingness,
Rather the system has been complicated with clamours of more and more reservation demands. If economic quotas come to play a role, it can take the whole idea of entitlement and deprivation to a well defined level and demystify the the present system of governance. It depends on political leaders whether they are ready to embrace such an open system or whether their preference is vote bank politics. The caste -based quota system has become rotten  and the damages can be seen everywhere compromising with quality of service.

The scientific advancement has been good in the country since independence  particularly in space research and defence. Research and development should be part of the educational institutes and incprporating it with the Indian industry is essential so that jobs can be  directly held after completing labworks and the divide between industry and academics in science is obliterated.
A partnership with the industry in this case is not only profitable for the institutes but also important for the development to take place. Students have also to be initiated in scientific research early and counselling in schools is needed to find potential talents in  science, There is a tendency in India of going with the bandwagon in case of choosing a career. If meticulous thought is given, human capital can be utilized in the best form and social wellfare can be maximized. Scientific research not only deals with investigation but a part of administration as well that is also very important.  In India DRDO and ISRO are two of the successful examples of this combination. It shows us that we can develop with indigeneous  resources  and human capital what would make the country great.

The idea of greatness is a galore for every indiviudual or society. To be reckoned as special and upheld for qualities is  what we all aspire. But the first criteria is unity and understanding of mutual preferances  and accomodations. It needs small sacrifices as well as acceptance going out of the comfort zone to make a society that will opt for that greatness.We are in a junction like that . Let's not waste the energy in disruptions but  make a comprehensive effort to make the world a better place.

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