Is INDIA growing despite the State ?

Do we need this speech from Her Excellency, President Pratibha Patil.

I love my country and I do not hold any grudge against the present President. She might have spoiled the day for holidayers in Alleppey & Cochin yesterday due to security blanket thrown in all across but that has nothing to do with her personally. It is her VVIP status and the security system in place.

Infact, I cherished every moment of the Republic Day Parade 2 years back when I got the opportunity to be in close proximity of Her Excellency and His Highness The French President Nicholus Sarkozy. Admit, that I was a little disappointed to learn the last minute cancellation of Carla Bruni’s visit. Also, could not stop myself from visualizing for moment Dr. APJ Kalam with his falling locks over his cute face, in the dais shaking his head and narrating details of the parade to Sarkozy & Carla Bruni.

But, this speech to me is a colonial legacy, a sheer formality and far from ground reality.

Rather, I salute the new genre of country’s business leaders, whose relentless effort and undaunted leadership propelled INDIA into the Global map few years back. Those live wires and their dynamic minds, whose contribution handcrafted a niche in the global market and revolutionized the lives of many Indians.

These few outstanding individuals made us believe that yes we can buy and acquire iconic global brands like Jaguar and Land Rover (keeping the competition limited to fellow Indians) be the largest steel producer of the world and give a few in the US senate, sleepless nights due to our supremacy in software services.

But, in all these, the question which perplexes me again and again is what has been the state’s role in the winds of change in present day scenario?

We still grapple with major bottlenecks in the growth path with our rising fiscal deficit, slow reforms, sub-optimal infrastructure, insurgencies and security threats internal & external & not to forget, dynamic democracy where every Maya & Mamata can be a threat any day.

While many Indians cannot afford a meal a day, we have food grains rotting due to lack of storage in some place. Lesser said the better on the ‘Babudom’ and corruption that prevails. Every alternate day there is a new scam – be it a sporting even or distribution of telecom rights. 

The starkness of the contrast between "public" and "private”; the "state" and the "individual" however raise the question again & again - “Is INDIA growing because of the State or in spite of it”?

We have been growing and shall continue to grow. But the question is, are we growing to our potential? We still lag behind our neighbors China & Japan. INDIA's share of global trade is almost equal to Philippines, an economy, 6 times smaller. INDIA under-trades by 70%, given its size, proximity to market and talent cost advantage.

  

I would love to see my nation free from meaningless speeches, egoism, machinery getting misused, inefficient & corrupt officials. Rest would happen in auto-pilot mode.

Cheers!