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INDIA SHINNING
IS THIS REALITY OR MYTH ?
’’India Shinning’’. That is the
new buzzword. The new ’’national’’ slogan of the country.
Even the poor educated person on the street now seems
singing the slogan of ’’India Shinning’’.
Though the slogan has caught up with everyone, it
is being viewed by many as an ’politician's gimmick’.
For the past 30 years, NRIs are dealing with politicians
and remember their promises during their trips to
foreign countries. Many NRIs feel that this perception
about ’’India Shinning’’ is all a hype or election
gimmick
The
Central Statistical Organization’s gross domestic
product (GDP) estimate of 10.8% for 2004-05, the finance
ministry projected a conservative 8.1 per cent growth
in economy for 2003-04, more than double of 4.0 per
cent in 2002-03. The review said higher growth would
be achieved on the back of a robust agriculture growth.
Today electricity has reached more villages than 10
years back, railway links have improved, roads have
also made a path in villages, reach of banks in villages
has improved and even telephones have a strong presence
in Indian villages now. All this sounds great.
Falling interest rates have been
one of the major reasons for this increase in the
purchasing power. Interest rates have never been so
low and thus there is more disposable income in the
hands of the buyers. The major finding is that India’s
purchasing power has almost doubled between 1999 and
2003, going up from Rs 7,635 billion in 1999 to Rs
14,862 billion in 2003
28% of India’s population continues
to live in abject poverty and suicides by farmers
continues to haunt , yet, the face of rural India
has also undergone a change.Its not that all problems
have just vanished overnight, the troubles continue
to exist but compared to 5-7 years back, the troubles
have been smoothened to some extent. Yet, at the same
time, it is pertinent to note that work needs to be
done to bring down a central government’s fiscal deficit,
running at around 4.8 per cent of GDP (at the state
level it is 10% of the GDP). This means that despite
all this economic progress, the Govt itself is yet
to get a grip on its spending, the imbalance between
Govt. spending and revenue is still high.There is
a long way to go but atleast the path is now clearly
visible.
23.3 million people in India
went hungry, forty million children failed to attend
primary school. Gaps in literacy between low social
classes and the rest of the population remain extremely
high, particularly in Rajasthan, UP, Bihar and Karnataka.
And in case of unemployment, 84 lakh jobs were lost
last fiscal. Only the middle-class urban, young entrepreneurs
and salaried professionals believe in this ’’India
Shinning’. By way of serious cost-cutting in government
expenditure and privatization, has not happened in
a big way. India may have made rapid strides in the
field of infotech and telecom but it is still predominantly
an agrarian country where fortunes still depend on
vagaries of monsoon.
“India Shinning” ads run by the government
in all the national news papers. We agree that there
has been a little bit of progress on some fronts and
that has affected a small minority that lives in the
urban areas.
Full page ads in newspapers is given at the tax payers
expense. The majority still has to fight every day
to fill their stomachs and educate their children.
Do people blind to see poor homeless people sleeping
on the roads ? Progress is not about showing off new
malls to the outside visitor but talking about how
much money did those poor laborers get for building
those malls and do they have proper houses. It is
about asking where did they come from and where are
they now?
Not all feel that
’’India Shinning’’ because:
- A shortage of basic decent
human life in India has forced a common person to
be corrupt.- it is impossible for
a common man to own a roof, provide good education
to his children and hope for a peaceful retirement
in India using normal and honest means. One has
to bribe someone to get a good education, to get
a deserving job and to avail services which one
is entitled as being a citizen of India.
- Explosive population
growth in the last fifty years has
brought corruption to every sphere of life in India
- Government controls
education, means of daily transportation,
heavy industry like steel and automobile production,
oil and gas production and distribution, public
works departments, irrigation, banking, power generation
and distribution, water purification and distribution,
distribution of basic food commodities to individuals
living below the poverty line, defense, hospitals,
police, judiciary and dozens of other areas affecting
its citizens’ day-to-day life. Declining
real wages has forced the government employees to
use their position to extort money from other civilians
to fulfill obligations towards their families.
- Criminalization of politics
and poorly qualified politicians has
further enabled sometimes forced these employees
to misuse their authority. It is common to secure
favors in various state and central government by
bribing elected politicians. Ministers openly ask
government employee to bring huge sums to return
favors
- The poor judicial system
in India has attracted worldwide attention.
International investors and corporations take this
as one of the big hurdles of doing business in India.
Businessmen in India resort to all means other than
courts for settlement of disputes.
- Among
the `top 10 kidnap countries', India ranked seventh
after Colombia, Mexico, the former Soviet
Union, Brazil, Nigeria, and the Philippines. Ecuador,
Venezuela and South Africa were also in the list.
Only one thing it make us very sad that whenever
we got a chance to talk to Political Leaders and bureaucrats,
only one answer is "Corruption
is every where in the whole world. We have made lots
of success after 1947".
Most of the NRIs had very bad experience in Govt.
controlled projects. Only private IT or Out-sourcing
will not make India shinning.
Due to policies of Manmohan Singh, a great honest
PM with the back of Sonia Gandhi (a great lady
and only lady in the world who sacrifice her PM chair),
NRIs are in the good spirit to make India shinning
with investment, donations, supply new technology
and promoting medical field
We, first NRI generation are investing money in India
because it is our dream and makes us happy to see
our India shinning.
INDIA WILL SHINE ONLY :
- If there is honest political leadership
- Government MUST STOP involvement in an ordinary
citizen’s life to reduce corruption to grow.
- Qualified political leadership is required
to understand and implement such policies.
Conclusion
- For the
past 35 years whenever Political Leaders came to North
America, we gave respect to them as our family
members. Due to their false promises, lot of NRIs
went to India, lost money in businesses and came back.
After 2000, most of the NRIs are not very anxious
to meet them even they are in the city. Political
Leaders must understand that Media- Internet, TV and
, Tel. Communication is very advance globally and
they must have to change their attitude towards NRIs.
- For the time being , Qualified political leadership
is not possible because majority of the people
lives in villagers who select them. PM,
Manmohan Singh cannot do every thing alone, he needs
a support from IAS and IPS, and Judges who control
the whole country ?
- If majority of the IASs, IPSs, and Judges
become very sincere, control law and order,
implement good policies, and reluctant to interference
of political leaders- India will shine within
one decade. They should only listen qualified
political leaders.
- It is in the hand of IASs, IPSs, and Judges
to give a good services to International investors
or NRI investors to attract more and more investors
We, NRIs are very honest, hard worker, sincere from
inside to help our brothers and sisters in India and
make "India Shinning".
In return,
if NRIs are being cheated,
tortured or kidnapped AND specially
no help from police in
this kind of situations- there will be a great loss
for future investment in India by NRIs and Foreign
Companies.
Only one case of kidnapping
or bad experience, makes a difference because 2nd
young generation is very concerned ABOUT OUR SAFETY.
It is very difficult for them to close their eyes
to the reality.
We just want our father back
We, NRI community don't want to see three young
girls and their mother crying 24/7
Someone out there must have the answers.
NRIs Request:
We, over 22 millions NRIs community worldwide had
gone through lots of hurdles ( discrimination, jobs
and competition in businesses) to settle in foreign
countries. We are used to work as a team to defend
ourselves in these countries and we are winners because
under their system they listen us. We, NRIs are first
generation from your family and you must think about
that why NRIs are becoming very successful in very
short of time and still care about you.
We humbly request to all
IPSs, IASs, and Judges of India,
please take immediate steps for the safety
of all NRIs and for the future of India Shinning.
God has given you a great power for the welfare of
more than billion people. I know that young children
of these officers are always on the Internet and I
request them that tell your dad or mom, "God
has given him/her the great power for limited time
only and God send him/her as an angel to serve for
millions people's life. Some times it works because
parents always listen to their kids very carefully.
Note: Please
forward this e-mail to your friends , relatives, and
higher authorities in India if you know some one.
Gary Singh
Singh@NRIinternet.com
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