NEGOTIATING THE ‘AMRIT KAAL’ by Major General Rajiv Edwards, VSM (Retd)
NEGOTIATING THE ‘AMRIT KAAL’
By 2047, India would be completing the coveted milestone of a century of freedom. The vision of achieving the status of a ‘developed country’ by the time may seem a tall order, but it is certainly not non-achievable. Ipso facto, the next 24 years @ ‘Amrit Kaal’ nee ‘Kartavya Kaal’, has to be typified by an all-embracing effort and synergy for the highly valued goal. While this is an exciting and propitious time, but it is also a uniquely challenging phase in the history of the country. The road map for the period has been quite explicitly enunciated…..be that as it may, it is perhaps the two Ps whose ‘kartavya’ will predominantly determine India’s trajectory on the ‘home stretch’; political leadership and the people of India.
Unfortunately, for some years our political discourse is below par. The swelling chorus of competitive blaming, demonising and ad hominem responses has reached the tipping point. The time and energy wasted on such conflictual interactions is a conspicuous puerility for a Nation on the cusp of great power status. It has crowded out serious discussion of genuine problems that demand thoughtful give and take and balancing of competitive objectives and interests. This appears to be the new normal!
Surely, there has to be a time out and pledge to stop blaming each other. Someone has to take the initiative, show sagacity and statesmanship and back off. Leaders across party lines have to reflect, reconcile and move towards rapprochement. It is hard to expect unity in the diversity, when the leaders of the country are themselves splitting at the seams! Though easier said than done, but political unity is the necessary condition for India to move ahead with purpose. The best way to predict the future is to create it together; we cannot be separated in interest and divided in purpose….and this has to start from the top!
India is endowed with a high demographic dividend, which is expected to peak in 2041. This is the trump card of the ‘kartavya kaal’. The essentials to harnesses this youth bulge are fairly patent, however, a conducive environment to optimise their productivity is compelling. Today, a negative societal churning is astir, triggered by goebbelsian propaganda and convoluted perception management. The upshot is that this is apparently creating a chasm in society. The demographic dividend is a ‘window of opportunity’, with a finite life! The focus of the youth needs to be constructively channelized and not wasted on tangential issues. It will benefit more from education, health and jobs, imbued with the right values, attitude and tolerance. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had aptly stated that, ‘manpower …. is not a strength, unless it is harmonised and united properly’.
Unity in a huge diversity like India is a daunting task. The country has come thus far by the blood, sweat and tears of heroes from every community represented in the multiplicity. Spreading acrimony in society irrespective of one’s faith and political leanings is deleterious to the progress and evolvement of the country. We need to learn from the past, to create a better future and not waste time in writing a better past at the cost of a better future! History is also the sum total of things that could have been avoided! ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka priyas’ will manifest only if, as the Prime Minister states, ‘…..we take the lead in ensuring peace, harmony and unity…’ and ‘not merely speak about it’. The trinity of ‘demography, democracy and diversity’ has the potential to realise the dreams of the country. The mantra for ‘100’ has to be the ‘whole of nation approach’.
The malady which tops the charts in its adverse impact on the human capital and retards economic growth is petty corruption…it is absolute in scope and unsparing in operation! The irony is that everyone in authority is aware of this ‘jobbery’, but it is rampant and continues to thrive. One does not doubt the sincerity of the Prime Minister when he says, ‘na khaunga na khane doonga’, but ironically, at the lower levels it is business as usual! There is need for resolute action and exemplary punishment. If the razing of illegal constructions of offenders is justice, then those who have taken graft to permit their construction/continuance need also to be brought to book…what is good for the goose must be good for the gander!
India is indeed a country of contrasts. On one hand, there are those who are doing the country proud by their contributions/achievements, on the other hand are many who ‘clap from the sidelines rather than run the race for India’! Loyalty to the country must go hand in hand with love for the country, and reflect even in our smallest actions. Late President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was on the mark when he stated, ‘whatever role you are playing today, whatever work you are doing, if you do that with utmost sincerity, with utmost dedication towards it, that will be your contribution to nation building’. Nationalism and patriotism are intertwined and not disparate….this is the marrow of the ‘kartavya kaal’.
Quite often in cricket, the last ‘25’ may appear gettable, but a seeming ‘featherbed’ could easily turn out to be a ‘bunsen’! The country can super charge its rise if it reconciles, detoxifies and unites…. only then will ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ become a reality. For the time being, the impending parliamentary elections makes this a big ask. So, buckle up, and wait for the ballot to play out…. too much is seemingly at stake! JAI HIND
(Major General Rajiv Edwards, VSM** (retd) is a historical researcher and commentator on societal issues. He is apolitical. Views expressed are personal)
