India Trip 2009 - Episode 5
Miles traveled and Miles to go
The West has always been calling us developing country. We are still a long way to be as developed as the US or Europe. But, we are essentially a developed country. With our huge population spreading across all social sectors, advancement is a constant process. It cannot be a complete statement.
Infrastructure cannot be built as sophisticated as America or Europe. We have to set realistic goals. The goal is to support and create livelihood for 2 billion people cramped in a small geography of limited natural resources, water being the most scarce resource in cities and rural areas alike.
Progress has been and is happening daily and slowly. There is more awareness now than ever about everything. Globalization has brought many advantages to the country, the country as is is yet to make full use of it. Cell phones to vendors and street sweepers! Cell phones to vendors is a progress while Street Sweepers still existing in a modern world would be a question mark. This is inevitable in the sense that such jobs cannot be automated fully because we have to support people in all social sectors. The street vendors' kids, on the other hand, are studying in one of those thousand engineering colleges. That is a progress.
There are more cars in the streets heading to Technology Parks in city's suburbs. At the same time, there are beggars at every traffic signal knocking the doors of these cars for arms. There are plenty of NGOs sprung up everywhere which are doing at a fast pace and sincerity what the Govt is supposed to do. IT affordability has made many of the Govt activities transparent. Still many corrupt and questionable sections of Govt exist. The fund raised for election propaganda of candidates, percentage accountability of tax money for the people are left unscathed as a mystery. Still there are not many well qualified people contesting elections in the largest democracy. There are million haves and million havenots making the billion of India.
Progress has definitely been slow compared with China (don't start with pollution levels here; its universal) , Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore/Malaysia. Some argue with strong valid points that Electronics and other Semiconductor manufacturing is not required in India. That argument is appreciated in a different light than what is discussed here.
We have forgot and neglected one sector miserably but which is highly crucial for our country's sustainability, lest progress. Agriculture. It still seems to be a puzzle to make Water a perennial resource. We cannot afford to be a country with largest food imports. To feed billion stomachs in a self sufficient way is the biggest challenge. We have to focus our attention here before its too late.
The West has always been calling us developing country. We are still a long way to be as developed as the US or Europe. But, we are essentially a developed country. With our huge population spreading across all social sectors, advancement is a constant process. It cannot be a complete statement.
Infrastructure cannot be built as sophisticated as America or Europe. We have to set realistic goals. The goal is to support and create livelihood for 2 billion people cramped in a small geography of limited natural resources, water being the most scarce resource in cities and rural areas alike.
Progress has been and is happening daily and slowly. There is more awareness now than ever about everything. Globalization has brought many advantages to the country, the country as is is yet to make full use of it. Cell phones to vendors and street sweepers! Cell phones to vendors is a progress while Street Sweepers still existing in a modern world would be a question mark. This is inevitable in the sense that such jobs cannot be automated fully because we have to support people in all social sectors. The street vendors' kids, on the other hand, are studying in one of those thousand engineering colleges. That is a progress.
There are more cars in the streets heading to Technology Parks in city's suburbs. At the same time, there are beggars at every traffic signal knocking the doors of these cars for arms. There are plenty of NGOs sprung up everywhere which are doing at a fast pace and sincerity what the Govt is supposed to do. IT affordability has made many of the Govt activities transparent. Still many corrupt and questionable sections of Govt exist. The fund raised for election propaganda of candidates, percentage accountability of tax money for the people are left unscathed as a mystery. Still there are not many well qualified people contesting elections in the largest democracy. There are million haves and million havenots making the billion of India.
Progress has definitely been slow compared with China (don't start with pollution levels here; its universal) , Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore/Malaysia. Some argue with strong valid points that Electronics and other Semiconductor manufacturing is not required in India. That argument is appreciated in a different light than what is discussed here.
We have forgot and neglected one sector miserably but which is highly crucial for our country's sustainability, lest progress. Agriculture. It still seems to be a puzzle to make Water a perennial resource. We cannot afford to be a country with largest food imports. To feed billion stomachs in a self sufficient way is the biggest challenge. We have to focus our attention here before its too late.
Comments
Post a Comment