In the elections 2014, no matter who wins, don’t expect any miracles, or you’ll be very disappointed.
There’s this inertia factor, which tells us from experience, that all systems, sub-systems and peripheral systems in any huge nation like India have their own nature, character, speed and momentum. No hero can change that overnight, or in a fortnight, or in a couple of months, or even in a year. The best of intentions can get frustrated not because of any human conspiracy, but due to sheer inertia of things. I stand chastened by reading the manifestos of multiple parties over multiple elections, realising they pack the same wine in different bottles each time, and all their wines are also almost the same.
Even if a single party gets 400 seats, say, I am certain nothing will fundamentally change in India suddenly. Why? Let me pose a few REAL questions that carry the answers within.
Will Indians change? Will we become law-abiding suddenly and overnight? Will be become more productive? Will be become more patriotic? Will the million other factors and causes that govern this world change automatically? Will the multiple crores living BPL suddenly jump up to be APL? Will the huge leakages in PDS get plugged in a month? Will our caste tendencies die down overnight (most educated urbanites marry inside their castes till day)? Will our inter-regional inequalities vanish overnight? Will our corruption come to an end abruptly? Will some of our mega-corporates who reroute huge laundered monies back into India masquerading as FDI stop doing it? Will RBI suddenly be able to cap inflation (they’ve been at it for more than 12 quarters now, with no finality)?
To take it global – Will Pakistan declare it won’t ever encroach on our territory (they can’t as their entire stupid politics relies on India-bashing)? Will China declare India a superpower (In the name of Xi, stop joking)? Will our FDI-fuelled GDP suddenly shoot up to 8% p.a., and stay there for 10 years to make any meaningful impact? Will our armed forces suddenly develop a blue-ocean strength (it took a good 15 yrs for the missile programme to reach where it is)?
Will the working of our institutions (good, bad and ugly) change overnight?
So, anyone of any political shade – including AAP or BJP or Congress – who promises a SUDDEN MASSIVE CHANGE is over-promising. The world has its own inertia, and things take time. India is too big – 1230000000 people (assuming the govt. census got it right – my assumption is we’re already 1350000000 at least). So enjoy the hoopla, but don’t get fooled. Trust yourself, contribute to mother India, and pray for the best in the years to come. IT WILL TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO MOVE FROM A POOR US $ 1450 PER CAPITA TO A MODERATELY RICH US $ 10,000 PER CAPITA.
So should we become dejected, demoralised and hopeless? NOT AT ALL.
What should we do then?
Become more productive, become more focussed, develop our skills, contribute to mother India, stop pulling fellow-citizens’ legs perennially, give others their due credit, contribute to nation-building in whatever way we can, and pray to the almighty that over the next 10 – 20 years the momentum continues. As Gandhi said “Be the change” (current crop believes in everyone else being the change except me).
May God bless all the politicians who genuinely mean a change. May God also given them 10 – 20 years at a stretch to make that change happen.
To those who compare us with Japan, and that too post WW II one – may I remind that the real modernism in Japan was ushered in through 1870 to 1910 in an unstoppable wave of unilateral sovereign-driven Meiji Restoration, which put in place the foundation of future greatness. India still not has had a continuous period of change like it.
Jai Hind!