august 2014

SPECIAL EDITorial
dr. shiv kumar rai
TIME TO REDEEM
OURSELVES
At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947 when
India’s tryst with destiny began it marked the end
of despair among a generation who were ruled and
dictated by forces for more than two centuries. There
was enthusiasm about nationhood, pride, optimism and
above all hope. Hope, of nation that will provide equality,
literacy, health, jobs and growth and development for all
its residents. Hope that the new nation would be a model
secular, democratic country where people of different faiths
would co-exist and would script growth and development
hand-in-hand. Hope that as a nation with its deep rooted
tradition and cultural values and civilization it would lead the
world to the path of righteousness and peace.
More than six and a half decades after that journey began
what have we achieved and where are we headed to? Well
sitting and passing a judgment is an easy task.
Organising and strengthening a week federal structure,
putting on track a tattering economy that was purely
agrarian dependent on vagaries of climate, emphasizing
on industrialization with practically no industrial presence,
providing access to quality education, healthcare and
jobs to all soon turned out to be an arduous task, easy
to conceptualize on papers but difficult to replicate
in practice. And to cap it, the vacuum left by colonial
rulers were soon filled by a bunch of power hungry lot –
politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen and even common
man who worked seamlessly to devise short cuts for all
policies aimed to benefit ‘self’ instead of ‘all’. The pride of
nationhood went missing taking the sting out of our growth
and development plan.
Still, thanks to a largely upright section of population,
despite having frittered away the strengths and losing the
initiative today as a nation we cannot be written off. Thanks
to the zeal and innovative skills of people, who believed
in India, in themselves we are still as relevant as ever.
Frustrated, fighting with red-tape at home they have kept on
while others have moved out traversing the globe and with
their knowledge, professional skills and entrepreneurship
are scripting a new chapter about India.
Today, time has given us another opportunity to redeem
ourselves. As a nation, we are on the threshold once again.
As opportunity beacons, we must rise to the occasion and
do without fear or favour what is right for the larger cause
wherever we are and whatever we are doing.
We must put nation before self.
11