An Indian Century?

That this century, of which only a decade has gone by, could be defined by what India would think and do is not a hope unfounded. The celebrated Wall Street Journal has called 2000-2009 a decade ‘‘that was India’s’’ and predicted that the country’s ability to make the success of the last 10 years the norm across regions and industries ‘‘could well pave the way for an Indian century’’. Referring to the Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll earlier last month when ‘‘a plurality went as far as to say the US will be surpassed by China in 20 years as the world’s top power’’, the US daily said that India could ‘‘hardly be far behind, given its population projected to exceed China and its democratic form of government’’. While India’s swelling population, with the concomitant problems of paucity of resources to cater to the needs of all sections of society and consequent poverty, is a huge discredit and deterrence to its stride, democracy is indeed an asset on which the edifice of New India could be erected. However, this democracy must evolve meaningfully and rid itself of the many viruses plaguing it.

What are India’s present strengths? They are mainly the democratic system of governance; economic resilience; entrepreneurship excellence at the global level; IT-savvy population and software expertise; scientific and technological edge as proven by breakthrough research in many a frontier area and space missions in recent times; and the soft power — be it culture, cinema or yoga — that the country is capable of wielding globally and influencing nations across the world. But of all, what has revolutionized India in the global view of things is its pragmatic package of economic reforms that has paved the way for the country’s business brains to go global and set a precedent for others to emulate. They are now role models for both the developed and the developing economies. As Indian companies spread their wings and take over foreign institutions, they are celebrated globally — which was unthinkable even a decade back. However, as they say, all that glitters is not gold. Just as economic reforms and free-market economy have benefited and empowered a class of people, they have pushed another class — a huge majority — further into the abyss of poverty and backwardness. The reality is that the chasm between the rich (for whom the reforms are a godsend) and the poor (who have suffered the reforms) has only increased, thereby only widening the existing disparity. Therefore, to think that India could be a superpower — and the world’s top power — by the end of this century might well be to think of only a small section of society that would flourish as none before and change the whole international politico-economic discourse, overlooking the millions who would be far worse than they are now! Yet, there are reasons to believe what the Wall Street Journal has pointed to — an Indian century in the making. But as and when it happens, it must be in totality for it to be meaningful. Democracy is our advantage, and democratization of development is the best mantra to soar to the top and for all to celebrate the country. The only worry is whether criminalization of politics would ever allow that to take place. THE SENTINEL