The heaven of freedom
Happy Independence Day!The Prime Minister walks up to the flag post, looks up at the flag lying tied up like a loosely shaped ball at the top of the flag pole, pauses for a moment before giving it a firm tug. That tug sets the flag free. The petals that have been hiding in the folds of the flag suddenly get wings. The national flag is unfurled and on cue the band starts playing the national anthem. The majestic Red Fort stands witness to this moment. I can hear the booms of the twenty one guns as they fire away. The national anthem playing in the background and the thud of the guns blazing makes me think of our soldiers who have made this moment possible.
The Global Trends 2030 report says,“It took Britain 155 years to double GDP per capita, with about 9 million people in 1870. The US and Germany took between 30 and 60 years with a few tens of million people. But India and China are doing this at a scale and pace not seen before: 100 times the people than Britain and in one tenth the time. By 2030 Asia will be well on its way to returning to being the world’s powerhouse, just as it was before 1500.”The growth is going to be fueled by a rapidly growing middle class. The middle class in India is expected to grow faster than China’s. The climb from poverty to middle class is when household expenditure reaches approximately of $10-50 per day at PPP.The report goes on to rate India as the “rising economic powerhouse that China is seen to be today.” All this is expected to happen in the next 15 years. Even today the Indian economy is eight times the size of Pakistan’s and by 2030 it is expected to be sixteen times as big. So India is a nation of big dreams and potential. A per capita view of economic development can be misleading. If the wealth of the top 200 grows we may hit that economic nirvana but still fall behind our dreams. The real challenge lies in creating a super skilled workforce that is able to leverage this opportunity. That means making education, health and infrastructure development the top three priorities of development. As we continue to prosper, we must from time to time pause to read the preamble of our constitution that articulated our collective dreams.WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:JUSTICE, social, economic and political;LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;and to promote among them allFRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.--------------------Join me on Twitter @AbhijitBhaduri