Transition to big league

We are now the fifth largest economy in the world, with its GDP expected to touch USD3.94 trillion and one of the fastest growing too! Our currency is doing better than other currencies in the emerging market. Our Sensex has grown so much over in the last few years that it has made Indian stocks look quite expensive. In fact, whether it’s infrastructure, consumerism, capital goods, one can see growth happening everywhere. With our economy poised to grow further, are we going to become a developed nation from being a developing one? I think apart from the usual culprits – poverty, inflation, education, population explosion, health care et al that can only be tackled over a period of time, there are certain other concerns that seem to be hindering our way to becoming a developed nation. I list a few of these here below:

(1) Law and order and safety of our women. The day a girl can walk out late in the evening, wearing dress of her choice and by using public conveyance and she considers herself to be safe, raising neither eyebrows nor undue interest of staring eyes, we can consider to have taken a giant leap ahead. 

(2) Road traffic is one of the worst managed – at least I can say it from my experience of whatever international travel I have undertaken. People blatantly break rules, have no consideration of others and are perpetually enraged, ready to pick up fight at the slightest excuse and to go to any length ( even killing other person) in the fit of rage. Road hogs are always in a hurry and go to any extent to prove their supremacy. 

(3) Political intolerance is rather a new phenomenon and sometimes it takes such extreme version that even the best of friends  become the worst of enemies! It’s unlike earlier days when the differences were confined to and were used to get sorted out on the floor of parliament and behaviour outside of it was extremely civil and polite ! 

(4) it’s high time that we leave our social, religious, political, sectarian  differences aside and stand united against the enemies of our great nation. 

Without addressing the above, we will continue to March ahead as our progress now seems unstoppable, but the growth and development will not be inclusive and disparity among sections of society and with the developed nations of the world will be more pronounced.