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| Courtesy: Maps of India |
A few words that come to my mind when I think of my country are (not in any particular order): resilience, unity, diversity, vastness, sound, people, vibrancy, democracy, hills, valleys, seashore, festivals ... a melting pot of cultures ...
Of course, we can find any number of faults with our people, our governments, and our nation in general. But there are so many aspects that stand out to be taken note of.
This year, on the 15th of August, it would be 75 years since India freed itself from British rule.
These years have seen so many catastrophic events -- proper wars, proxy wars, terrorist attacks, economic crises, social unrests, natural disasters ... And now recently Covid.
But push India to a corner, and we unite like never before!
There was a time, till the late 1980s, when India was dependent on the developed nations. No longer.
The best indicator of it is how India is managing very well its interests in the face of the US-Russia conflict over the Ukraine war. (By the way, today there is a virtual meeting between the US President and India's PM.)
The Green Revolution of the 1960s marked the modernisation of the farm sector.
Operation Flood (subsequently called White Revolution) launched in 1970 was the world's largest dairy development programme.
India's space industry is huge, benefiting a wide range of sectors from education and health to communication and scientific research.
The totally paperless, electronic voting across the entire nation -- introduced in a phased manner since 1998 -- must surely be one of a kind in the world.
The digitization of India's economy -- one of the spinoffs of the stunning IT revolution -- is to be seen to be believed. That's a story in itself.
Late economist John Kenneth Galbraith, who was the US ambassador to India from 1961 to 1963, famously described India as a 'functioning anarchy'. Arguably, that still, in a sense, describes this country -- an amazing bundle of contradictions!
This post is part of the blogging challenge in April every year, wherein bloggers put up one post a day, from A to Z, every day except Sundays.
I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. I am also on A2Z April Challenge.
Dropping by to say hello from the A to Z Challenge!
ReplyDeleteI never knew India had paperless, electronic voting. That must be amazing.
anna
I for Identity
Hi Anna - Thank you!
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteIndia is a place of such variety and, yes, contradiction. It is amazing, frustrating, inspiring, depressing, accommodating yet aggravating... all in equal measure! How I love it... YAM xx
I=Introspection
Hi Yamini - Thanks. Somehow we manage; and more importantly, we keep moving forward. :-)
DeleteIt is a 'functioning anarchy' and yet I love it:)
ReplyDeleteHi Arti - So many things that are possible in India aren't possible abroad! It's a unique place!
DeleteIt was just this morning, I had a conversation with my better half over breakfast. The topic was "India". With our eyes twinkling with pride for the motherland, we wished from bottom of our hearts that India should be self reliant in energy and defense sector. Long Live India!
ReplyDeleteHi Anagha - That's indeed a coincidence! We are gradually becoming self-reliant. That's one of the major projects of the Central Government. And, it's happening. Unlike smaller countries, in India it takes time. We have to be patient.
DeleteAs proud as I am of what all u told and more, I feel little saddened by some unprecedented events too. Anyhow a good reminder of good things - this post
ReplyDeleteGood day - Dropping by from A to Z - https://afshan-shaik.blogspot.com/
Hi Afshan - Of course, there are so many downsides. There are those depressing developments that keep popping up here and there, to our discomfort. It's sad. But, I guess, we all should count the positives; and hope that the aberrations will diminish and one day disappear.
DeleteAs someone said (I forgot who) - Look for the good and you will find it.
ReplyDeleteIt was an informative read. Thanks for this post Pradeep. - Swarnali (The Saffron Storyteller)
ReplyDeleteHi Swarnali - Thank you. :-)
DeleteI love this snapshot of the more recent developments in your amazing country, Pradeep! A great post.
ReplyDeleteHi Vallypee - Thank you :-)
DeleteSo much to know about your corner of the world.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! We need to revel in our progress and work on things that need improvement. Relatively speaking, our democracy is young. Its for us to improve things and take pride in our progress. Slowly but surely we are going ahead!
ReplyDeleteHi Archana - True! Very well said!
DeleteWas wonderful to see a post on our country ... Mera Bharat Mahaan !
ReplyDeleteJayashree writes