Romain Rolland, French Philosopher (1886-1944)
“Prime Minister Modi has been re-elected with a huge majority. He has the extraordinary mandate to transform India into a modern nation”.
“India has the potential to become the third big economic power in the short span of time , and the second big by 2035. “
“Will Prime Minister Modi start the economic revolution based on capitalism to deliver Indian dream to every Indian?”
On August 15, 2019 India celebrated its 73rdyear of independence from Britain. The British ruled India from 1858 to 1947. The East India Company ruled India from 1757 to 1858. Therefore, the East India Company and the British government together colonized and ruled India for 190 years. Failure of Indians (mostly Hindus) to defend India against Muslim terrorism and invasion resulted in Muslim rule for approximately 300 years prior to the British rule.
India should be thankful to the United Kingdom for two gifts it gave to India:
- English language
- The U.K. got rid of Muslim rule of India
Today, India is the largest English-speaking country in the world with 400 million Indians speaking English. Because of this advantage, Indians earn leadership positions overseas. There are more C.E.O.’s of Indian origin than any other national origin in the U.S.A. Indian Americans are leaders and dominate in American colleges and universities. To cite some examples, Harvard, Cornell, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, University of Chicago, Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern U, have selected Indian Americans as their dean.
The Prime Minister of Ireland and the President of Portugal are of Indian origin. The new Prime Minister of the U.K. has appointed several Indians for important portfolios of his cabinet. Similarly, Canada has several Indians in the cabinet including the Defense Minister. President Trump has appointed several Indian Americans to important positions in the U.S. government.
On Independence Day, we can be proud that the Indian Americans are the highest educated and they make the highest income. Indian Americans rank No.1 in both. Indian Americans started immigrating to the USA in big numbers only from 1965, but their leadership is outstanding in every level of American society.
Like Americans, India should be most optimistic. Like American dream, India should have Indian dream. India has the capability and the capacity to achieve anything it wants. Let us not forget that once upon a time, India was the most civilized, educated and affluent country in the world. The proof of it is in the Mohenjo Daro and Harappa civilizations we all have studied about.
Consider the inventions and the achievements of India.
* India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
*The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 B.C.
* Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus came from India.
*The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now known as the Pythagorean Theorem. British scholars have officially published in 1999 that Budhayana’s works dates back to the 6thcentury, which is long before the European mathematicians.
- Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun (5thcentury)365.258756484 days
*According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software.
*Navigation was born in the ancient India 6000 years ago. The word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. Navy is also derived from Sanskrit word.
*Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India. It is mentioned in the Mahabharata.
*Sushruta is the father of surgery. In the ancient India, he and health scientists of his time performed surgeries like cesareans, cataract, brain, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and usage of anesthesia was well known in the ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipment were used by Sushruta.
*Ayurveda was invented 2500 years ago
*The world’s first university was established in Takshila in 700 B.C. More than 10, 500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects.
*The University of Nalanda built in the 4thcentury B.C. was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
*Kautilya wrote the first book on Arthasastra (Science of Polity). His book was followed by Aristotle’s The Politics. It is possible Aristotle got all the ideas for his book from Chanakya (Kautilya) thru Emperor Alexander on his return from India.
Indian Dream, like American Dream is possible because India has made many achievements already.
To reinforce my thesis , I am giving below comments of some of the world-renowned leaders and philosophers on India.
“Many of the advances in the sciences that we consider today to have been made in Europe were in fact made in India, centuries ago”.
Grant Duff British Historian of India
“We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.”
Albert Einstein-Scientist
“India was the motherland of our race and Sanskrit the mother of Europe’s languages. India was the mother of our philosophy, of much of our mathematics, of the ideas embodied in Christianity…of self-government and democracy. In many ways, Mother India is the mother of us all.”
Will Durant – American Historian 1885-1981.
“If there is one place on the face of this Earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when Man began the dream of existence, it is India.”
Romain Rolland – French Philosopher (1886-1944)
“India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most constructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”
Mark Twain American novelist
“India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.”
Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to the USA
India and Indians should be rightfully proud of their inventions. What is more, they should be proud of what the world-renowned philosophers and scientists have recognized- the wisdom of India. It may be a good idea for India to advertise India’s inventions and the quotes of world philosophers at India’s international airports and the public places of India. All students should be taught about India’s inventions.
WHAT SHOULD BE THE “INDIAN DREAM”? JOBS, JOBS, JOBS.
- Every Indian should be employed. Holding a job creates respect, dignity of labor, and of course income. Prime Minister Modi must move the earth and the heaven to create 20 million new jobs. Modernizing India will create millions of jobs.
- Every Indian should be able to own his own shelter.This requires India builds millions of apartments and houses. This will create millions of jobs.
- Clean drinking water should be available 24/7 to all Indians. Creating this should create millions of jobs.
- Garbage must be removed and treated on a systematic basic throughout India. This should create millions of jobs.
- Every household must have toilets. This should be supported by modern sewerage systems to eliminate and treat waste. This will create jobs.
- Every village/town must have schools of learning – Elementary; High School. This will create jobs.
- Every village/town must have medical clinic.This will create jobs.
- Every village/town must have minimum facilities to play sports – cricket, soccer (football), badminton, volleyball, field hockey, swimming, etc. This is very necessary to qualify Indians for international tournaments. India has been unable to qualify for World Cup Soccer due to lack of training and organization. This will create jobs.
- India needs to build largescale factories to manufacture millions of pieces of consumer products for export to the USA and the world. India does not have to invent a new wheel. Just emulate what China has done. Even Vietnam is catching up fast. India has 500 million unskilled labor looking for jobs. The factories can absorb them by creating millions of jobs.
- Indians living metropolitan cities must have efficient and fastest mass transit system. For example, the mass suburban railroads in Mumbai built during the British must be modernized in a hurry. This activity will also create millions of jobs in various cities of India.
- Presently in India, there are several million qualified professionals – engineers, managers, technologists looking for jobs.India’s modernizing process will create plenty of jobs for all these professionals.
This is not the time to criticize past administrations. India cannot afford to miss the bus because time is of essence. Once India formulates a new bold policy to modernize India and deliver the INDIAN DREAM to every Indian, the execution will create millions of jobs year after year. India is the youngest country in the world because half of its population is under 25, two thirds under 35. No other country can match this great advantage India has. India is overpopulated with 1.2 billion. But a developed population is a great asset.
By embarking aggressively on the economic revolution to modernize India, India should be able to wipe out its poverty of 300 million living in villages. Once they are employed, they will be an asset.
India can raise financial resources by privatizing 150 public sector corporations, maybe to the tune of over a trillion dollars. India’s credit is good. Therefore, India can float 50 or even 100-year Development Bonds that could be traded 24/7 in all leading financial markets of the world.
Prime Minister Modi has been re-elected with a huge majority. He has the extraordinary mandate to transform India into a modern nation.
India has the potential to become the third big economic power in the short span of time , and the second big by 2035.
Will Prime Minister Modi start the economic revolution based on capitalism to deliver Indian dream to every Indian?
(The author, former CEO, First Asian Securities corporation, NY and Senior Advisor, Imaginindia Institute, a New Delhi Think Tank, lives in Scarsdale, NY. He immigrated from India 65 years ago. He can be reached at vpwaren@gmail.com)