Friday, August 15, 2014

Independence Day Blog - 2014 : Acche din are here!

Greetings to my fellow country men on Indian Independence Day!

The greatest boon for us is to be born in a country which gives an opportunity for each one of us to pursue our dreams.   I still remember the days where I used to go to watch TV in my neighbor's home and those days, when I used to sit endlessly in front of a BSNL modem.   Then there were those days when we had to visit an 'Internet Cafe'.  I remember those days walking miles in Assam to go to an STD booth to call my parents and beloved.  I remember making do with pot holed roads. I remember those days when passport application was a luxury and would take upto 3 months. 

The roads have improved.   We have direct to home television.  Broadband that gives decent internet connection.  The cell phones have become smarter and you can call almost from everywhere.   The Direct to home televisions have made viewing, to some extent our choice.  

Is this a sign of a free country?  I would agree to some extent.   I can do my own thing that is legal and grow at a pace I want.  Yes, the impediments that are typically Indian are there.   

I grew up in an India which thought job security was the main aim to achieve in life.   From there on,  I can see many startups, trying to still feed hand to mouth - trying to find their feet.   The risk taking appetite has grown, fed by dreams of the success of the large IT and new age companies.   This is in some sense, a sign of a maturing independent nation. 

But I would say with caution that absolute freedom leads to anarchy.  You can look at the Middle East and Africa where there are no rules - in a sense, complete independence - and break down.  The Egypts, the Iraq's  and the Ukraines which gained 'independence' from dictators are still struggling to reach peace.   There are no rules to play by, and winner takes it all.   

If you reflect on this point, you will understand the need for 'rule book' for a country.  That is what the 'Constitution' is all about.  We made those rules.   The rules prevent some mighty to trample the weak and downtrodden.   Justice seeks liberty with rules.   And we are making progress in improving the rules to address the present age malice.   

We have a military that plays as per the constitution.  We have a strong judiciary. We have a electoral system that delivers the change that the majority of us wants.  We have the ability to address social issues to mass movements and influence the government of the day.    

Not to say that we have issues at hand - fixing problems around corruption, corporate governance,  environmental and wild life protection,  sanitation,  malnutrition, education are still work in progress.

Finally, for nothing, we are called the 'world's largest democracy'.  We are, in the history of humans, the largest group of people do decide and make our own destiny.   We collectively decide, the largest representative government of people.  

And not to say the least or last, the clear opportunity is that we have more Indians who are work-worthy than any country in the world.  This human capital is our biggest leverage.  Never before, never again.   

As the game is more clearly defined, we have fitter players in the field, it is each one of us to do our bit to 'seize the day'.  Carpe Diem, Independent India!  Acche Din ( Good days) are here. 

- Ashok Subramanian

(C) Cherunathury Tech Ventures 


   















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