India says:I want a better quality of life.
“I want a better quality of life”. This phrase and battle cry, I believe, is what is transforming India today. It will also continue to make this country tick in spite of all odds.
The human motivation for a better quality of life is not measurable, but it is certainly palpable. Here in India, it is an underlying human energy that is gathering steam and taking on a life of its own.
I look at India and I see major dichotomy (doesn’t everyone?). Let me group my thoughts into two high-level categories that I will call the bad news and the good news.
The Bad News (let’s get it over with first!):
- Corruption at all Levels of Government
- Looting of the Treasury by Bureaucrats
- The Parallel Cash Economy and the Scourge of Black Money
- Ineffective Government Services for All Citizens
- More Poverty than there should be!
- Lack of adequate Far-thinking, Honest, Visionary Public Sector Leadership
The following cannot be changed or stopped: each person’s innate need and wish to continually improve his or her quality of life – especially once they have had a taste of what is possible.
The resulting motivation is so significant that it has the power to exponentially multiply and transform worlds. Witness the ongoing transformation in India!
A person who has had his eyes opened to possibilities will reach for that better quality of life, even if it’s one step at a time.
Added all together, this will reach gigantic proportions at various economic strata, and therein – in these vast numbers – lies the magic.
That is why economic progress here can only increase and propagate. With its momentum and gathering force, no one will be able to stop it – not even an ineffective government. Think of it as a runaway train. But one that is headed to a good place.
Final Thought: What is the true potential of this country if it did not have to deal with so much of the bad news?
Photo: By Lakshmi Prabhala [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Posted on May 23, 2011, in india, people, quality of life and tagged economic progress, india, people in India, quality of life. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
The Yin and Yang of Life Anywhere 
This runaway train heading to a good place – I hope its not just economic but badly needed social changes as well!
I just read a dreadful report today: http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/womens-rights/dangerpoll/ – check it out.
Shantz
Shanthini – you won’t believe it, but when I tried to go to this site Trend Micro blocked it as “adult/mature content”! Do you think it was the “womens-rights” that did it? 😦
I hear you about the need for social changes…the imminent need. India was just ranked in the top 5 WORST countries wrt women’s rights. That’s certainly something to be ashamed of.
Its possibly because it had the word sex (referring to sex workers or STDs) was in the report!! I hope to god it was not because of “women’s rights”.
My hope is that with economic empowerment, a larger proportion of women in India will stand up for themselves, but more importantly speak up for those sections of society that cannot. It can only get better, right? Let’s hope!