After 63 years of Indian Independence, there is a sense amongst Indians and even the rest of the world, that India is not living up to its potential ‘completely.’ There is a lot more it could have done, but is unable to get it done.
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Arun Shanbhag 
Hello Arun,
Thank you very much for your reply and also for obliging my request. I have no doubt that you do stand by our Jawans, like the rest of the Indians.
My intention was not to offend or hurt. If my comment has been hurtful or disrespectful, I apologise to you unreservedly, Arun.
All best wishes
Aparna
I agree with several of the posters. Yes, government has its issues, etc. but it’s also the people. I always find people blaming others except themselves for whatever is wrong in the world, not just India but also here. One of the things I liked in Obama’s speech which Americans have also forgotten is taking up personal responsibility. If we actually listened to his speeches, he never said he will bring change, he said we as people will bring change! 😉
Anyhow, quoting politicians aside… we need to take responsibilities.
Namaste Arun,
I completely agree that the letting down of India is at both the individual and collective levels. The introspection should certainly begin with “I or ME”.
But, I find the inclusion of the option : Armed forces, totally unacceptable. Simply for the fact that the Indian armed forces aren’t an independent decision making authority and the decisions taken are by the government and the Supreme Commander of the armed forces – the President.
Lastly, the armed forces have always literally given their blood for the country, whenever there has been a need- one case in point being the disastrous 1962 campaign. the humiliation was brought upon by the traitorous Nehru and the ilk.
Although, it is just a poll, I hope you do review the appropriateness of the aforementioned option, for it is an affront to the people who protect India’s sovereignty in the face of inhuman odds. (Before anyone mentions the recent reports of corruption in the armed forces, I would say, please do not tar the entire armed forces with the same brush).
Best wishes
Aparna
Hi Aparna:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I did not realize the sensitivity of the army issue and had only included that for the sake of completeness, like I have included businesses and our natural heritage and resources. And btw, there was no intention of “tar the entire armed forces”
I completely agree with you and standby our Jawans 100% and I think most, if not all, indians do the same. That is already reflected in the poll, NO ONE picked that option from the nearly 83 entries we already have.
Once started, I don’t know if I can change the options without losing the current data, but will try.
And thank you for sharing your legitimate concerns.
Best Wishes,
Arun
Primarily it is the people who chose to be silent and accept things. We all live with “chalta hai” attitude. I guess we do not have enough Anna Hazares or Arvind Kejriwals to wake us up. Secondly, we all know that India’s democracy stands hand in hand with goondaism, which makes most people accept things as fate.
I wanted to choose the other options too but needed to choose the appropriate one for voting, so had to choose the one I did. I indeed agree with a few of my above countrymen for having let India down. But a good and comanding leader will enhance the will of the people at large, if you have a leader of great vision,say like Subash Chandra Bose would have helped India to be in a better state than what it is today. Corruption has seeped into the blood of our leaders of today and its so repealing to hear them or even having anything to do with them..! What a shame we have to talk about our own leaders in this context but cant help, as that is what we can do in our individual capacity.
@Shesh: I totally agree with you. It is the people(including me) who is letting India down. Most of the time we choose to be ignorant and unmindful. All we do is to blame things around us and when the time comes to take action, we back off.
Ultimately, every individual should take credit for the successes we have achieved so far and also the responsibility for any failures to reach our potential. It is the individual ‘I’ who is the core of any of the choices you mentioned – whether a politician, the natural resource, a business etc..
The time of ‘Passing the buck’ has passed by since we got our independence in 1947, and it is high time that I bend my bit to clear the litter and keep my place ‘MY COUNTRY’ clean (of corruption, of pollution etc..), and then demand accountability from those in authority.
So, I would say it is ‘ME’ who is letting India down, by not being part of the solution, whenever I could.
I agree with you and all the other commenters on the main thrust of your argument. That it is ultimately the individual responsibility.
But I am NOT ready to take the leaders OFF the hook.
Individuals really do not have a lot of leverage. If you can organize, form a party and then do something, it may work. but as an individual, you really are powerless. The strong incumbency in parliament suggests that existing MPs have all the (tax payers) resources to mold or confuse the issue. And besides, the majority of our electorate is uneducated and unable to grasp the issues that are at play. Even educated people mess up. COnsider that in a few elections ago, many educated folks from Mumbai actually voted for and elected Govinda. If the educated people from the cities can make such disastrous decisions, what hope does the rural folks have?
I may have to write a longer post on this topic, so I will end here.
But essentially, if leaders volunteer for these positions, they need to deliver and we are right in chastising them!
Great leader lead the people: Consider Mahatma Gandhi, Abe Lincoln, Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, King Ashoka; even Barack Obama on the health care reform. It takes courage and these people had it.
Do we have any such leaders in India today?
I think the poll answers that question convincingly.
🙂
Arun
I am not surprised to see that more people blame politicians, it was the most obvious answer. Put the blame on somebody else! That consciousness we beheld is responsible for our condition. When we don’t take responsibility somebody else takes it for us and uses it at their will. In a democracy politicians are elected by the people. So who is really responsible? Why cannot we take responsibility and to become a politician and drive those out who do not deserve to be there?
Ambar:
I agree with you completely ~ but the way our democracy works, the common person really has NO power. Only a small fraction of the populace can even grasp the complexities of the issues, or the caliber of the people standing for election. The politicians know this and focus their energies on “buying” votes by silly projects and creating political crises.
And then govern the country as if it is their own domain to do as they please.
Consider, educated folks in Mumbai actually elected the actor Govinda to Parliament with a resounding majority ~ even though he was completely UNqualified, and once elected did not bother to even attend legislative sessions. If the educated people can be so completely hypnotized, what chance do the rest of the populace have?
Arun