India @ 75 means many things to many people: it is, for instance, an experiment in the ideals of democracy as our founding fathers envisioned. It certainly is a story of how a people pulled itself out of colonial yoke to achieve dreams political, economic, social and technological that very few post-colonial states have been able to fulfill. But above all, as the world’s largest democracy, India today is story of a billion aspirations and opportunities.
At Independence, the international community had expressed doubts about India’s ability to stay the course. For sure colonialism and the attendant deindustrialisation had taken its toll, but foresight coupled with mixed economy approach provided the stability that a young nation could bank on and work on for its future.
The India of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s was turbulent in many ways and yet it had the courage and collective fortitude to steer a different course economic liberalisation whose immediate effect was in lifting millions out of poverty. The belief in and the practice of democracy, with its warts and all, along with visionary policies by successive governments has contributed to making India a regional and global powerhouse.
There are still vast swathes of India where inequality persists, caste remains an impediment for a section of Indians to enjoy the fruits of freedom and religious intolerance comes in the way of true nation building.
And yet India is a vibrant, pulsating, promising and deeply enriching country that appeals to the imagination of its own people. In as much as it is an adventure, it also charms and enchants.