Today I am writing this blog to give a very tiny tribute to honorable Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
I am too small a human being to express what he has done for our Nation. A very sad day for me and for the entire country.
He was one of my heroes and an inspirational figure.I am dedicating this blog to him.
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about how to address our country. Our's is the only country which is addressed using 3 different names : - India, Bharat, Hindustan. The name Bharat has its own historical meaning . There seems to be confusion over which of the terms represent 'real' India. India is English. Bharat is about regional languages. India is urban. Bharat is rural. English media caters to India. Regional media caters to Bharat. India values Western ideals. Bharat upholds traditional thoughts. India belongs to the rich and powerful. Bharat is of the poor simple folk.
Never had the British thought that their one word, India, for our nation , Bharat would actually be competing with each other. However the truth stands so; while half of the nation has moved up the status of India, the other half is still in the archaic remains of Bharat. Our nation today stands divided ,apart from religion and states, in its representational form.On one hand where it represents future world leader, India, on the other it remains a nation put down by poverty and corruption, Bharat. While our economists and educationalists are scaling heights in the world giving name and fame to India, the fact remains that we have one of the highest illiteracy rate in Bharat. At a time when India is showing great efforts to improve healthcare with cashless cards and medical insurance schemes, there are millions in Bharat who die because of lack of healthcare.
A quick introspection reveals that a non inclusive growth strategy of the government along with the vote bank politics has created this divide between India and Bharat. India’s political leaders work for India using vote banks that are located in Bharat. Both fiction and non-fiction authors who seek to decode India for the world endorse this divide. Even business people and consumer experts speak of this divide but prefer referring to India as India Urban and Bharat as India rural.While large impetuous is given on the growth of revenue generating hubs/metros , the other sectors/cities have been devoid of even a cinch of development and attention.
India and Bharat view each other with suspicion. For India, Bharat is about ‘khap-panchayats’ that kill daughters that dare stand up against the family pressure. For Bharat, India is where ‘homosexuality is acceptable’. For India, Bharat is where minorities are massacred. For Bharat, India is where traditions are not respected. For India, Bharat is the land where Dalits are butchered. For Bharat, India is the land of loose moral values. For India, Bharat is the land of Hindu fundamentalists. For Bharat, India the land of pseudo-secularists.
Real or artificial, this divide is used to create heroes and villains. And so, depending on the context, India becomes liberal to patriarchal Bharat, or India becomes Western to traditional, rooted and grounded Bharat. Depending on the context, government policies seem to favour either India or Bharat. Depending on the context, India has to learn from Bharat or Bharat has to learn from India.One can only conclude that the British left India, but we continue to uphold their ‘divide and rule’ policy in our public discourse.
But there are some questions in my mind which are still unanswered. Are we trying to convert Bharat to India in terms of development ? the first noble prize winner of India Ravindranath Tagore is from Bharat. Almost 95 % Bharatratna award winners are from Bharat. Famous economists,scientists are leaders who represent India on global level are from Bharat. The Missile man of India, who inspired every Indian (rural and urban both) with his vision 2020 is from Bharat. So, don't you think that Bharat is representing us on Global level ?
What is urban India doing ? Working for foreign companies, feeling proud of 5 day week and talking about Japanese work spirit and Chinese business minds. Urban India makes good amount of money. But, while paying taxes they feel there is large inequality and injustice in India. Urban India is busy discussing 20 - 20 tournament than vision 20 - 20., Feeling proud and patriotic for wearing Gandhi topi in a protest, and discussing rural development programs in a five star hotel.
To conclude, I think Indian government should start and focus more on "Urban Mind Development Program" along with rural "economy" development program.
I am too small a human being to express what he has done for our Nation. A very sad day for me and for the entire country.
He was one of my heroes and an inspirational figure.I am dedicating this blog to him.
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about how to address our country. Our's is the only country which is addressed using 3 different names : - India, Bharat, Hindustan. The name Bharat has its own historical meaning . There seems to be confusion over which of the terms represent 'real' India. India is English. Bharat is about regional languages. India is urban. Bharat is rural. English media caters to India. Regional media caters to Bharat. India values Western ideals. Bharat upholds traditional thoughts. India belongs to the rich and powerful. Bharat is of the poor simple folk.
Never had the British thought that their one word, India, for our nation , Bharat would actually be competing with each other. However the truth stands so; while half of the nation has moved up the status of India, the other half is still in the archaic remains of Bharat. Our nation today stands divided ,apart from religion and states, in its representational form.On one hand where it represents future world leader, India, on the other it remains a nation put down by poverty and corruption, Bharat. While our economists and educationalists are scaling heights in the world giving name and fame to India, the fact remains that we have one of the highest illiteracy rate in Bharat. At a time when India is showing great efforts to improve healthcare with cashless cards and medical insurance schemes, there are millions in Bharat who die because of lack of healthcare.
A quick introspection reveals that a non inclusive growth strategy of the government along with the vote bank politics has created this divide between India and Bharat. India’s political leaders work for India using vote banks that are located in Bharat. Both fiction and non-fiction authors who seek to decode India for the world endorse this divide. Even business people and consumer experts speak of this divide but prefer referring to India as India Urban and Bharat as India rural.While large impetuous is given on the growth of revenue generating hubs/metros , the other sectors/cities have been devoid of even a cinch of development and attention.
India and Bharat view each other with suspicion. For India, Bharat is about ‘khap-panchayats’ that kill daughters that dare stand up against the family pressure. For Bharat, India is where ‘homosexuality is acceptable’. For India, Bharat is where minorities are massacred. For Bharat, India is where traditions are not respected. For India, Bharat is the land where Dalits are butchered. For Bharat, India is the land of loose moral values. For India, Bharat is the land of Hindu fundamentalists. For Bharat, India the land of pseudo-secularists.
Real or artificial, this divide is used to create heroes and villains. And so, depending on the context, India becomes liberal to patriarchal Bharat, or India becomes Western to traditional, rooted and grounded Bharat. Depending on the context, government policies seem to favour either India or Bharat. Depending on the context, India has to learn from Bharat or Bharat has to learn from India.One can only conclude that the British left India, but we continue to uphold their ‘divide and rule’ policy in our public discourse.
But there are some questions in my mind which are still unanswered. Are we trying to convert Bharat to India in terms of development ? the first noble prize winner of India Ravindranath Tagore is from Bharat. Almost 95 % Bharatratna award winners are from Bharat. Famous economists,scientists are leaders who represent India on global level are from Bharat. The Missile man of India, who inspired every Indian (rural and urban both) with his vision 2020 is from Bharat. So, don't you think that Bharat is representing us on Global level ?
What is urban India doing ? Working for foreign companies, feeling proud of 5 day week and talking about Japanese work spirit and Chinese business minds. Urban India makes good amount of money. But, while paying taxes they feel there is large inequality and injustice in India. Urban India is busy discussing 20 - 20 tournament than vision 20 - 20., Feeling proud and patriotic for wearing Gandhi topi in a protest, and discussing rural development programs in a five star hotel.
To conclude, I think Indian government should start and focus more on "Urban Mind Development Program" along with rural "economy" development program.
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