Tasks for Indians 2009

Tasks for Indians 2009

(Talk at a meeting arranged by Prime-point)

 

  1. Good morning everybody. I congratulate all of you for keeping your lamps alive even amidst stormy weather around us and within us as a country and as people.
  2. It is during March 1996, the combined analyses and insights of 5000 persons gave the Technology Vision 2020 from TIFAC. It is now close to 13 years since then. Many achievements and many missed opportunities. Most importantly our infrastructure is poor and vs. number of our human population is languishing without being converted into HUMAN CAPITAL.
  3. I suggest the following. It is time we stop talking about VISION, DREAM, SUPERPOWER, SOFTPOWER etc. We need concrete ACTIONS – speedily. May I say that we should RESOLVE to
  • TALK LESS; WORK MORE
  • PROMISE LESS; PERFORM MORE
  • STOP HYPES; CELEBRATE CONCRETE WORK
  • DON’T CREATE ICONS; DISCOVER PERFORMERS AROUND YOU.

     4.I see three major critical challenges before India if all Indians can have a reasonable life. We are now about 1.2 Billion; will be 1.4 Billion in about 10 years. For all of             them.

  1. Concerted and speedy actions against terrorist activities within our country and make it impossible for them to kill ordinary people. Make these drills and discipline a part of our daily lives of all Indians. We may even think of one year internship in military and security work for all our youth.
  2. About 70% children do not have any hope for future because of poor schooling, skilling etc. Another 20% struggle. Radical innovative actions are required to save them and make them economically productive. If we don’t address it, the country will suffer from internal chaos in a decade.
  3. Make GOVERNANCE (govt., corporate, civil society) systems with little scope for corruption. We need to change may rules, laws – simplify them. Make realistic electoral laws. Accept the existence of huge Indian black money (DARK MATTER DARK ENERGY) already accumulated in India and abroad over 60 years and allow it to flow into socially relevant causes to address the problems of rural areas, tier 3 towns, education and health etc. Let us not take high moral positions and in actual life be most selfish. Instead let us accept enlightened self interest and make rules accordingly.

I have elaborated on these in the articles and in Open Spring of Ideas in my website www.ysrajan.com.

If we tackle these three items effectively, Indian economy can unshackle itself and all Indians will earn better. Automatically GDP will go up. It is really the work of ordinary people which make a country big or small. The leaders etc only ride on the rising averages.

Let us therefore enable and skill ordinary Indian – who now appears as poor and dirty.

 

Y S Rajan