Compared to a vast majority of my fellow citizens, I have had a privileged existence. And I have been extremely fortunate to have the opportunities to realise my potential.
Many of our fellow citizens are denied this opportunity. For them, the doors to a better, brighter future are shut. For them, the joy of achievement is something that they may never experience. For them, each day is a monumental struggle.
It does not have to be like that.
I belong to a very rich and blessed country. Yet my fellow Indians are destitute and miserable.
Have you ever paused to think why? Have you ever paused to think how can this be changed?
Until a few years ago, whenever I had thoughts like these, I used to find something worthwhile that someone was doing and make a charitable contribution.
Gradually it dawned on me that charity will not solve this problem. It cannot. I realised that the roots of our poor development, the suffering of millions, the pain and the despair that the vast majority face everyday, were elsewhere.
It was becoming clearer to me that India’s ‘fundamental problem’ was poor governance and bad policies. And there was only one way to change that.
Fortunately, that way did not require a bloody revolution.
One of the “blessings” of being an Indian is to belong to a democracy, to a system where change can be brought about by popular will.
But living amidst freedom, amidst a free society, entails responsibilities and duties. Somewhere along the way, we – the healthy, educated and fortunate citizens of India – began to take the “fruits” of freedom for granted and forgot the responsibilities that these entailed.
Today I am asking you to think about those responsibilities.
I am asking you to think how a group of committed and passionate people can break the mould. I am asking you to think how we can change the paradigm of popular politics, of vote-banks, electoral compromises and sub-serving of national interest.
Today I am asking you to think how we can take this powerful idea – an idea of changing India – and actually make it work.
The need of the hour is to reclaim our country which is being pushed to the brink and is being sliced and diced in pieces to satisfy the hunger of those in power. It’s time we reclaim our “Rashtra” that is in danger of losing its “Raashtriyata”. It’s time we free India from the clutches of the incompetent, the unfaithful and the self-serving.
Remember, you play a big and important part in India’s future!
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
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