“Be the change that you wish
to see in the world.” —Mahatma Gandhi
India celebrates Mahatma
Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary on October 02, 2019. I was inspired
by Mahatma Gandhi when I served in the Indian Air Force in 1980s. I read his
autobiography and it influenced me immensely. As one of his followers, I share
some ideas and insights about him in this post.
Mahatma Gandhi is known as
the father of the nation because of his crucial role to achieve India’s
independence. He dreamed of a free India and prosperous India. But India today
is not the India he dreamed. I will relate India of my dreams vis-à-vis India
of his dreams.
Mahatma Gandhi was the rarest
leader who learned continuously, led by example and served as a ladder for
others throughout his life. He did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize, although
he was nominated five times. But his
followers including Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama, Aung San
Suu Kyi, and Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize. It indicates his
influence beyond borders and laying the ladder for great leaders. It is a pride
for Indians that Mahatma Gandhi was born in India whose influence is beyond
borders and generations.
All patriotic citizens have
their dreams about their nations the way they have dreams about their lives.
Some nations do well while other nations don’t do well. In a democracy, it is
the people who decide the fate of their leaders. If citizens elect the right
leaders the nations will prosper. The onus lies with citizens to elect the
right leaders who can build better nations.
Addressing the Challenges
There are innumerable
challenges ahead for our country. Currently, the Indian economy is down and
unemployment problem is high. We must address them by improving our economy and
enhancing employment. There is an urgent need for Indian youth to build skills
and abilities to enhance their employability skills. A study shows that there
is an unemployability problem in India arising from ineffective education
system. The present education system emphasizes theory, not practice. It
encourages reading, writing and reproducing. It must be addressed earnestly to
create a skilled workforce for better productivity and performance.
We must encourage
entrepreneurship in Indian youth. More entrepreneurs mean more opportunities. There
is growing urbanization and there is an urgent need to build homes to the
homeless in India. We must emphasize on women empowerment.
Indian intellectuals must be
part of the solution to build a better India. All stakeholders including
intellectuals, educators, government, nonprofits, and industry must collaborate
to build a strong India.
India is Rich in Human
Resources and Natural Resources
In spite of being rich in human
resources and natural resources, India is not able to exploit its natural
resources. A small country like Singapore prospered without natural resources.
Why cannot India prosper despite being blessed with natural resources? We have
a huge young population and we must tap them to build a strong nation.
There is an urgent need to
revolutionize agriculture. Make industry agrarian-oriented, not the other way
around. We must live in peace and prosperity everywhere. It is said that next
to God is the neighbor. Hence, we must emphasize good neighborly relations to
enable us to focus on developmental activities.
India is a Land of Unity in
Diversity
Diversity is the bedrock of
India. Strive for secularism to ensure unity and integrity of India. There must
be tolerance and respect for all cultures, castes, communities, religions, and
regions. We must respect diversity.
When good citizens like you
join, we can make a huge difference in society. Everything starts with one
person and that one person is YOU.
Remember, one person who can change the world is YOU! Let us take a
pledge to acquire positive, right and strong attitude; enhance our commitment
levels; work together to build a strong and great India.
India is a Land of
Aspirations!
“If there is one place on the
face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the
very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India.” —Romain Rolland, Roman Scholar
India is a nation of hopes! The
21st century belongs to India and Indians. India will grow as superpower
and Indians will grow globally in all spheres spreading India’s cultural
richness and greatness. We are blessed with several inherent strengths. We must
explore and utilize our strengths to build a strong and vibrant India. There
must be a shift in the mindset of people from being rights-oriented to
duty-oriented. Let us look at the door that is opened. Be responsible. Be
accountable. Be duty-oriented. Make a difference in the lives of others. We
must be proud of being Indians first and Indians last to make India as a
superpower in the world. God bless India.
Jai Hind!
Share if you care!
Life is great!
Professor
M.S. Rao
Founder of MSR Leadership
Consultants, India
Thanks for reading!
Kindly share your thoughts
and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.
Copyright©2019 MSR Leadership
Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
without permission is prohibited.
This is a nonprofit blog to
share Professor M.S. Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as
global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute
by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided
copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com. This material may not be sold, or published
in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party
without permission.
