Two India

We live in two India side by side. For citizens of first India, Economy is growing at 8% p.a., Sensex is touching sky high, Multiplexes and posh offices are sprawling everywhere and roads are being flooded with cars. For citizens of second India, things are still very much the same even after 60 years of independence. Making both ends meet still remains a challenge for them. They don't know if their future will ever change.

The first India is making progress in leaps and bounds in the global economy, especially with the outsourcing boom. The second India still lacks access to basic facilities and education. The first India is ebullient with optimism and hope, looking towards the future. The second India doesn't know what the future will be like.

The children of the first India are reaping the benefits of education. They go to English Medium Schools and then to colleges to become graduates, engineers, doctors, MBAs etc. The children of the second India have never seen the doors of school. They are more busy in working as child laborers for their survival.

The youth of the first India is a confident person knowing he/she has to make a mark in his/her career. Work Hard, Party Harder has become a common tag-line for him/her. The youth of second India is a person not sure of how he can move ahead in life. Since his parents couldn't send him to school, he has to rely on earning through subservient means. He might be having an aptitude of an IITian but which goes untapped working as a daily wage earner.

The question that lies ahead is will the "First India" and the "Second India" are always going to be apart??

Or may be sometimes in future we can say that we live in "One India". Where every child has an opportunity to go to school and get education. Where everyone has an opportunity to succeed in life. Where the poor are not trapped in vicious cycle of poverty; the children not going to school since their parents are not able to earn enough and this might repeat for the next generation and so on.

But just dreaming that things will get better won't bring any change. Waiting and hoping that trickle-down economy will work on its own won't help. SOMEONE has to bring the change and rather a bit quickly. We all have seen the efficiency of Government plans and policies. As citizens of India, especially we the youth have an excellent opportunity to change things around us. Each one of us can bring the change at least in some way.

We all have a CHOICE. Whether to ignore our surroundings and just to focus on our own progress or to come forward and making a difference in the life of at least one underprivileged individual along with our own progress. Whether to blame the system and the government or taking charge of the situation.

We have a CHOICE. Whether we want to live in an India which ranks 127 in Human Development Index among 177 countries. (The human development index (HDI) focuses on three measurable dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life, being educated and having a decent standard of living. Thus it combines measures of life expectancy, school enrollment, literacy and income to allow a broader view of a country’s development than does income alone.) Source: http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_IND.html). Or whether we want to see a much more developed India from where it is standing right now.

The question is whether we shrug off all this saying it is not our responsibility as an Individual or whether we come forward to do whatever we can in our capacity wherever we may be.

Talk to me if you think i am talking sense and you are really interested in making some change in your surroundings.