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You may not agree with my optimism right now but the day is not far when India will be preferred as the most favourable place to live in the whole world. Jahan daal daal par sone ki chidiya karti hai basera, wo Bharat desh hai mera!’ We all occasionally sing this song from the film Sikandar E Azam, released some 58 years ago. Written by lyricist Rajendra Krishan, this song is played especially on the occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day. You might wonder why this song is being discussed now. Independence Day will be celebrated next month... and India is no longer the ‘golden bird’ (sone ki chidiya)!Yes, this is the thought that prompted me to express my views on this subject. I’ve visited several parts of the country and the world. I’ve met folks from every race and culture. I had the opportunity to learn about their perspective towards India. The entire world is now feeling the influence of the place that the British depicted as the land of snake charmers and witches.Let’s first talk about that ‘golden bird’ which has become an inseparable part of our lives through the song mentioned earlier. Then we’ll talk about how the golden bird will adorn the branch of our country again. From Mughals and Portuguese to Dutch, Danish, French and British, they all came here only because the word of India’s prosperity reached them. We were simple people whereas they were clever and cunning, skilled in the art of treachery and robbery. Everyone knows about the plunder by Mughals, but you might be astonished to learn that the Portuguese Vasco da Gama, who arrived in India in 1498, earned 60 times more profit than he spent on the trip. Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor has already exposed the British at the Oxford Union. Tharoor has authentically proved that when the British came to India, our share in the global economy was around 23 per cent, but when the British left, this figure had dropped to 4 per cent. Our share of global trade fell from 27 per cent to 2 per cent. Britain industrialised at India’s expense. Not only Tharoor, but the country’s well-known economist Utsa Patnaik has also proved that the British looted more than $44 trillion from our country’s treasury between 1765 and 1947.If India has left Britain behind in terms of economy, which the latter had built on the basis of such a massive plunder of its former colony, then there is a ray of hope. We are already the fifth largest economy in the world and will soon be the third! When the economy grows fast, the infrastructure does too. Resources continue to accumulate. Facilities develop. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal is for India to be recognised as a developed country by 2047. When I compare my country with the other countries around the world, it is evident to me that if we address some issues, India will soon become the most desirable place to live. Even now, America’s affluence draws people from all over the world, yet the country’s social foundation is crumbling. Any lunatic can open fire at any time and anywhere. The weather is harsh there. The entire world is witnessing the situation in Europe. In any case, Europe’s time has passed and it has lost its erstwhile status. Whatever is left is due to the American alliance.Surely in terms of living, Switzerland is so resourceful that it attracts people from all over the world. Similarly, Dubai too has fast developed resources with all the luxuries. People from all over the world are arriving, working and living there, yet there is a major issue with openness, both ideological and social! If you want to live there, you must compromise on your personal independence. There is no such thing as ideological freedom! Singapore is beautiful too, but everything is tightly controlled. China competes with every country in the world in terms of facilities, but there is no such thing as freedom. When an industrialist like Jack Ma can be destroyed for questioning merely one government policy, can you imagine what will happen to others?In such a situation, the whole world is looking at India where there is democracy in true sense, there is a wide variety of weather and, most importantly, a cultural tradition of making everyone its own, true to the idea of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. Some cases of extremism frighten us as well, but they will never be so powerful as to destroy our social and cultural fabric. This is an issue that will require the entire country to keep a close eye on. Terrorism is equally frightening, but our Army is powerful enough to eliminate it. If we want to attract the whole world, we must prioritise education, healthcare and the ease of doing government business. The work is in progress in this regard but the pace needs to be accelerated. When there will be world-class education and adequate employment opportunities in our own country, why would any youth go abroad? Why would someone want to settle in some foreign country? Everyone understands that no matter how tempting a foreign country appears to be, that is not our own. No other woman, however caring, can replace our mother. The government will do everything on its part to make India a golden bird again, but we as citizens will have to commit ourselves to this task too. Only then will we all be able to sing in true sense: ‘Saare jahan se achha Hindustan hamara!The author is the chairman, Editorial Board of Lokmat Media and former member of Rajya Sabha.

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