I have been in India for a fortnight and have had an opportunity to observe the rapid changes taking place. The streets are clean, car hooting has gone down. Running through this diverse nation is a sense of unity which expresses itself when challenging situations arise. In the fight to stop the CoronaVirus, PM Modi urged the people of the country to stay indoors on Sunday 20 March 2020. He also requested that precisely at 5pm people should acknowledge the services of all those who are on the front line of caring for the Cornius victims by playing drums and clapping from their houses. This was not a fatwa or a government directive. It was a request from the Prime Minister of the country. The response was a total lock down of this country of 1.3 billion people.
Not only is India fighting the Cornius virus it is supporting others as well. Vasudev Kutumbhkam, meaning the world is a family is a revered aphorism in Hinduism. So India has sent aid to coronavirus-hit Italy. The consignment includes masks and medical equipment. India also sent 15 tonnes of medical assistance to China which consisted of masks, gloves and medical equipment. India has also provided support to South Asian countries like Bhutan, Maldives and is in the process to help Nepal under the announcements made during the SAARC COVID-19 meet. India swiftly ferried back Indian nationals from China. A lady Indian pilot is flying an aircraft to Italy to bring back the last batch of Indian’s stranded there.
Like China, India too has a massive population and yet it has never had any viruses that have become a threat to our very existence. It also hosts the world’s largest human gathering in one place during the Kumbh Mela. Over 50 million people come together and yet there are hardly any casualties or outbreaks of diseases. Could it be that a plant based diet cuts out almost all the risk of animal flesh cross contamination? For thousands of years the saints and sages of India have decreed that eating animal flesh is not the food human beings should eat.
In a rapidly changing world India is quick to adapt and embrace new ideas. It has made huge progress in carrying its population on to the cutting edge of the digital revolution. Almost anything can be done via a smartphone or a computer. Every Indian citizen has an identity card called, ‘Aadhar’. It can give one access to all the services that the nation provides. Many developed countries are studying this Indian model for their use. India’s financial institutions, the justice system and the bureaucracy all are going through fundamental changes.
India has a young population and it is bursting with energy and a deep desire to succeed and claim its place as a leading world power. India under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi had won over many nations with its soft power of Namaste, Yoga and the highly educated and skilled Indian’s working all over the world. Indian’s are CEO’s of some of the biggest companies in the world. They have a huge presence in the Silicon Valley as well as N.A.S.A.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed two individuals of Indian origin to the highest positions in the country. Priti Patel being the Home minister and Saunak Rishi being the Chancellor of Exchequer. The millenials in India consider themselves second to none. The achievements of young Indian men and women in sports is a good example. Weight lifting, Tennis, Badminton, Boxing, Hockey, Athleticas, Wrestling, Cricket, Indian men and women are beating the best in the world. Just over a decade ago this was unthinkable.
The burst of young energy can also be seen by the transformation taking place in India’s towns and cities. 21st Century apartments, state of the art infrastructure, bridges, metro systems, railways, smart cities, airports all are coming up. All this in a democracy in this vast country with its immense diversity. Hundreds of millions of people go about their lives by adjusting to the circumstances they find themselves in. The guy who makes a living by polishing your shoes is unconcerned of the super rich not far from him. He concentrates on his job.
On the other hand USA and Western European nations are showing fatigue and a distinct slow down in creativity. India is the new nation which will be the harbinger of a new world based not on dominating or exploiting others but on the idea of the world being a family. It will emphasise the idea of respecting nature and the non human species. It will abandon the idea of superior human species. It will revere and respect all God’s creation. The rivers, forests, mountains, oceans, the Sun, Moon all will be worshipped. Even an ant will not be hurt. Animals will be given fundamental rights.
There are many negative forces trying to destabilise the country. But India’s institutions are too strong and the vast majority of the people of the country are aware of the aims of the negative forces. Countries or their social media which have always had an aversion to India need to see the new India emerging or be left behind.
Nitin Mehta