Are we missing a point?

With all the intelligence credited to us Indians, are we missing a point after all?

While the rulers are busy in and outside parliament in efforts to frame laws ostensibly to prevent corruption, the environment is daily throwing up indications that by the time the law gets a decent discussion in Parliament, the economy of the nation will be at a nadir. The ominous sign is in the figure of IIP (Index of Industrial Production) for October 2011 which is in the negative – minus 5%. This is not because of a policy paralysis but due to absence of governance for which the entire elected representatives are responsible. As by then there will no scope for corruption, the rulers will ‘work’ to get the economy back on track.  Implementation of Lokpal will be put on the back burner.

I am a compulsive dreamer If Anna had stayed on course of what he is good at and taken his best attributes across the length and breadth os our country, India would have been different today. Here is what he is good at :-


“The world bank has concluded that the village of Ralegan Siddhi was transformed from a highly degraded village ecosystem in a semi-arid region of extreme poverty to one of the richest in the country. The Ralegan Siddhi example, now 25 years old, by demonstrating that it is possible to rebuild natural capital in partnership with the local economy, is a model for the rest of the country. Since 1975, the village is headed by the noted Indian social activist Anna”


Now, why did that not happen? Surely if one village can transform more villages can follow suit…..Imagine the effect of scores of ‘Ralegan Siddhi’ in all states of the Federation. Our villages would be all like this…


“Ralegan Siddhi  is a village of an area of 982.31 ha (1991). It is considered a model of environmental conservation. The village has carried out programs like tree planting and terracing to reduce soil erosion and digging canals to retain rainwater. For energy, the village uses solar power, biogas (some generated from the community toilets) and a windmill.  The project is heralded as a sustainable model of a village republic.”  With many villages following this model a large part of energy needs would have been automatically addressed. India would have been at the threshold of superpower status if not already one by now.


All this makes me wonder….. the dreamer that I am!