India at 60
This refers to "A question of Indian pride" by Tabish Khair (February 25). Despite 60 years of independence India has not been able to transform into a modern state, in terms of freedom, dissent and life of the common men. Instead of basking in the glory of successful democracy, we need to introspect our persistent failures of social life. If democracy has not reached the last man as envisaged by Gandhi or if social life does not convert into a social democracy as envisaged by Ambedkar, we need to investigate that without empowering the common man, India can neither claim a powerful nation nor an intellectual giant.
T.Marx,
Karaikal, U.T. of Puducherry
India's achievements in various fields are really mind-boggling. The penetration of mobile phones has brought the world within our fingertips. The availability of world-class health facilities at affordable rates is another achievement and is also helping in increasing tourism. The availability of the latest gadgets, metro rail, and booming economy are some other achievements. But by far the biggest achievement is our democracy. In spite of all odds we have a democratic government and a peaceful change of government after every election.
B.R.Gupta,
Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu
January 1, 2007 dawned with ample aspirations amongst every Indian to compete in every field in the tight global progress. There may be few instances of odds and adversaries here and there due to human failure in spite of the welfare plans and programmes announced and implemented to serve the public at large. In spite of all these sporadic events, which is not uncommon in any country, India is marching ahead undeterred and every Indian must be proud of this and take part in the growth process. There is nothing wrong in the following the West into the fast lane of neo-liberalist progress.
R. Murali Kumar,
Tiruchi
The photographs giving the contrasting scenes of India were captivating. If Indians have carved a niche internationally because of intelligence, hard work and sincerity, their fellow brothers at home have soiled the image and reputation by committing atrocities for selfish gains. The net result of the two is the question on pride. Though not insignificant, stray incidents as Nithari should not deter and discourage the efforts on moves that will make India shine.
S. Raghavan,
Delhi
The article is a forceful exposition of two sinister aspects of India's current polity. However, the piece hardly does justice to the title. The author admits that our continuing democratic set up and the "Nehru-Gandhi secularism" are things Indians can be proud of. Our economic progress, which the author calls neo-liberalist, may have many flaws. But it is not the only reason for farmers' suicides and individual moral depravity. Our progress in a front-end technology such as the nuclear industry is something to be definitely proud of, whatever be some of its socio-economic drawbacks. While such scholarly articles form excellent reading material, they would be more valuable if the substance is presented in a more balanced way.
B.K.S. Nair,
Thiruvananthapuram
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