NRN - words, vision and hope ...

Economic times editorial : TODAY, we Indians live in rare, exhilarating times. Never before in the last 1,000 years did India and Indians amount to much among foreigners as we are today. In the past, we were deemed people fit enough to be ruled by outsiders. In the last fifteen years, all of that has changed. There is a new confidence amongst young Indians. The economy is growing at 8.5%, exports are surging and the foreign investment is picking up speed. There is a new respect for India. This is the time to accelerate.
Amidst all of this euphoria, there is a sense of uncertainty, scepticism and self-doubt resulting in endless debate whether the path of the last fifteen years is right for all Indians. Well, we have tried many other isms and failed. Countries around us have shown that the only way we can solve the problem of poverty is by creating more and more jobs. Hence, we have to end this debate and show we mean business. We must accept that there will be corruption, inefficiency and petty politics among certain sections of the society. We must accept there will be a minority of evil forces with vested interest wanting to derail the agenda of national development. But, we cannot let this minority bring down our momentum. If we miss the boat this time, it is unlikely we will ever get another chance. We can succeed despite all our problems only by focusing on execution and making progress despite all the problems we have. This is the time for each one of us to do whatever we do better.
Countries around us — China, Singapore and South Korea — have all demonstrated the power of execution. Let the teachers go to school on time and teach the children. Let the doctors go to hospitals on time and tend to the patients with care. Let the government officers be in the office promptly at 9 am, do their work well, take quick decisions and earn their living. Let the public construction projects run three shifts instead of starting at 11 am and stopping at 5 pm. Let the media reserve the prime time and the front page to heralding the successes of this hardworking majority rather than focusing on the misdeeds of a few. None of these can be stopped by any evil power in the society. We have to win the war of honesty, decency, national pride and hard work over corruption, vested interest and petty politics. Let us start today by just doing best what we are expected to do without worrying whether our neighbours are doing it. I do not think there is any other solution to this country’s ills. Just Do it - (N R Narayana Murthy)