In this country? Here’s my lowdown as it occurs off the top of my head, on different states:
Karnataka: a squabbling non-functional “coalition” government. Spineless to tackle Naxalites, empty promises on improving Bangalore, and a steadfast resolve to not improve the conditions of North Karnataka.
Andhra Pradesh: An active Naxal partner, systematic looting of Tirupati, and a general return of the good old bad days to the state.
Maharashtra: Rape by the law, tomfoolery over dance bar bans, mismanagement of power, sugar mill scam, and the latest, the antics of Narayan Rane.
Haryana: Gurgaon. Sums it up.
Punjab: Terrorism redux in the offing? Indian Express has the dirty details.
Kerala: Insane asylum.
West Bengal: Kerala’s cousin in the east.
Uttar Pradesh: Where do you want me to start?
North East: Do you want me to repeat what one inhabitant of that region told me two years ago? We are not part of India.
Bihar: No comments
And yet somehow India goes on..
Don’t feel so despondent, Sanddep. I have the luxury of looking at my beloved country from afar and it’s not all bad news. Even 15 years ago, everyone would have looked at the many tragedies and clucked their tongues and said “Thank God, that’s not in my backyard.”
Now they are concerned because many have a personal interest in ensuring that this interesting supplier and future marketplace doesn’t take it too hard on the chin. There’s a grudging admiration and optimism that somehow these inscrutable Indians will pull things together.
All these tragedies are new to you, because you’re seeing them live for the first time. But all this has happened in the past too, and India recovered and will recover yet again. Whoever said rebirth was easy?
Remember, young Jedi, this is what ‘a million mutinies now’ looks and smells like.
I didn’t mean to sound smug in my last post, Sandeep. Here’s how I approach this issue.
My best abilities don’t allow me to foresee the future. My best abilities don’t give me the capacity to create the future. However, I’m capable of enabling the future. And I do that best by using skills that I have, to do what I know is good for India.
With my professional background, that means providing advice and counsel to corporations that wish to invest in India - either as a market, or to develop suppliers of labor and merchandise.
That’s my day job and I’ll do that as much more as I can. My evening job is to worry like you do. But you know what, if I spend a longer portion of my day doing my day job, I might just create enough Indians with a stronger stake in seeing us remain united. I think that’s working, too. Expect to see ~6000 well-employed bank professionals next year :-).