The Rise of India

Lately, I have grown an affinity towards reading books about world history, the rise of India, current affairs, and stuff like that. I've been reading articles on various websites about how the recession shook the whole world, brought out frailties in the biggest economies in the world, and how a gradual shift in power has begun which will see India and China to emerge as super powers.

I read a book by Edward Luce 'In Spite of the Gods', in which he talks about the different problems faced by the Indian system. Problems like corruption(now that's not new), bad politics, religious biases, caste biases inside religions and stuff like that. He talks about how Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, B. R. Ambedkar and other visionaries saw the future of our country in their own ways and helped in setting the foundations of this great nation. He also talks about how todays India has been shaped all the way from the Indus valley and Harappa civilizations.

He talks about how religion is the key for politicians today. Lower caste leaders are emerging today in India, and how the prejudice towards them from the upper caste still persists. He sees how religion is trying to market itself in new packages like 'The Art of Living', christian missionaries, Sai Baba's and similar organizations. He agrees that our nation with an outdated civil service network that hasn't changed from during the days of the British rule has to change for this country to go forward.

But the most important thing that struck me and made me think in his book was a fact he mentioned regarding our system. He is awestruck at how a corrupt, old aged, bureaucratic, unrevolutionised system like ours actually work. Now, there's something that really doesn't have an explanation. Well. I think it doesn't need any. I call this the system of chaos. Everything in this country is based on that theory. You get out of your house one fine day and walk to the busy crowded market along the footpath(if there's one; I'd bet you'd be walking on the road even if there's one). There are bikes, cars, lorries and buses flying along the small 2-lane road in both directions, at speeds that are not even allowed on some major highways in the so called civilized world. No one cares. The roads are not just for the vehicles. People stop their cars in the middle of the road to go buy a cigarette causing traffic jams everywhere. The traffic police officer is asking for money from a biker for not wearing a helmet, even though he was speeding on the footpath. Government offices have people standing in queues outside who want to get their work done; with the officials inside listening only to recommendations from superiors or bribery from inferiors. More than half the population of this country(I'm bad at stats, but I think it's a lot more than half) is illiterate, poor, hungry and homeless, and still India is on the verge of becoming a global power. There are communal clashes, caste discrimination, woman and child discrimination everywhere in this country, people dying without proper health care, epidemics, AIDS, and much more. But, the system is working. Things are getting done. People are living their lives. Roads are geting built, cities are being formed, the standard of living is improving. No one has a clue how it works. But it does. Everyone, including Edward Luce says that these are challenges India should face and overcome to become a global power in the coming years. I don't agree. I think our system works. Our country cannot change. It cannot follow a book written system. It won't work. It would be a waste of time and energy trying to even implement that kind of a strategy. I think our huge population won't allow that. And for once, I'm proud of it. I think no other country can ever imitate our system of chaos and produce positive results. I bet they will be terrirfied even by the thought of it.

I read somewhere how different nations announced themselves as the new world powers in history. The English dominated the seas with their Royal navy, then the steam engine kickstarted a revolution. The Americans gave capitalism to this world. They became a nation where anyone can fulfil their dreams, irrespective of their natioanlity or color. They didn't get involved in the world wars unnecessarily, and they held the high cards when they eventually did. The bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki announced their arrival as the super power of the 20th century. Now it's Indias turn. The Indian economy is standing tall even when the world crippled under the recession of 2009. Indians are popping up on every field in the world as leaders and winners. The nation is growing exponentially, and the world has put a lot of expectations on her already.

But how will she announce her arrival. This is what I think. (Everything from this point of this article is completely my imagination. I have no proof to substantiate it, nor do I want to). The fight for Kashmir will lead to many Islamic terrorist activities in India, leading to the deaths of many innocent Indians. Pakistan will still try to harbour the terrorists, Al Qaeda will find a new enemy in India. This will start world war 3 between India and Pakistan, with Pakistan using nuclear missiles against India obliterating a whole city(I reckon it to be Delhi, or one somewhere in North India). India will retaliate with full force, and blow Pakistan out of the world map. By the time the world nations come for a compromise, there won't be anymore of Pakistan left. America would have sided with India for a change, since they want to be on the winning side(they have already started siding with us in international matters), making China to side with Pakistan since it's an Asian subcontinent issue, and intensify the problem to go out of hand across two continents, leading to a large scale nuclear attack, and destruction of the human race as well as any other life form out there. The civilized form of humanity dies forever in this holocaust. Thus bringing to an end(and a very ironic one) this civilized form of humanity, by destroying itself at the same place it started 4000 years ago, the Indus valley, that stretched from the north-west part of India to Pakistan and beyond to Afghanistan. I hope I'm mad.