Address human resources capital

Post-Independence India has not created enough quality human resources who can actually contribute to shape institutions, serve people and ultimately build a nation. India, despite having huge natural resources, the world’s second largest population, the biggest young talent pool, the third largest technical manpower, the richest bio-diversity, the largest variety of crops, the largest variety of bio-degradable handcrafted items and, above all, a 5,000-year-old rich culture, still carries the tag of a ‘developing’ nation.

India is home to the world’s largest number of illiterate children, anaemic women, educated unemployed people, children suffering from malnutrition and the largest number of diabetic and organ failure patients. India ranks 131 on the global Human Development Index among 155 nations, 93 on the Social Progress Index among 128 nations, 134 on the Youth Development Index among 183 nations and 125 on Gender Inequality Index among 188 nations. All these things point to a lack of quality human resources, which does not mean techno-savvy, English-speaking, highly educated management gurus but just people with human sensitivities, honesty, discipline, moral courage and a sense of belongingness to the nation.

Lord Macaulay, the British historian and politician in his address to British Parliament in 1835, said, “I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation.” The British systematically demolished India’s core strength.

But, Independent India caused more damage to the country than the Britishers did in 200 years. India lost land in strategic locations to China and Pakistan. It failed to stop the radicalisation of Kashmiri youth and allowed Bangladeshis to settle down in the border districts of North-East India. It sold minerals to foreign countries and imported value-added products from those countries at a premium. It wiped out countless numbers of low-cost, indigenous skills and techniques that could have strengthened the domestic economy. The high value-addition made by Indian artisans some hundred years ago is no longer seen now.

Post-Independence, India want only destroyed its biodiversity, the rich top soil in farm lands, water bodies and rivers. It waived loans, distributed free food and subsidy for political gain. In the process it has created massive idle energy, which has a negative impact on sincere and hardworking entrepreneurs. It allowed the culture of sycophancy to thrive at the cost of sincerity and hard work. It failed to achieve inclusive opportunities even after seven decades. As a result, the rich and influential castes like Patidar, Maratha, Jats and Kapus are violently agitating for reservation in government jobs. Independent India let scamsters loot banks and divert trillions of dollars to foreign destinations.

India has not achieved an independent, efficient, honest and transparent judiciary, which could have built a self-respecting and dignified society, restored people’s faith in the system, reduced crimes in society and ultimately built a strong and prosperous country. Poor people in India cannot afford to fight a legal battle to get justice. Political observers put the blame on wily political leaders for judicial decline as they observe political parties of all hues using the judiciary as a tool to serve their purposes.

In fact, it happens because India has not achieved political inclusion to elect quality public representatives. So, money, muscle, social divides on the basis of caste, religion, class and language continues to decide election results. In the pursuit of power, all kinds of mission, vision and ideologies dissolve to make room for mergers and coalitions, much to the disappointment of electorates. Political parties happily distribute tickets to candidates on the basis of their capacity to win election by any means, and not on the basis of their contribution to society. In the recent budget session, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha reportedly spent 1% and 6% of their allotted time on legislative business; it is the outcome of lack of political inclusion. Lack of active involvement of a majority of the educated class in democracy and a section of the media actively marketing political parties restricts democratic expression.

It is high time political parties, youth and intelligentsia converged on the goal of human development, from the grassroots level. Instilling life and quality into educational institutions, research labs, libraries, playgrounds, hospitals, museums, heritage sites, historical places and artefacts, and natural and social capital will give India the much-needed wings to fly into a better future.