Going back to India Today's "Remaking India"

There are many estimates though. 
A long way to go!

I took a break from blogging on India Today as I was traveling. We were also busy after our return.  I liked the special edition of 'India Today' celebrating their 50th anniversary by focusing on 'Remaking India' 1975-2025, covering their first fifty years of publishing. It is well designed. Covers a spectrum of subjects, not just politics! Sports, art, movies, TV, industries, and disasters both man-made and due to natural causes as well!

As I scanned thru the publication, I felt like writing about my memories of India from 1947 onwads, the time of  our independence, till the year 1975. It felt nice when my group of friends liked it!

Incredibly, I began this series of blogs with a blog on the arrival of CJP, seemingly out of nowhere! They were successful in demanding accountability and a resignation in the  NEET paper leak scandal. I do have my thoughts on it. I am not here to debate on that. 

I am with Mohan when he wondered whether next party would be a 'Gecko Party'. I guess I am one of the early members of GP. Actually my blogs are basically about my observation of humans, very similar to a gecko, which, safely stuck to the roof, looks down.  I am rarely vocal about it!

In fact, I have great respect for the freedom fighters who together made it happen! Especially the ones like Tara's uncles, Govardan and Achyut mama, comes to my mind! There are many more! The fighters were given a 'Tamra Patra' for their role and sacrifices during Quit India movement. They did their best under the circumstances! It is better, if we do not keep harping on the so-called mistakes of some of our leaders! It appears that we have begun believe that as a nation we have arrived, while there is a lot to be accomplished!

 Going back to CJP,  they were having a good innings. However they changed their priorities from demanding  improvements to schools (Inspired by France?) to over hauling CEC. A very different task. They have showed their smartness in the way they have acted, finding young Abhimanyus to face the inevitable goons in such a confused melee! 

Recently I  blogged about a group of youths organizing Ganapathi festival. Incredible that they started having a pooja in around the same period, from 1977 onwards. I am sure they went back to their studies and focused on their plans for the future after a week Ganapathi pooja. They could be called the early generations after Indian idependence and it indeed was a demographic dividend. Times then were surely different. While I was disadvantaged due to MRTP. Things did look up for this group of Ganapathi Bhakthas. 

Note: 

 I had collected these points for my next blog. I hope to deal with them in my future ramblers. 

Briefly : Population went up from about 611 million to 773 million, 26.4 percent growth. 

Strict government permissions were required for private firms to start, expand, or diversify production during the first five years. 

 The government reserved hundreds of items exclusively for small-scale industries to boost employment.

 The Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) capped foreign equity at 40%, limiting multinational expansion.

 Laws made it mandatory for larger factories to get government approval before laying off workers or closing.

The good news:

 During the next five years, the government began relaxing licensing rules for select industries and allowed private players into areas like coal and oil. Infrastructure 

 Investment in infrastructure jumped significantly, growing at nearly 9.7% annually in the early 1980s.

 Increased agricultural prosperity from the Green Revolution and rising government spending created new consumer demand.

Industrial productivity improved, pushing overall industrial growth to an average of about 6% to 7% during the early 1980s.

It is debatable whether migration to other countries were right:

Between 1975 and 1985, Indian migration went up,  blue-collar labor moving to the oil-rich Persian Gulf and white-collar professionals heading to Western industrialized nations.

Workers traveled to Persian Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar.The Cause: The 1970s global oil boom created a sudden, massive need for infrastructure, construction, and maintenance.

Millions of semi-skilled and unskilled workers—along with engineers and doctors—left India.

Employment was strictly contractual and temporary, as Gulf nations did not offer permanent citizenship or naturalization to foreign laborers.

"Brain Drain"?? .... Professionals moved to the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

 Post-1965 immigration law reforms in the U.S. and labor shortages in Western healthcare and engineering created new entry paths.

 A steady wave of highly educated engineers, scientists, and medical doctors established permanent roots abroad. Family reunification channels also expanded during the late 1970s and early 1980s, allowing settled professionals to bring relatives over.

As I scanned the Special Edition of the India Today Magazine I saw this picture!

A very astute analysis by India Today
"Rahul was a reluctant power politician" 

It is never too late I guess.
Hope he is taking care of his health!

The way we are going today, our senior political leaders need to introspect. Lawyers included!

Indians are top cricketers today. It is a game played by following all the rules! Our people watch cricket as a religion. I am sure they are also watching the drama that is being played by the political parties! I  have already seen many forecasts . But this old Gecko can only watch!