A leading American bank forecasts that India’s rapid economic progress will continue between 2010 and 2050, and finally we will outpace China to become world’s largest economy in 2050, with an annual GDP of $86 trillion. China will hold second position with $80 trillion and USA will remain a poor third with less than $40 trillion. Difficult for lesser mortals with limited vision to visualise this sea change. Yet being Indians we are bound to welcome this gladdening forecast. Further, it would be unpatriotic also, especially from marginalised Muslims like us, to doubt this good news. It is especially surprising in the light of the fact that at present the per capita income of a Chinese citizen is almost three times higher than that of an Indian. And we are well aware that every Chinese works at least 10 hours a day, while we are not so hardworking.
But this fact troubles us that we are not civilized enough to get a respectable place in the comity of nations.
Are we not guilty of suppressing and mistreating large sections of our own people? Are we not responsible for demonisation, marginalisation and demoralisation of Muslim community which forms one-sixth of our population? Is it not that on the one hand we could not alleviate poverty and on the other hand giving constantly changing and confusing definitions of poverty line? Instead of lifting people above poverty line, we are changing the very definition of poverty. Is it not worst type of gimmickry that we refuse to define as poor 77% of our people who earn less than `20 a day, as described by Arjun Dasgupta Committee? Why have we deprive a large section of people of fundamental dignity and basic amenities of life and on the other hand promoting 5-star culture and 27-storey Antillas for the Ambanis. Is it something to be proud that a large chunk of national wealth has been cornered and being controlled by a handful of business houses? Is it not dangerous that most of our newspapers are being owned and controlled by business houses? Is it not worrisome that the graph of crimes is steadily on the rise making life of common man more painful?
Finally, last but not the least, material development in the absence of parallel moral development is not only dangerous but also destructive. Therefore, dear Indian brethren, let us join hands to fight moral decadence, corruption and injustice so that our countrymen may reap the fruits of development and take it to the highest point of civilized life.