India poised, but Indians?

I had an incredible experience today. The experience of a paradigm shift. It’s something that happens when you start looking at a situation in a totally different light.

I usually travel by local trains, and today was no exception. While I was seated reading a book, I looked around and got distracted by the catchy headlines splashed across the front page of the newspaper which the neighboring commuter was engrossed in.

India Poised: The best place for excess money.

With the stock markets doing exceptionally brilliant these days, such headlines were only obvious to appear in the media. The article went on to explain how the burgeoning Indian economy has made our nation as the ultimate investor’s haven, with the dollar price depreciating in value day by day. With a bullish market like this, our nation’s economy is indubitably rising to great heights. A large number of foreign investors now look at India as the most potential investment. We have even managed to curb inflation rates at an all time low of 3.07%.These are but strong pointers to our growing economy and a certain transition from a developing nation towards a well developed one.

As I turned away from the paper, I threw one glance outside the window. And that was it. I experienced the jolting paradigm shift.

I was staring at one of the largest slum areas in Asia: Dharavi. Some sights that painted my mind;

Women washing utensils from gutter waters.
Children playing on the tracks wearing what could barely differentiate from nudity.
The weak and illegal abodes with tons of garbage decorating the ambience.

This is the present day reality of India which almost all newspapers and media today are talking about. The very same India where…

Foreigners are channeling millions of dollars.

The sensex is about to touch 25000 in a few days.

You look away from the cold eyes of a hungry child lying on the pavement opposite the multiplex.

Water turns into a scarcity, from a nuisance; within 200 kms.

Chose what you want to believe in, and work towards it. Now. It’s your vision.