I have no objection to critical analysis of a country, or a religion or a community such as my fellow Gujaratis. Believe me my Punjabi in-laws are more than happy to provide a balanced critique of Gujaratis :)
Equally under free-speech I have no objection to people writing anything at all. But the more important the platform eg Financial Times, the Guardian, the Podium at the United Nations, the more I expect the person to be balanced and fair. For most reputable outlets this is enshrined in their constitutions and there is an independent complaints procedure.
Trust me, I’ve been on the end of it from farmers (when I mentioned I am for less consumption of meat), Scots (when I said Independence will fail) and both sides of Brexit (I was a remainer) – but my pieces as in this paper are opinion and I am not an employed journalist reporter so I don’t have the same obligation, but I do have a duty to facts and truth.
So the truth is that I sense there is a rise in the anti-India voices. Maybe it’s just social media. Maybe it’s the losing side in politics; remember 75% of the people who were eligible to vote in the last Indian elections did not vote for the winning party (by my calculations) so there is a lot of people, like with Brexit, with an anti-Government view.
I thought in my opinion piece I’d speak of hope and joy not misery. I would write about the miracle of India. This is not to brush anything aside, after all for one of my articles, there are 100 who will focus on division and subtraction, whilst I will about addition and multiplication. I don’t think the world needs more division on religious lines, like Partition. I don’t think it needs more hate and anger like that of the PM of Pakistan at the UN, I believe in multi-culturalism, in liberalism. But I don’t believe in being made a fool or a pawn by forces with other agendas. So just as the UK Leader of the Labour Party says he stands with PM Johnson on the Ukraine issue, I also believe those with other agendas should not try to use me as a puppet – for instance on the issue of school uniforms or farmers.
Why does a British Indian care? Because British values are embodied as Indian values in the Indian constitution – read it. The best of values I should say,.
India's Achievements in its 75th Year of Independence
India gained Independence in 1947 and became a Republic in 1950. It is the largest democracy in the world and the only major democracy in its region. As India becomes a pivotal economic and military ally to the Western powers, let's explore its achievements over the last 75 years.
India recently celebrated its 73rd Republic Day. Leaders from all over the world sent warm messages of congratulations. Milestones like this are great occasions to look back and consider the work India has done to transform itself into a modern global power.
Australian PM Scott Morrison talked about the two country’s great friendship, while UK PM Boris Johnson praised the "deep bonds" between India and the UK. Other congratulatory themes included India's work to transform its economy and society.
In the past 75 years, India has achieved a great deal. Some of the nation's technological achievements include the Chandrayaan-1 space mission and the Mangalyaan-1 Mars Orbiter Mission. Others involve the ISRO making atomic clocks and launching satellites and test rockets.
However, other monumental success has been achieved closer to earth. The PARAM supercomputer in 1990 was a huge moment that signalled India’s emergence as a computer manufacturer.
The Constitution is something every Indian should be proud of on a social level. It has withheld the test of time and has helped the nation achieve democracy, equality, justice and liberty.
India's democratic commitments are seen in the right to vote for all citizens. Since independence, the country has had a history of peaceful elections, with its diverse citizens voting in presidents of three different faiths.
Throughout the late 60s and early 70s, India took major steps toward modernisation by planting high-yield cereal varieties. After years of poverty, famine and malnutrition, this was a huge moment. Then, In 1970, Operation Flood transformed India into the world's largest milk producer.
The Mizo Accord of 1986 was signed to bring further peace and stability. While constitutional amendments of 1992 brought the government closer to the people. Later, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme of 2006 was introduced to help citizens across the country.
India has also made a huge impact on the arts. Bollywood is a multi-billion dollar industry, while Indian music has achieved several global awards. In literature, VS Naipaul, Salmon Rushdie, and Arundhati Roy have all captured the prestigious Booker Prize.
Of course, some of the best Indian exports have been our people. The Indian diaspora has brought food and culture around the world. Additionally, the children of Indian migrants have been risen to become the CEOs of major corporations like Microsoft, Alphabet, Adobe, Mastercard, Twitter, and more.
A lot has been achieved already, but it is only the start. The National Master Plan seeks to improve infrastructure development across the country and bring prosperity to future generations.
