Venkat Raman
Auckland, February 2, 2022
In his Republic Day Address to the Nation, India’s President Ram Nath Kovind paid tributes to the Indian people for their resilience and spirit of unity as the country countered the worst effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“A time of crisis has also made us appreciate how we all Indians are connected as one family. The time of social distancing has brought us close to each other. We have realised how much we depend on each other. Doctors, nurses and paramedics have risen to the challenge, working long hours in difficult conditions even at the risk of their lives to attend to patients. Others have kept the nation moving, managing supply chains and utilities. The leadership, policy-makers, administrators and others at the central and state levels have made timely interventions,” he said.
Testimony to the inherent strength
Our Republic Day Special (Digital Edition dated February 1, 2022) carries articles that narrate the process of recovery already underway and the projected positive growth this year and beyond. As Mr Kovind said, it is a testimony to India’s spirit in the face of adversity that the economy is projected to grow at an impressive rate in this fiscal, after going through contraction last year.
“This shows the success of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan launched in the previous year. The government has shown relentless focus on reforming every economic sector and providing a helping hand wherever necessary. The impressive economic performance is made possible due to improvement in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors,” he said.
The spirit of belonging and oneness was evident among the Indian Diaspora in New Zealand although almost all physical events were cancelled because of the restrictions imposed by the current Red Settings under the Covid-19 Protection Network and Traffic Lights System.
Telling enthusiasm
Yet, the enthusiasm of our people was telling.
Notwithstanding the oft-repeated criticism that successive federal governments have failed to address the real issues and lift the teeming millions from their subsistence levels, the progress achieved by the Indian Republic is not only commendable but also in many cases inimitable.
A few Western diplomats have told this writer if India had the same population as the US, it would have risen far above the wealthiest nation on earth and become the destination for migrants from all parts of the world.
With its vast natural resources and inherent talent, the country would have had the potential to outgrow any nation on earth.
Despite political intransigence between various groups, natural disasters, terrorist attacks and other forms of disturbance, democracy has grown to become an institution in the country and proudly the country’s tryst with self-government and government of the people, by the people and for the people has been successful.
True to the tenet of independent India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s philosophy of ‘industrialise or perish,’ the economy features an array of manufacturing enterprises, adding value to its Gross National Product.
The country today produces almost everything-from apples to aircraft and from vegetables to vaccines.
