Last week, I came across a special news concerned with Internet access. A French court has ruled out that access to Internet is the basic right of every citizen in the country. After reading the news, I came to conclusion that Internet access is the only way to eradication of long pending ills, which we are facing. Sounds crazy! Ok! Let me share my views in brief.

I often wondered throughout my journey of different phases of life that, it could have been different had I known it before or had I access to the right information at right time. I never understood the importance of few important things in life (at right time) or realization came late when there was no need of it. I educated from a decent school & college, wondering how information could create magic & change the world. After 1999, when I came across Google, my beliefs were reinforced by the easily available information which changed the way I look at world. I still believe Google & Internet had played a major role in shaping my world & informally educating me about life lessons which otherwise wouldn't be possible to teach and learn. I became aware. The self-worldly realization was culmination of my education.

Now whenever I look at the Indian Budget for every fiscal year, I found lack of vision & tendency of ‘Jugaad’ by finding temporary solutions to long pending problems. I often wondered why there was lack of participation from Indian masses when those problems were pertaining to them directly. It appeared to me an obvious fact that, unless people realize that without active participation of either Government (which they don’t do either) or people, the eradication of issues isn't going to possible. So be it illiteracy or infra; no matter, how intelligent policy makers are or no matter how much fund you invest into it. The issue is realization & active participation.

Indian democracy is strange. We, Indian people actively participate in the drama only during Election Days. Rest five years or until next election comes, we hardly participate actively in any issue pertaining to us or directly concerned with us. We are passive and the mute spectators, who haven't understood that democracy without active participation of people is a failure.

What Broadband has to do with all this? First stop looking at it as one more technology burden to carry. We have no clue of the potential of Broadband, yet (or Internet, indirectly). Since last 5 decades ‘GoI’ must have spent thousands of crore rupees in eradicating some of the oldest social ills plagued to our society since medieval times. But we are hardly aware of it. Internet has the power to self realization. Let people get free access to information and let them be aware of issues. Let them know that they are in mess and living poorly because they didn't think beyond their daily routines. They had no clue what they have missed. Make them active participators of democracy.

Let's carry Broadband to every school/ every village in India in next ten years. Increase the meager budget allocated to IT to hundred times. Let education reach to every child in India through Broadband & Internet. Let people get connected to world. Let them ask to come & participate actively. Let them realize. You can’t have good teachers in every school, but yes with Internet you could bring quality education to every school. You could actually share the ideas of democracy with every citizen who till date never understood the real meaning of democracy.

Internet has tremendous potential to spell wonders. All we need to do is to act wisely & timely to make it happen. We know this is the right time to act. Let's carry Broadband to every school/ every village in India. Let the democracy be participative. Let's connect every individual to knowledge society. It's now or never. Choice is yours!