The economic slowdown – Great Opportunity for India to put its’ act together:

The recent economic “Tsunami” has given the opportunity to India to think differently and set right the basic infrastructure of human development. The rural India is grossly neglected since independence. It is used only for election slogans and vote banks by politicians of this country.

It’s time to look at providing basic amenities to villages across the country. Providing Drinking water, Sanitation, roads, electricity, schools, hospitals and playgrounds can create millions of jobs across the country.

Various reports suggest the vacancy for thousands of school teachers, doctors, nurses, agricultural scientists in the countryside. However, due to lack of basic infrastructure, no one is willing to go there. If we have the entire infrastructural frame work ready, the things can change.

Generally, people look for excellent connectivity by road, good schools, decent healthcare facilities, Telecommunication and 24 hrs electricity to settle down. If we can have this in place, I am sure many of us shall decide to settle down in country side.

The advantages are - pollution free enviournment, lower cost of living and lot of free time for self/family (which is otherwise wasted on commuting in traffic jams in major cities!). This shall stop the migration of people, who come to major towns and cities to find work. It would reduce the load on resources of big cities and there can be homogeneous growth all around.

More significantly, we can reduce per capita “carbon footprint” for the country.

The funding can be initiated by Government and followed up by public-private partnership. We have a solid 38 % domestic saving rate as per the figures released by finance ministry. Everyone is aware about the unaccounted cash flow in this country.

Putting all these together, we shall not only create millions of job, but also lay the solid foundation for next generation to take a global leadership for India as a developed industrial nation.

Just think about the hundreds of thousand kilometers of new roads, schools, hospitals,drinking water & sewage plants, power generation plants, play grounds & swimming pools and kind of employment for construction (and later on for maintenance) it can generate. This is a more proud way to eradicate poverty – rather than subsidizing rice, wheat and kerosene for poor and never actually trying to bring everyone above the poverty line!

We, as a society, have accepted this existing model of economical inequality and, are enjoying the benefit of cheap labor. In egalitarian society, we shall never get cheap domestic help, drivers or any menial help. This development can also change the social scenario and we should be ready to accept it.

We shall create large pool of scientist, engineers, doctors, accountants, sport persons and artists as more people across the country shall have access to all new facilities. This is a golden opportunity for the “wise men” of this country. Let the statesmen in India win over the politicians.

However, this process of nation building is a long term process. But, we need to start the ball rolling now! Because, it makes a lot of economic sense for today…….. tomorrow………. and the day after………!!!