As we inch closer towards seventy-five years of Independence, such a momentous and marked occasion is something to be celebrated with fervour and joy. For close to 200 years of servitude to the British colonial regime, the Indian National Movement launched by the first political party of its kind in India, the Indian National Congress and its pre-eminent members were successful in the transition of power from the British to the Indians affected by the Indian Independence Act of 1947. The slogans of “Home Rule” by Annie Besant and “Swaraj” by Bal Gangadhar Tilak as well as “Self-Rule” by Mahatma Gandhi have finally been realised and a Constituent Assembly finally sat down to deliberate and draft a Constitution for a free Independent India. This Constitution was adopted on 26th November, 1949 and came into force on 26th January, 1950. Tagged with being the lengthiest constitution in the world, our leaders and representatives did not want to leave anything to chance.
Sir S Radhakrishnan in the proceedings of the Constituent Assembly rightfully stated that “A constitution is the fundamental law of the nation. It should embody and express the dreams and passions, the ideals and aspirations of the people. It must be based on the consent of all, and respect the rights of all people who belong to this great land”.
Dr. B R Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Commission stated very clearly and outlined the core expectations underlining the various commitments of the Constituent Assembly vide the Constitution. He said: “Our object in framing the Constitution is two-fold: to lay down the form of political democracy, and to lay down that our ideal is economic democracy and also to prescribe that every Government whatever is in power shall strive to bring about economic democracy…”.
The Preamble to the Constitution has put down what are so clear the goals, intent and mission of Independent India: Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. These core ideals are beacons towards a true spirit of democracy. However, in the face of global adversity and challenges especially with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been considered and surmised that these lofty goals can further be achieved by not only a sovereign and independent India but also a self-reliant India: where the political meets the economic to achieve the aim set forth by our founding fathers.
In his address to the nation on May 12, 2020, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi called the people of India towards a proactive campaign to use adversity as an opportunity. Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan (Self- Reliant India Movement) was first coined by him in this particular address and sought to transform an India that was struggling to fight against a global pandemic by integrating it into the world from a position of “internal strength”. Prime Minister Modi called on the people of India towards self-reliance when it was clear that there was a shortage of PPEs (Personal Protection Equipment), which were essential for health workers to use in caring for the sick.
In order to make the vision of a Self-Reliant India or “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” an actual reality, Prime Minister Modi has moved a five-pronged approach: A viable economy, a modern infrastructure that would be the identity of Modern India, a technologically driven system, a vibrant democracy and using the demand-supply chain to its maximum potential. He stressed that it is time to become “Vocal for Local” wherein products made in India and services available in India would be made globally available, to improve our development policies and reform measures and to achieve not only a viable and robust economy but to make India one of the major global powers. Amongst the various sectors where India is making headway and gaining ground towards self-reliance, some positive achievements and results may be mentioned as follows:
India is the largest destination for information technology in the world. India’s major information technology hubs are Bangalore (Indian Silicon Valley), Hyderabad (HITEC City), Chennai (IT infrastructures), Mumbai (Financial Capital), Visakhapatnam, Trivandrum, Vadodara, Patna, Mysore, Indore, Jaipur, Mangalore, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, and Kochi. The IT industry in the country has increased India’s GDP to 7.5 per cent and the Digital India project is playing an important role in it.
According to the Statista Research Department, India made up 18 per cent of the global IT spending and as of 2019, it generated nearly $136 million in export revenue. Even the Bengaluru-headquartered Ed-tech app Byju’s got investment of $200 million from the New York-based Tiger Global Management, valuing the Byju’s company at about $8 billion and it is also close to raising $400 million from the investment firm DST Global. Once the deal is sealed with Russia-Israeli billionaire Yuri Milner’s firm, the online education provider would become the second-most valuable start-up after Alibaba Group Holding-backed financial payments brand, Paytm. The blueprint for the National Digital Health Mission will be expedited for a better use of technology in the healthcare services. This creates prospects for R&D, and the opportunity for India to become a leader in digital health services globally.
With the growing global trends of wellness industry where growing consumer awareness, increasing disposable incomes and a desire among the millennial population to transform their lifestyles for the better, India is cashing in on the demand for traditional and alternative healing practices such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, etc. Ayurveda and other indigenous systems of medicine has been officially recognised and brought under the AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) community.
India is the second-largest exporter of AYUSH products with permission of 100 per cent FDI therein. The demand for herbal products worldwide has increased at an annual rate of 8 per cent during the period of 1994–2001, and according to WHO forecast the global herbal market would be worth $5 trillion by the year 2050. Yoga, meditation and fitness were among the defining trends of the past decade for the wellness industry to the extent that currently there are estimates of 300 million yoga practitioners world-wide and the world-wide yoga industry is worth $80 billion. Along with these trends, another which added much to the growth of the industry is the spa industry which continues to grow at a phenomenal rate world-wide.
Coming to our very own North-East India, organic farming practice is making people self-reliant and prosperous in Sikkim. Sikkim is the country’s first state to officially adopt organic farming in 2003 and to convert entirely into organic in 2016.This resulted in benefits such as sustenance of soil fertility, protection of environment, and greater adoption of farming as a profession due to high demand. Overall, organic farming has emerged as an example of self-reliance in the small Himalayan state, bringing it global recognition.
The famed juicy oranges from Arunachal Pradesh in the North-East have finally made it to the global market. The first consignment of oranges from the state was accorded a ceremonious farewell at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati as it flew to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi en route to Dubai. The feat was achieved through relentless endeavour by the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and active intervention of the State Department of Horticulture. India’s agrarian culture and varied regional climate have significantly contributed to the global food basket. Indian agricultural/horticultural and processed foods are exported to more than 100 countries/regions, chief among them being the Middle East, South-East Asia, SAARC countries, the EU, and the US.
While the given milestones may reflect the progress of India’s economic life, the political is yet something to be reflected upon. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released a Democratic Index Report in 2020 whereby Norway, followed by Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada topped the rankings. India however, fell from its previous stand of 51st in 2019 to 53rd position in 2020. It is also noteworthy to observe that India took the 27th position in 2014. The Democratic Index Report shows the world which democracies are doing well and which needs improvement.
With regards to India, the EIU cited that the rise of communalism and Hindu-Muslim strife, the violent riots that ensued as a direct result of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the Ayodhya temple dispute has all contributed towards labelling India as a ‘flawed democracy’. Coupled with all this, the report further stated that the Central Government’s response and handling of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as its apparent suppression of criticisms was what led India to the 53rd position in the Index.
Self-reliance and ‘Make in India’ cannot become exceptional and wholesome if what we focus on is only manufacturing and business and ignoring the political life of the nation. Sundar Sarukkai in an article entitled “Self-Reliant India: self of a nation or a national self?” had this to say about India becoming more independent and self-reliant: “Self-reliance is not in manufacturing alone. It has to be the articulation of the self of a nation about progress and development, about educational goals for the future citizens of the country, about basic well-being of all the citizens particularly the dispossessed and the marginalised. What we need to ‘Make in India’ are civilisational values, our own articulations of the idea of equality in an unequal society, a democracy that functions effectively, and anything else which can lead to a truly free, democratic and egalitarian society.”
This was exactly what Ambedkar envisioned that democracy should be political, economic and social as well; that democratic values and ideals need to be reflected in all areas and aspects of life. Especially now that we are up against a faceless enemy and working against a phenomenal surge in Covid-19 cases, how we build ourselves up and how we approach issues and answer the hard questions will reflect our position, nationally and internationally as well.
