India the Cricket Conqueror, India the Massive Market, India the Enormous Economy, India the Growth Giant, etcetera, etcetera. You get the drift. I’m sure you’re already beginning to see my stand on this preposterous notion. I feel that India is on its way to becoming the next superpower and it can very well do so without sacrificing its rich and diverse cultural heritage.
A modern superpower in my eyes is, “A state that has the capacity to project dominating power and influence anywhere on the globe.”
Indian economy grossing over 1.237 trillion USD is currently the 12th largest in the world and she is the 4th largest by purchasing power parity. She is, at present, the second fastest growing major economy and she has second largest labour force with 516.3 million people. She is also the second largest producer of food. A survey conducted by London based think-tank, Legatum institute, showed that India will become an economic superpower by 2030. Even the late Dhirubhai Ambani was confident that India would soon become an economic superpower. After hearing the above stated facts and figures, would you not say that Mr. Ambani was almost prophetic?
India has the third largest military force in the world, consisting of the army, the navy, the air force, the coast guard and the paramilitary forces. She has provided over 55000 personnel to the UN peace keeping organization. She is one of the few countries to possess nuclear arms. She has several indigenous aircrafts and missiles. As we can see, India is not only an economic superpower but also a military great.
Still in doubt of Indian supremacy? She is an active member of the IMF, WTO and the commonwealth. She plays a pivotal role in many important summits and is considered to be the leader of the developing world. She has recently achieved her goal of procuring a seat on the UN Security Council, through sustained and dedicated efforts over the last nineteen years. She was the fourth nation worldwide, to found a national space agency and develop cryogenic engine technology. Now, what do you say?
This argument was born because of certain people in our midst who believe that our rich cultural heritage stands in the way of our dominance. I would like to remind them that, most of India’s income comes from tourism. Now let us think, why would tourists visit India? Hmm. Difficult one? Not really. They would probably do so to do some sightseeing (of Indian monuments and museums) enjoy Indian cuisine, buy Indian handicrafts, visit Indian villages, wear Indian clothes and take part in Indian festivals. Last time I checked, all that came under culture, did it not? All over the world, people flock to cinema halls and theatres to watch Indian movies and theatricals. Are they not a reflection of the rich Indian culture? The Ramayana and Mahabharata, the great Indian epics are read by millions of people around the globe along with other Indian cultural texts. Stories of great Indian kingdoms and rulers like Akbar, Ashoka and Vikramaditya are told and retold as bedtime stories and as history lessons to millions of students everyday worldwide. Unfortunately, people still believe that our heritage is an “Obstruction” on our path to greatness.
I feel that our country, the world’s most populous democracy despite its young age has seen and experienced a lot. She has already faced oppression from one superpower and survived. Now she is poised and ready to rock the world stage. World leaders like Obama and Clinton are right in telling the west to buck up, for I feel that the world is awakening to a new dawn, a dawn where India Would Be The Sun.
However, for India to achieve this dream of superpower status, a measure of national pride has to be instilled in us, as citizens of India. We must understand that India, without its wide range of cultural practices, its glorious past and its rich heritage would not be India at all. It would be no more than a sheath without a sword. It would be just another characterless nation.
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