IS A NEW INDIA EMERGING AT LAST?

Surely, we see hopeful signs. At the candlelight vigils and the human chain in Mumbai after the terror attack, a common placard people held up said: JOIN HANDS AGAINST TERROR. The right spirit! And most certainly one forward step for an emerging new India.

But there's still a long, long way to go. First of all, there must come the realization that IT, BPO and other business successes are a great driving force, but not enough to take India to the level of the world's leading democracies. For that the placards should start saying: JOIN HANDS FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY. And those placards should appear wherever divisive violence erupts - for any of innumerable reasons like caste , language and religion; too often incited by politicians consolidating their power bases at the cost of the country.

Economic successes - where some people get rich - is not enough. A people need to be UNITED and ENLIGHTENED to reach the top bracket. Is that a tall order? (For more INDIA REALITIES stories see other blogs here and at Myspace - www.myspace.com/india_realities - where my latest blog is A NEW YEAR MESSAGE OF CHANGE THE WORLD IGNORES - EVERY YEAR)