All of us have, in one way or the other, thought of empowerment of the women, or the poor, or the people that are considered in the lower half of the caste-based hierarchy. Though I am not against any of these, I feel there is something we are missing – something that needs more attention than it is getting – “Empowerment of India”.
So, the first question that comes to our minds is – Does our country really need empowerment? The answer lies in the very fact that Indians are being exploited since 15th century – be it by rulers like Tughlaq, or by the British Rule, or by some corrupt politicians. If you are a resident of India and frequently travel to western countries, I can bet you have faced discrimination due to your complexion or your accent at least once during your visit there. It is only because of the vulnerability of the Indian market that tech giants like Facebook attempt to deceive us by initiatives like “Free Basics”. We have lost Kohinoor to England and crores of money to Vijay Mallya and got nothing in return.
The next question is – What can we do for the “Empowerment of India”? All it requires is a little effort and a minor change in our day-to-day lifestyle.
- Making Informed Decisions – Before deciding anything, we must examine the truthfulness of the factors we are taking in account to make the decision. There have been instances where we have been collectively fooled. Do you remember the India’s cheapest smartphone “Freedom 251” by Ringing Bells for which lakhs of Indians deposited ₹251? No one knows what happened to the money or to the firm that took their money.
- Sorting our priorities wisely – It is very surprising to see that SnapChat CEO claiming India a poor country incites more anger amongst us than the fact India is the country with the largest number of poor people in the world. To help India accommodate its diversity, it is necessary that we become tolerant and learn to forgive others. This will also help us to be focussed towards our goals.
- Exercising our powers – India is a democratic country and its citizens have the right to choose the government. We should use our powers not only for our benefit but also for the betterment of the country and the underprivileged.
We are already taking huge strides in the areas of science and technology. Taking such small steps for the empowerment of India alongside will warrant a better future and make our country a better place to live in.