The current economic
situation in India looks gloomy. Civilians don’t trust the politicians and
there is visible unrest among everyone but there’s no single person or a group
to be blamed (though some people might beg to differ here). In this situation I
feel there are primarily 4 categories of people in India:
- Ones who can’t do much – people living in abysmal conditions in rural areas or slums. All they can do is to plan hand-to-mouth survival strategies and thus support anyone who provides them basic assistance.
- Ones who can do but under-estimate their own capabilities as well as responsibilities. This is the largest group of people and these are people who need to enter the group 3 if we need to see India succeed on the global platform. They feel they have no control over the current situation and they’re in no way responsible for it – which isn’t true. The current flock of problems India is facing isn’t only because of the politicians or bureaucrats or the so-called money hoggers but because of the society as a whole, its people and their mindsets.
- There is a small group of people whom we love to call entrepreneurs or social activists. I love to call them the ChangeMakers! (The term is not coined by me but I love the thought). There’s a reason why I’m merging the 2 diverse groups together – because both sets of people wish to challenge the status quo. They don’t like the current situation and they make a genuine effort to change it. It doesn’t matter if they fail/succeed, the attempt to change is all that counts. I salute these extraordinary individuals who have the balls (pardon the expression) to stand up and change the way of life around them. In this group I’m counting only those millionaires/ billionaires who use their position to make a change such as Azim Premji with his Azim Premji Foundation or Narayan & Sudha Murthy with their Infosys Foundation. In addition I would also like to include the roadside vendors, the panipuri walas, chai walas and thousands of them who make a living despite of their hapless conditions.
The most recent but a thriving addition to this group are the owners of upcoming micro enterprises some of which are tomorrow’s crème de la crème. They’re all today’s seeds which, with the help of proper nourishment, will grow up to become trees that will bear fruits for the entire society. I’m thrilled to see some of my friends join this incredible group of people – Akhil who co-founded Contreezy, Vishu who co-founded KisanFirst, Rishabh who co-founded Troopp & Hangrr, Rushi who is a director at Simplicity Creations, Ruben who has earned great respect in the social activist group - to name a few but there are so many more. People like these are the ones whom I look up to and get motivated by. They are the ones who dream big and have the courage to follow their dreams without getting bogged down by social dogmas.
- Lastly, the ones who can do a lot but lack the will to do so. They include the corporate giants, the politicians, the policy makers and the like. They lack the motive to make a change. These are the people who can bring about a change the quickest if they decide to do so, but it’s less likely that they will.
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India has yet to realize its full potential. The change has
begun, thanks to the ones I refer to as ChangeMakers. Currently, India has many
people who want it to grow but without hampering their own ulterior interests
as well as a growing number of people who now want it to shine and are ready to
take leaps of faith. The optimist in me says that India will shine one day, and
the day is not too far. Nothing comes easily and if it does, it’s probably not
worth it! My eyes are fixated on these ChangeMakers, are yours?
