This is a follow up post in response to the responses received to an earlier article of mine – Stronger Rupee = Stronger India
How to build a Stronger India?
Well, As I have pointed out in the article, innovation is the key to build a real super power out of India, because to become a superpower we need state of the art technology as a home grown brand.
But not all can innovate and do wonders. There are some people who have money. How can rich Indians or medium rich Indians contribute to build a stronger India with their money?
Well, I suggest a simple formula. Identify a poor family or a poor person. See if there is some small business the poor can start. Might be as simple as, they can become vegetable vendors, or can put up a small shop, or can do some small time catering, a small tea shop, a telephone booth, or whatever small business that can click and with low risk.
Provide an interest free loan to them. Note that I am saying an interest free LOAN not a free charity donation, because the moment you say it is free, its true purpose of building a Strong India would be lost. We dont want to create dependent Indians who always look out for monetary help. You are doing this to build a strong India, not to create dependent citizens to vote for you, like how the politicians do.
Once the poor knows that the money is to create a livelihood for himself/herself and that it has to be returned back later, and there is no interest to be paid on it, there will be an enthusiasm to achieve and come up in life using this window of opportunity.
Your duties do not end just by giving the money, ensure that the poor is properly guided and the money is properly used to set up the business.
Once they start earning money by their new business, once they become self sufficient, ensure that the original investment is repaid back by a method convenient to them, either in small installments or in a bulk amount, whichever they find preferable, but make sure that they return your money once their life is settled. Of course, you cant help it if the business doesn’t click. But remember that this money was to build a strong nation. So expect no monetary profit out of it.
Once you get back your money, you can use it to repeat the same exercise with some other poor family and help them become self sufficient.
Also, don’t forget to tell those whom you help, that even they are expected to do the same to other poor people in the society once they have enough money when even they can afford to help others in terms of a monetary assistance.
This will create a chain effect in the country that in no time can help in building a self sufficient society where everybody have enough income to satisfy at least their basic needs, and based on their talent can grow further up the ladder.
Also, make sure that at least for one poor child in the country, a child which hails from a real poor family, you sponsor the educational expenses of the child. Education is very very important in building a stronger India. Make sure that you go to the school where the child is studying and pay the expenses there, to ensure that the money is not used for any other purpose. Buy books for children. I suggest that you DO NOT give money to any NGO and forget about it. There is corruption everywhere, and we have seen money meant for earthquake victims, flood victims etc being looted. So please ensure that you personally take care about the proper utilization of your money.
Let the politicians keep doing politics, you do the true service to the country. Be a leader without contesting an election.
Finally, remember that it is not some charity that you are doing out of some sympathy. It is your duty towards the society and towards the nation, and more importantly towards a fellow human being.
Sai,
I agree with you, by empowering i din mean , rip them off their jobs..Let them do what they continue to do, but with dignity and moral values. If you are a farmer, be a farmer but a well informed literate farmer. thats wat i meant by bridging the gap between the have and the have not’s. Excel in your work. dont be ignorant and let others exploit you.
Gurudev,
Yes development jus not in terms of monetary values but also moral. We need to raise at all sectors..
Sainath
I agree with most of what you said, but not in terms of building bigger companies against small scale industries and self employment..
We should encourage people to be self employed, no matter how small it is, and that will create a stronger India, an independent India, instead of depending heavily on employment by multinationals and a couple of large companies.
Any type of monopoly or concentration of power or wealth should be heavily discouraged. I am not saying we should not have big companies. But then most of India should not be concentrated in these big companies, it should be self employed. This ensures a proper balance and a scope of new outlook and innovation and creativity, as and when some of these self employed small companies click and get converted into bigger companies.. There are many such examples in India even today..
Enterpreunership should be encouraged,no matter how small it is.. which is when the real creativity and innovation comes out of the person… Till today every single graduate, I mean almost all of them, who comes out of Indian universities have been thinking about which big company/MNC he/she can join.
The outlook has to be changed now, the young should start thinking differently, every single graduate out of college, should start thinking as to what new company can he/she start now! Team concept should evolve, group of 4-5 friends should start of a new company with a new concept, it doesnt matter if they are the only employees in their company and their company generates only money enough to be used as their salary. The difference even in this case would be that they are self employed!
Hi Divya
Really great efforts and thoughts being put into action..
Great work!
Yes, we have to ensure that there is not really much difference in terms of monthly income between the most paid and least paid in the country, and this will be the true strong India.
Also, Unlike the west, our measure of development should be, Not how much more money a person has, but instead should be how much more happy a person is.
Happiness should be the true indicator of development and not the monetary assets. We need to build a society of values and of happy families, than a materialistic society where divorce rates increase as people become richer and richer.
I also feel the laws and rules should be made strict enough that individual thinks atleast 5 times of counter effects before breaking it…Make a centralised place for leaving..so that the roads can be made wider and traffic can be controlled properly…and more trees also can be grown…Make a centralised place for industries…Offices…etc….I understand all this sounds similar to West…but i guess there is no harm in learning good things from others….This would also open large amount of Job openings for sectors……
but All above is possible if there is true dedication, sincerity,no-corruption, commitment and confidence in all and from all the individuals involved in the above….Amen
also yesterday read below article and felt good…
http://specials.rediff.com/money/2007/aug/13bank1.htm
aaannnhhh i dont fully disagree or agree to the way above told only because we already have that kind of businesses going all over the places…every 1/2 km (may be less) we have such vegetable vendors, pan shop, tea stalls, food shops etc etc….
There has to be something differently done i guess…may be what Reliance is planning but of course not at the cost of poors land and houses…
like having big shopping malls at every particular places wherein all kind of stuff is sold..ofcourse at an avg rate where even the poorest can think of buying …(concept may sound as in the west)…and there give jobs with quite a sufficient salary….make jobs available within india with proper packages so that everyone should feel working in India instead of going global to make more money….i am not sure how to channelise this…
sometimes i feel the bartar exchange concept of old days was good…..
Hi,
Nice thoughts and indeed one of the right ways to build a strong India.. I believe in this and striving towards this chain reaction..Only when the gap between the rich/Have and the poor/have nots gets closer..India will become Stronger..The only way out is , we need to invest(Not spend) in the poor..make them self reliant..
visit this site http://www.dreamindia2020.org (we are trying to educate as many young minds we can…)
we definitely can realise ou dream when most of us realise the role and responsibility of each of us as a citizen to our country…we need to empower others.
we need to do our bit to the country!!