One often wonders why India, despite being endowed with copious resources, talent and ideas, remains a country where the dreams and aspirations of millions of people remain unfulfilled and the possibilities remain unexplored. The pace of development has been excruciatingly slow while others in the region, like China, are miles ahead across all parameters. There is a growing perception, particularly among the youths, that India needs a fresh approach, a new voice, and a new policy direction that can help bring about transformational changes. Even a country like Bangladesh is doing economically better in recent years. India should compete with Asian giants like China, Japan, and the western world.
However, India is now a highly divided country based on religion and political leaning. Development has taken a backseat and religion is becoming the driving force. Further, with each passing general election, voters have reconciled to the “more of the same” kind of content that the national parties have come to represent. Barring the nomenclature of the schemes and programmes, one hardly finds any difference in terms of quality of governance between the Congress and the BJP which have dominated the national scene all these years. The key failures have been their lack of long-term vision and political will to push for out-of-the-box ideas. India needs its moment of a true renaissance; a change that reflects the people’s aspirations and a development model that is inclusive and upholds the spirit of federalism. People are yearning for a qualitative change in politics that ensures social justice for every Indian, irrespective of religion, caste, region, and growth.