Past is a history of lost decades for our country. Rulers have come and gone. History remembers them for one thing or the other. Some have proved to be spectacularly disastrous. Some others have shone for a brief spell and faded away. While some of them have spent their tenure in power in squabbles among alliance partners, in setting up one group against another and in creating vested interest groups and powerful voting blocs.

From Nehru to Indira Gandhi, from Rajiv Gandhi to V. P Singh, from Chandrasekhar to Deve Gowda to Indra Kumar Gujural, one common thread ran through them. Somehow or the other to entrench themselves firmly on the seat of power. Cut somebody down to size, reward those who sing your praise and punish others for being a little ambitious. Nehru had carried through his tenure, bering in mind one thing: to imprint his name in history books as one of the great liberals and of great world leaders of the time. He worked for his misplaced values and let down India. China and Pakistan took advantage of his weakness. One in Tibet and the other in Kashmir. Panchasheel and Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai quite did us in. China grabbed with both hands the chance to become a permanent member of security council, offered to it on a platter by Nehru’s reluctance and blunders. Now, the same China is using that veto power to help our enemy, Pakistan.

Indira established her family rule during her tenure. It has stayed with us for ever after that as a thorn in our flesh. The family has mastered the trick of using its vote banks to stay permanently in power. From Indira to Rajiv to Sonia, all of them have nurtured the minority community as a collective voting bloc to remain glued to power. Country’s development has never been in their agenda. V P Singh and other leaders of coalition blocs have also tried imitating them to stay in power. Mandal commission and reservation based on that have had our country in a spate of agitations and violent Street protest.

The only decisive shift in our country’s fortune was taken under the leadership of Narasingh Rao. Even if it was taken under the compulsion of tumbling socialist economy and crisis in balance of payment, it was a bold decision nevertheless on his part to have broken away from failed Nehruvian model. It was precisely for this decision perhaps that Gandhi family didn’t own up his steller record as a Congress prime minister outside the Gandhi family.

It was during tenure of first BJP government under Vajpayee that the country saw a significant shift. That villages could have anything else but mud roads was beyond the imagination of everybody till then. Prime minister Sadak Yojana connected all the villages to nearest market places by concrete and tar roads. Golden quadrilateral connected all major cities of India with world class four-lanes. Ports were developed on war footing. Railways and aviation industry were modernised. Telecom saw a boom due to private participation. Television industry flourished due to license given to private players.

India stunned the world by conducting neuclear test at Pokhran. Sanctions and condemnations by world bodies followed. But the dexterous diplomatic moves by Vajpayee ensured not only that the sanctions were lifted but also world super powers like USA, Russia, UK, France, Germany etc came closer to India like never before.

All were taken by surprise when Vajpayee was unseated from power in the next general election. More surprisingly, he was defeated by Sonia led Congress. Having no experience in running a government and being of a foreign origin, it was shock to all nationalists to see her wielding the lever of power. All the gains made during Vajpayee era were frittered away. Corruption and brash communalism were the hallmark of next ten years of Congress rule under Manmohan Singh.

People made a historic decision in 2014 general election. Narendra Modi was sworn in as the prime minister. The country has seen a series of bold moves since then. Today, world looks at us with more than respect. Pakistan has been completely sidelined and is on the verge of being blacklisted. Pakistan has been punished with surgical strike and air-strike due to promoting terror activities in India. No country in the world stands with Pakistan now. China has tasted the new Indian resolve at Galwan valley and the skirmishes that are currently on at LOC. Now, it’s no more business as usual for China, slicing away our territories at will and pretending to be friends with us. MNCs are now seeking opportunities in India more than in China.

We have managed Covid crisis relatively better. A year later, we are better off and vaccine is around the corner. Reforms are being undertaken at a faster pace. Corruption hasn’t raised a stink so far into six years of Modi-led government.

We are on the path to become a real world power. We need better leaders on the line to lead us into future. Not these charlatans in opposition who speak lies dime a dozen. Not these opportunists who seek chaos-and-disruption route to power. Only advice to government, any reform that it undertakes shouldn’t burden common citizens with more paperwork and more visits to government offices. Reform should reach out to the doorsteps of citizens. Failure to comply with reform protocols should invite penalty on officials rather than common people.

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