High time Indians introspect

It is high time to go for introspection to enable us to chalk out right course of action, albeit belatedly, to compete with powerful countries like China in terms of economic development and inclusive growth with decent levels of income to every citizen. (India far behind China: Why?- THI, March 25).

The author is right in his views that the flawed governance where the interests of bureaucracy rather than people are being promoted and focus is being laid on religious matters such as Ayodhya and Cow rather than infrastructure is the main culprit for India being placed miles away from China in all indices of development and wellbeing of people. Verily, there are other overarching reasons that impoverished our country and its people.

Primarily, ruling political class in India since Independence with some rare exceptions has never been able to come out of electoral compulsions to steer the country to greater heights.

Political leaders of all hues have been busy in doling out freebies and lollipops to marginalized sections of people which is a master political strategy to always keep them lazy and unproductive who must constantly dependant on government for their survival with no opportunity and incentive provided by the government to nudge them to work hard to improve their income adequately and decently to provide good education and healthcare to their children.

Disturbingly, the populist rhetoric of political class has attained menacing heights where competitive populism has left nothing for the government out of taxpayer's money to go for development with farsightedness.

It is disheartening to see politicians of all parties who have no sincerity about what to do and whatnot to do to place our country ahead of or at least on par with powerful countries like China.

It is right opportunity to Indian voters to think and act judiciously to display maturity in exercising their franchise in order to elect honest, capable and talented leaders who have gumptions to refrain from mindless populist policies and who can put our country in a galaxy of developed nations.

Narne Raveendra Babu, Hyderabad