Rebuilding a young Republic

India needs to be rebuilt all over again. This time around with 'India-centric core-values'. Imagine a nation waking up to independence at midnight with zero 'nation building' process led by the key national leaders of that contemporary period. Many misconstrue 'nation building' to be 'governance of a nation' through legislation and execution, however that is merely 'governance'.

It is 70 years since we turned a Republic, and it is important at least now to get a fresh perspective on 'governing a nation' and 'leading a nation'. Any elected leader, with the help of an established administrative framework and machinery can govern a nation. It amounts to just 'maintenance of a nation' and not 'inspiring and leading nation'. Unfortunately, India has been simply 'governed' for the first 60 years, with an exception of one term led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in between that six-decade period.

PM Narendra Modi since 2014 is 'leading the nation' and not just governing it. PM Modi is making courageous decisions to shatter the status quo. He is consciously attempting to drive positive disruption, to ensure 'strategic leap' for the nation, instead of evolutionary growth.

'Reform – Perform – Transform' is a discerning agenda of the PM Narendra Modi and its core objective is to 'rebuild India'. I have a clear vision to re-build this 70-year young Republic with 'India-centric value system'. I strongly believe this is the only lasting solution for a progressive, abundant and prosperous nation.

I share with you below, few initiatives of 'nation building' that reshape and rebuild India with robust value framework.

Designing India's national values

It is essential to understand that 'values' are not ethical and moral guidelines. The term 'values' has been misused and abused more than it is actually understood and applied.

'Values' are what is considered of great importance and it mean, what one holds valuable. The wishlist of what an individual holds valuable are 'individual values' and the wishlist of what a nation holds valuable are 'national values'.

Unfortunately, we as a nation have so far, neither defined the general frame work of 'individual values' for Indians, nor did we define the macro value-frame work - 'national values'. Lack of prioritised value-frame work for an individual highlights the lack of direction and guidance for an individual, and the lack of 'national value framework' establishes the same about a nation.

A nation of our size, population, diversity and economy cannot afford to not have a pan-Indian discussion, on this necessary national exercise. At least now, it is time to rebuild this Republic with a structured national value frame work.

National pride

The quality of 'national values' drive or not drive 'national pride'. Fortunately for India, as its early origins are from the confluence of superior knowledge civilisation and Sanatana Dharma, some positive values are embedded 'by default.' No wonder, despite centuries of oppression, slavery and violation of human freedom by foreign invaders, the un-defined 'Indian values' are still visible both in the nationals and the nation.

'National pride' is critical for designing, adopting and implementing national values for a nation and its nationals. There are innumerable examples of failed nations, failing nations, disintegrated nations and rogue nations across the world. One can't find 'national pride' in the nationals of these nations, even while they are functional states.

The key to failure of many of these nations is, they neither had glorious values from the past as legacy nor did they led their nations with a well-defined value-frame work in the present, while they still had a chance for better future.

Indians should thank their stars for surviving the 'walk-in-the-dark' for 60 long years, without any structured value-guidance built for this nation by successive national leaders, until recently.

National identity

A nation, especially if it is a heterogeneous union of states like India, it requires many connecting threads to stich the union together for lasting unity and integrity. National identity becomes a critical connecting thread to connect the nationals under a singular identity.

Divisive forces inside any nation will try dividing a nation on the basis of multiple identities. The time-tested weapon used by separatists to destabilise a nation is to drive religious, racial, regional, casteist and ethnic divide between communities. These are few multiple-identities used to over-ride the national identity, to destabilise social harmony and disintegrate a united nation.

Lack of well thought-out, designed, adopted and implemented National Value Framework can inspire nationals of a nation to choose 'national Identity' as their primary identity.

A nation to stay united, vibrant and progressive requires strong threads to keep it harmonious, vibrant, peaceful and progressive. The consequences of not undertaking nation-building can lead to catastrophic consequences for a nation both in near term and long term.

Nation-building is an essential initiative for India to undertake in this new decade starting 2021.There is no other nation than India, which has an untapped potential to a degree, if unleashed with structured guidance can lead the world.

(The author is the chief spokesperson of the BJP Telangana State, an organisational strategist & a leadership coach)