Best wishes to all the readers of The Universal News Network on this 75th Independence Day of India. India can be a world-class economic juggernaut erelong.
After all, India was the richest country when British came to its shores in 1700s. It is a free and open society with a viable parliamentary democracy and deep-rooted cultural and social traditions that have weathered the storms of religious and regional tensions and of a volatile polity.
We all know that there is a cavernous gap between India’s tremendous potential and depressing reality, such as- air pollution, water pollution, fuel adulteration, lack of sewage treatment operations, environmental degradation, lack of public health, loss of biodiversity, loss of resilience in ecosystems and livelihood insecurity for the poor. I am aware of the incredible strides India had made since 1990s.
If we develop a mind set of “so little done; so much to do”, sky is the limit for India as we have the greatest and largest natural resource that no other country has, 530 million of young people below the age of 34.
I often visit India (which gave me stellar medical education almost for free). Our foundation (EYE FOUNDATION OF AMERICA / WORLD WITHOUT CHILDHOOD BLINDNESS) is committed to combat avoidable blindness in India and beyond. People call this charity and I see our work as investment.
During my visits and throughout the year in the social media we hear the incredible past glory of India. (Pushpaka viman, Arya Bhatta, Chanakya, …and the list goes on). Let us remind ourselves “The Past is our Cradle, not our Prison, and there is danger and as well as appeal in its glamor. The past is for inspiration, not imitation, for continuation, not repetition” (Israel Zangwill)
By change of mindset, sky is the limit for India. Post-second World War Germany and Japan are outstanding examples of the effect of harmonious cooperation. For this harmonious cooperation, may I quote Nani Palkhivala’s prescription for India,” When we break our tradition of being collectively foolish, in spite of being individually intelligent.”
Jai Hind!
From V.K. Raju, MD, FRCS, FACS
Ophthalmologist, Regional Eye Associates
President and Founder, Eye Foundation of America
President and Founder, Goutami Eye Institute
Clinical Professor, West Virginia University
Director, International Ocular Surface Society
Adjunct Professor, GSL Medical School
Adjunct Professor, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University
