Do it yourself

 As we celebrate the 74 th anniversary of our independence from the British rule, we appear to be even more resolute in our persistence to deny some of the unpleasant facts, that allowed Europeans to conquer and brutalize ancient and wealthy civilizations, such as ours. We refuse to accept the answers and explanations to the uncomfortable questions, that are relevant today, more than ever. For example, consider the following: 1.          How did Europeans, whom we believed to be primitive, become so powerful in the Middle Ages, especially 14 th and 15 th century, that they were able to conquer and enslave ancient civilization which had mastered art, science, mathematics, and philosophy? Most of us refuse to acknowledge, it was the Renaissance, total break from the past dogmas and acceptance of a new paradigm, that helped Europeans reinvent themselves as a great political, economic, and scientific power that shall rule the world for man...

On the eve of 75 th Independence Day when you buy a plastic Tricolour from a young child on the traffic signal, would you (a) pause to think that this flag may be of Chinese origin, (b) buy with the idea of helping the poor child; or (c) just buy to demonstrate your feeling of patriotism? In the post-independence period, the Indian economy has been persistently suffering from a variety of deficits. Though in the financial market parlance the twin economic deficits, viz., current account deficit and fiscal deficit, have been discussed most, these could be the least of worries for Indian economy in the current circumstances. Some of the most worrisome deficits, in my view, include: ·          Growth capital deficit ·          Advanced technology deficit ·          Skill deficit ·          Trust deficit ·   ...