I NDIA P OSITIVE
Chetan Bhagat is the author of eight bestselling novels and three non-fiction books, which have sold over twelve million copies and have been translated in over twenty languages worldwide.
The New York Times has called him the biggest selling author in Indias history. Time magazine named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and Fast Company USA named him as one of the 100 most creative people in business worldwide.
Many of his books have been adapted into films and were major Bollywood blockbusters. He is also a Filmfare award-winning screenplay writer.
Chetan writes columns in the Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar , which are amongst the most influential and widely read newspapers in the country. He is also one of the countrys leading motivational speakers.
Chetan went to college at IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, after which he worked in investment banking for a decade before quitting his job to become a full-time writer.
The views and opinions expressed in this work are the authors own and the facts are as reported by him, and the publisher is in no way liable for the same.
Text copyright 2019 Chetan Bhagat
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
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ISBN-13: 9781542044165
ISBN-10: 1542044162
Contents
So it is 2019, and here we are on the verge of another big Lok Sabha election. Its different this time, isnt it? While theres some election fever, theres none of the frenzy of 2014. The pre-election analyses, predictions and rallies are in full swing. Each political side is making its promises, of course. They are also trading barbs and attacking their opponents. And yet, it is no 2014. The rise of Modi and his promises of acche din, the anger of the people towards the Congress government, the first-time mass use of social media, and the fact that these were the first general elections after anti-corruption protests reached the streets, meant that Indians were heavily invested in the 2014 elections. We need change seemed to be what India was trying to say. And a commoner chaiwallah like Modi had spectacularly come to power, securing a massive mandate. The people celebratedthey had done it!
After all, this was change, wasnt it? The PM changed. The ministers changed. The party ruling the country changed. People power had spoken! Time for acche din now! Bye-bye corruption, and hello, new progressive India!
The excitement of the 2014 elections carried over well after the polls. The honeymoon period of the new government was pure euphoria. When the Swacch Bharat campaign was launched and Modi came to the streets with a broom, many swooned. This was change indeed, they marvelled, look how India is changing now!
Lets cut to 2019. Ask people to be as excited as they were in 2014 about the government, and they will most likely give you nothing more than a smirk. Tell them to scream for change, and they are more likely to shrug their shoulders.
Yeah, things are different, they will say. But nothing has really changed, has it?
In fact, when I travel for my motivational talks, I sometimes ask the people I meet: How is life radically different for you as an individual under this BJP government versus the previous Congress government? And how much of that is due to the change in government? Often, they struggle to find genuine answers. Heres how a typical conversation goes:
Me (talking to people in a Shatabdi train compartment): So what is different now in 2019 vs 2014?
Passenger 1: There are more smartphones, cheaper data and more internet content.
Me: That is true. But the BJP had little to do with this, as it is a worldwide phenomenon and would have happened even under another government, right?
Passenger 2: Theres a lot more online shopping.
Me: Same, not really particular to this government.
Passenger 3: We have new currency notes!
Me: For sure, this may not have happened without demonetisation. Have to agree on this one.
Passenger 4: We have GST.
Me: Yes, but it affects businesses more. How about you as an individual?
Passenger 4: For me, GST is merely another name for indirect taxes I used to pay earlier.
Passenger 5: We also have some more metros, better roads in a few places and new airports.
Me: Okay!
Passenger 5 (continues): Then again, these were already in the pipeline and might have continued to happen under any other government.
Me: Anyone else?
Passenger 6: There are some policies, I am told, to give LPG, bank accounts and medical insurance to a lot of poor people.
Me: But we are talking about you, the average middle to upper middle class Indian travelling on this train. Has your life changed much? Or rather, would it have been very different if we had a different government during the last five years?
Passenger 6: (thinks shakes head)
Me: (smiles)
Passenger 7 (watching me for a while and speaking finally): Why are you asking so many questions, anyway? Its India. Nothing really changes here.
The conversation above represents a popular opinion. Yes, things are different. And yet, not a lot has changed.
Nothing really changes here
The last passenger is right at one level. This is India, nothing really changes around here is something a lot of people say in our country. I dont fully subscribe to this view as I find it an overly cynical take on the state of affairs. However, maybe because I am older (and hopefully wiser), I am more patient with alternate views and see the point these people are trying to make. After all, it is true that by now we have tried various types of governments and leaders. In the last ten years alone, we have tried:
The Congress (and UPA) in power
The BJP (and NDA) in power
A coalition government (like the UPA II)
A strong and stable majority government (like the Modi government)
A leader with a soft and gentle image (like PM Manmohan Singh)
A leader with a tough image (like PM Modi)
That is a lot of different things to try, isnt it? But despite all these changes at the top, India trudges along in much the same way. 2019 is not too different from 2009. If you are a student, it is hard to get into a good school or college (were approaching a crisis in education, but thats a separate discussion). If you are a job seeker, it is difficult to find employment. The cities are choked and traffic is a nightmare. Government offices are still slow, dusty and corrupt. Good healthcare is either unavailable or too expensive. You need contacts and/or money to get anywhere. So the rules are different for the powerful and the well-connected. For the average Indian, life is a struggle.
The situation described above is true in 2019, but was also true in 2009. So the cynical uncle in the train who says This is India, nothing changes around here, isnt entirely wrong.
So, one wonders: why write books like India Positive ? If things didnt move much from 2009 to 2019, why talk about where we need to be in 2029? For chances are we will still be here, as nothing changes around here.
