As India turned 60 yesterday,I just thought that I will choose the 44 moments (There I go thats my age) that kind of defined the India as a personality. The success, the failures, the shame, the People, the companies that made it possible.
Here I go. This is not in order of preferences or seriousness.
- Emergency 1975. Country put to shame. Indian express fought it tooth and Nail. Yes, as a 12 year old boy I saw things happening with clockwork precision, trains were on time, government servants for a change worked.
- 1977 Election, Saw congress routed. Being a right winger at that age, I still remember chasing news in BBC radio as Indian media was suffering blackout of results.
- Moraji Desai/ Raj Narayan. The first non Congress prime minister who I consider as a man brought practicalities in to economy. Raj Narayan was our own Dan Quayle, of course more than a political comedian, he made sure that 2 prime ministers lost the job.
- Death Of Rajaji. I think he left a deep remark in South Indian politics for making sure that congress is wiped out as an entity in south India. Ofcourse, its a case of fire to frying pan as I guess this alienated south Indians from national main stream.
- 5day work week for government employees/ retirement age 60. Great move to make the work society less barbaric. I am a strongly against 6 day week as it inhibits productivity. This happened in 1985.
- Thermax. The great Indian company which can give a run for any multinational in terms of work culture. I am told things have changed a bit in the recent past.
- Sanjay Gandhi. I think his ideas were good, execution poor.
- Rajeev Gandhi Assassination. Welcome to the real world of terrorism of suicide bombings.
- Phokran II Testing. Made World take notice of India as a super power.
- Rakesh Sharma, Indias own Yuri Gagarin.
- Indias cricket win over England and West Indies in 1971. Cricket matured.
- India winning world cup hockey in KL in 1975.
- APJ Abdul Kalam The people president.
- Viswanathan Anand The world grandmaster champion of chess.
- Bachindra Pal, the first India women to claim Mt.Everest.
- Jayalalitha crushing the Tamilnadu government employees strike. I hope the goverment guys learned a lesson, Im told that they still get nightmare, good for them to get that to work.
- Jimmy Carter visiting India to begin the cold relations that Nixon had.
- 1971 War. Deeds of Arumugam.
- Sam Manekshaw/ Nanda/ PC Lal, the Architects of 1971triumph.
- Kuldeep Nayyar who took heads on Indira Gandhi during emergency. The yard stick for the fourth estate. Of course Indira Gandhi was our own Golda Meir.
- Justice HR Khanna of Allahabad High court. Who dare to cross path with Indira Gandhi.
- Kanishka Bombings.
- Kausalya Narayan/ Mohan Kumaramangalam death in plane crash in Delhi in May 1973,loss of emerging talents.
- Alliance air crash in Patna. The last we heard of aircrash in India (Touchwood).
- MGR Death in 1987, choas in TN politics.
- Emergence of private airlines, made air travel a common place.
- Sholay.
- Deaths in Kumbakonam/ Srirangam fire accidents. Never this should happen.
- Cargil War the heros.
- Formation of BJP. The Hindu alternative and awakening.
- Indian edition of Economist/ HBR, you can pay Rupees to get it, Great, so the world is coming to you.
- July 26th rain and havoc in Bombay.
- Shame of allowing communists to have a say in governance, else where the communism is in the museum.
- Reliance Industries, The indian industrial giant.You can hate or love them.
- Sam Pitroda/ Airtel Broadband. Virtual work made possible.
- Modernisation of US consulate for visa process, previously it was a shame to see the rush and chaos for visa. Some American thought enough was enough.
- Jumbo passport booklet, Thank god, with visa regime everywhere,you can atleast keep passport current for some more time.
- Availability of mineral water everywhere.
- Prannoy Roy/ Rajdeep Sardesai. Brought world class TV journalism in to India.
- Removal of hand pulling carts in Tamilnadu in 1977, I am still pained to see this in West Bengal and other states.
- Deve Gowda speech in Parliament, once he talked truth and sense.
- Godhra riots/ 1992 riots, I don't agree with Violence, at least this brought the knowledge to the world that Hindus can retaliate. I guess in some way things were squared and peace prevailed thereafter, I have seen enough curfew in Gujarat in my 12 year stay.
- Indian space program brought satellite TV home. Thanks to Dr Kasturi Rangan.
- Movie Swades. If I ever go back to work in Indian companies, this movie could have been the trigger.
Jai Hind.
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