It just takes three simple principles to make our nation a great one, if we are to believe a novelist from Hyderabad, who shared some kind of magical mantras for nation’s ‘reincarnation’.
India as a nation encompasses over one billion people who speak more than thousand languages and has umpteen numbers of problems. For development of such a huge country with plenty of diversity in many areas, only three points may appear flimsy but convincing.
Speaking to more than 50 young businessmen associated with Young Indians (Yi) at Taj Deccan yesterday, novelist Sriram Karri asked them not worry too much about nation and follow his three points to contribute towards making India a ‘fairer’ nation.
While trying to emphasize that ‘youth’ and ‘nation’ are two complex dissimilar things, he stated: “Ask any youth, he appears more concerned about ‘career building’ than ‘nation building’. In fact, nation building never seem to be the agenda for our youth.”
“You don’t have to build the nation. You are the nation. Build yourself, nation will build consequently,” Karri told youngsters at Yi – Pathfinder 2016.
It’s a known fact that in order to play a pivotal role in India’s development, youth must have a clear idea of what they can do for the country and what the country needs from them. But Karri dealt more with the question of what youth can do.
Karri made it clear that nation building does not only mean asking youth to participate in electoral politics. A nation is larger than electoral politics, he informed Yi Hyderabad Chapter youngsters during his talk on ‘Youth and Nation Building’.
Author Karri suggested three important things for consideration to make India a ‘fairer’ nation: event analysis, no mediocrity, and promotion of ideas.
- Analyze events around you
You need to analyze events around you to understand things objectively, he said. Take a recent case of Uber. It was asked to reduce its taxi fares. Don’t you think Uber should have freedom to set prize for its own product or service? Whether government should decide or the seller? I think youth must help remove this ambiguity, he suggested youth.
“Businessmen are guilty of saying ‘we are here to make profit’. They need to introspect and remove hypocrisy. They contribute to nation by giving jobs to the youth and tax to the government, but don’t speak out for their own rights. They are most cowards. They are a minority, prosecuted a lot,” he argued.
“If businessmen can’t speak up for their rights, then rights of poor will also be threatened,” said novelist Karri while trying to stimulate young businessmen to do away with “intellectual hypocrisy”.
- No Mediocrity
He asked youth to say no to substandard, and show utmost intolerance to mediocrity. Become passionate about excellence, and pursue it. That would a greatest thing for the nation, he added.
“Don’t think too much about nation building. Just do whatever you do, but make it world-class,” Karri urged participants.
Look at America, what makes it great today. It’s just a group of about 15 to 25 people whose work of excellence makes America a great country, he said while referring to Apple, Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc. as extraordinary firms that changed the face of the world.
- Promotion of Ideas
“Do not tolerate nepotism, intellectual hypocrisy and substandard in the country. You will get nepotism in government institutions if you want it to,” Karri said.
There are more interesting ideas to stand for. Try for merit, excellence and profit. Think of things never done before, he advised. People with great ideas are admired. See Zuckerberg, many Prime Ministers want to meet him.
He lamented that ideas are never talked about and encouraged in the country.
‘Fairer’ Nation
Karri also talked about a novel idea of ‘fairer nation’ and asked everyone to work to make India ‘fairer. A participant asked Karri, “What makes a nation ‘fairer’ or does any ‘fairer’ nation exist?”
He replied, “It is a state when you are treated reasonably fair by government agencies, and have to be in same queue to get things done. No nepotism.” He called America of 1890s as “fairer country” that also gave “pursuit of happiness” as a right to its citizens.