You are my theme for a dream,

Yes you are, a rare and lovely theme,

The dreams I dream day and night.

--Cliff Richard

What exactly is it that makes a country great? This is one of the many questions which have baffled me since I don't know when. The strangest part is that every individual seems to possess a completely different opinion when it comes to defining the "greatness" of a country. I had walked up to my parents, teachers and friends to ask them the same question, "What makes a country great?" While some some of them replied that it is the richness of her civilization and culture which makes a country great, others opined that greatness is determined by the great men who shaped her destiny through the course of history. Some others were of the opinion that it is the collective attitude & aspirations of the people which separates a "great" country from a "not so great" one.

Well, there can be numerous other opinions and endless debates concerning the issue, but that is not the focus of what I want to say. Has anyone of us ever wondered why India, inspite of possessing almost every attribute that a person could possibly want in a great nation, still continues to be looked upon by many as a Third World country? Why is it that even today Indians are viewed as third-class citizens in so many corners of the world? Why are we so hell-bent on dubbing the brutal attacks on Indian students in Australia as "just another incident"? Why is it that despite possessing the richest of all mineral and natural resources, the menacing ghost called poverty still continues to haunt us like never before? These may seem uncomfortable questions to answer, but the day we all learn to tackle these questions without the slightest of inhibitions, is the day we would mature as a nation.

Why do so many of us still need to be reminded of the courtesy of standing up when the National Anthem is being played? Well, of course, one may argue that it is his or her personal choice at the end of the day, but does it really make one poorer to pay just a minute's respect to the National Anthem of our motherland? Exerting our legs just for a minute for the sake of our country would neither make our legs fall off, nor would it seriously damage our prestige or dignity. But still, we don't even think twice before making this a national issue of debate. It pained me when a national news channel of repute went to the lengths of devoting its entire prime-time viewing period over discussing this trivial issue. It is amazing that we still have the mentality of wasting our precious time and energy on discussing such nonsensical issues, when the country is being ripped apart by so many problems from all sides. We are living in a dangerous age, were even paying the minimum of respects to our National Anthem can be labelled by the modernists as "pseudo-patriotism".

Try sniffing the air around you, you would feel the bad smell coming from Indian politics. It is almost like the stench of avarice. A quagmire of a million problems have gripped the country. The growing strain in relations with its neighbours has started complementing the more traditional evils like illiteracy, poverty and over-population. It no longer bothers us when the Chinese break through our north-eastern borders and lay claims on our land. Maybe a few initial reactions pour in on the several 24-hour news channels, but that's just about it. Life moves on, and soon everything is relegated to the darkest corners of our memories. Barring a few, most of our leaders seem to have other things on their minds. Making hay while the sun shines and indulging in petty political gains seem to be the number one priorities on the cards. The real issues always seem to get lost within this muddy state of eternal mess. Unfortunately, this infectious attitude seems to have actually taken hold of the common man as well, like a dreaded contagious disease. Somewhere down the line, we seem to have lost those very qualities which made us proud to be Indians.

But life cannot afford to move along like this. Hope is what keeps us alive, and without hope we cease to be humans. So still there is time, and still there is hope. Our country is a truly great nation, a nation whose destiny has been shaped by the blood and sweat of so many great individuals. It is a powerful land, and it can be made even more powerful. The destiny of a nation is not shaped by God, but it is shaped by the people. Yes, it is the people who determine the true greatness of a nation. Great nations are not born out of the destiny shaped by God, but they are born from the dreams of dreamers who dared to dream!!

Yes, we all have a dream.We dream of an India where a term called "religious intolerance" is non-existent, where everybody is an Indian irrespective of cast & creed, where human freedom and dignity is not compromised with, where the girl-child is adored and not considered a burden, where people are free from the clutches of poverty & illiteracy, where education is considered a basic necessity, where every child can grow up to its full potential and make the country proud.

Yes, that is the India we all dream of. It is not just a Utopian dream, it is a dream which would indeed be a reality, if we all joined hands to make it one. The road ahead is tough and complicated, and is fraught with hazards and uncertainties. But beyond the cruel desert of harsh challenges and obstacles,lies our beautiful destination---which is a wonderland called India!!

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one,

I hope someday you will join us, and the world will live as one."

--John Lennon