Oh India! The country of unlimited potential and.... of home-grown skeptics

There are things we all know and read about India and then there are things that you can only internalize as you ruminate about - India's ability to rapidly progress and transform itself into a nation to watch out for in single rapid master strokes such as the magic of democracy displayed in the 2014 general elections, the poetic pathos-clad day-to-day strife of millions of daily wage earners alongside the fairy-tale richness of the Indian billionaires and the unbelievable success stories of these Indians with their humble beginnings and meritocratic rise to positions of massive influence through individual merit!

Hence, without doubt, this is a country and a superpower that needs reckoning. And it feels like the entire world has understood that except the 1.2 billion people strong country being discussed and its people. If you've spent time talking to Indians in India or settled abroad, one thing that you will constantly note is their lack of appreciation for what the country has achieved and a brooding and often foreboding attitude of complaint. Yes, there are a thousand things that are broken and needs fixing, but does that mean you give up hope and turn a blind eye to what we have achieved to date or stop celebrating success when we come by it? Not to forget the staggering population and geographical + cultural diversity across the nation that makes doing anything a challenge of meteoric proportions. If you are one of those people who took the first opportunity out of the country in search of greener pastures, more power to yes, but, you escapist should definitely not complain unless you have found a way to give back to your country towards solving its many problems.

Patriotism or love for thy country should be akin to love for thy children where you are more loving than demanding, more forgiving and accepting than vengeant and where you take responsibility for what is and will be and don't treat it like another man's problem. And to do that you need not necessarily join hands with a political party or do something revolutionary. You can play your own part in your day-to-day life and still move some metric in a way that is up and right. For example:

• If you are on entrepreneur in India, you my friend are doing your country some good! Related link 
• If you contribute in any way to women empowerment or women's wealth acquisition, I salute you. Worth watching
• If your wife is a working woman and you are an equal partner helping her juggle work and home priorities, more power to you! Interesting read
• If you take your voting rights seriously, you are already contributing!
• If you do what it takes to avoid bribing, you are a hero! Read
• If you are contributing in any way to advancing someone's education- way to go! Read this story to get inspired

These are just some examples among the plentiful options! You can do your small bit, within the comfort of your limited means and contribute to the nudging the country forward and make a difference to its hope of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity in large measures. But, you need to quit complaining first.

Jai hind!