India needs a national character

Its strong social capital and rich variety can create inclusive growth opportunities

India has the widest range of natural resources, the largest youth force, the largest number of economic sectors, the fastest growing economy, the widest variety of skills, and the richest crop diversity in the world. Yet, India fails to overcome its age-old deficiencies.

The Global Hunger Index has placed India at 107 out of 121 countries. The FIFA World Cup ranking puts India at 106, and India qualifying for the World Cup is a distant dream. India has won only 35 Olympic medals in the last 122 years of Olympic history. Only recently has one Indian documentary won an Oscar.

In the 2023 World University Rankings, the Indian Institute of Science alone finds a place among the top 300 universities. The Global Youth Development Index (2020) -- calculated on the basis of education, health, employment, equality, and inclusion, as well as political and civic participation, peace, and security--ranks India at 122. The Human Development Report (2020), based on parameters of life expectancy at birth, the standard of living, and education, has placed India at 131. The Global Gender Gap Report (2021) by the World Economic Forum ranks India at 140; the ranking is based on political empowerment, economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health, and survival. Why? Lack of national character is one of the main reasons for its deteriorating human standard.

The intelligentsia, educated youth, spiritual and cultural organisations, the media, teachers, good politicians, and conscious citizens should build national character among the youth that will inspire them to deliver the goods.

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In 1882, the French philosopher Ernst Renan outlined his understanding of what makes a nation in his famous essay entitled ‘Qu’est-ce qu’une nation?' (What is a nation?). According to him, a nation is the culmination of a long history of endeavours, sacrifices, and devotion. A heroic past, great men, and glory are the social capital upon which one bases a national idea. To have shared glories in the past, to have a common will in the present, to have performed great deeds together, and to wish to perform still more -- these are the essential conditions of being a people. The existence of a nation is a guarantee of liberty, which would be lost if the world had only one law and only one master.

India has a base of rich social capital that can build strong national characters among its people.

Lack of authentic research, coupled with ignorance, inefficiency, bias, and apathy, has eroded much of our social capital. How vandals have distorted and erased the priceless paintings in the Ajanta caves in Maharashtra and the paintings in the Ajmer fort in Rajasthan tells us where we stand. Many fine, priceless stone panels have been peeled out of the famous Konark temple of Odisha; fine Odissi murals made with natural colours are replaced with cheap paintings in most of the temples and mathas of Odisha. Magnificent palaces, temples, forts, Budhist pagodas, stupas, monasteries, and mathas have lost their identities amid the ugly concrete structures or are buried under dams, reservoirs, roads, and other infrastructure projects. The grand view of the Madurai temple in Tamil Nadu is blurred by the mindless construction around it.

As social capital is rapidly eroded, it has created a rootless young generation and divided society on the basis of caste, language, religion, and region. Only leaders with strong national character can cement the divide.

Today, a large number of Indians are unable to communicate even in their mother tongues, forget a common link language. They fail to sell their products or exchange skills and ideas for mutual growth. Small farmers, artisans, weavers, and owners of other enterprises in Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala depend on middlemen and lose profit margins. A simpler version of Sanskrit could have bridged the communication gap; this ancient language could have helped people recognise the striking similarity in the diversity of cultures and traditions. But that is not to be.

Today, young Indians seek employment in rich nations due to a lack of inclusive growth opportunities. Nepotism, caste, and language bias boost the careers of the mediocre, while the meritorious flee the nation. The national character will dissolve the bias and promote genuine talents. Good doctors, politicians, judges, police, media people, volunteers, sportsmen, and filmmakers emerge from a society where people have a national character.

With the building of a national character, Indians will find oneness in cultural diversity. The harvest festivals in different states have different names. But its essence and purpose remain the same. It is this common thread that needs to be woven into our national character.