I have read on many occassions, that, a bamboo tree takes three to five years to grow. In the first three years, you hardly get too see it’s growth, barely 3 inches. It has to be nurtured with great care. At times, it doesn’t break through the ground for five years. After 3-5 years, once it breaks through the ground, it will grow 90 feet tall in the next 3 years, many times at a very rapid pace…into a forest of bamboo trees.

When I read the following letter, someone had shared, I got reminded of the bamboo tree saga…..Read the letter and then I shall come back the bamboo tree parallelism…

——————————————————————-

A letter from Mukund Mavalankar to Narendra Modi! Mukund had worked at Telco, Pune, and also happens to be an IIT (Kanpur) alumnus

Respected Shri Narendra Modiji,

On 28th of December, I heard your speech delivered at the 54th Convocation of IIT Kanpur with much expectation and interest, mainly because I had graduated from IIT Kanpur 46 years ago. Your well-delivered speech brought back a flood of memories of those carefree student days well spent at IIT Kanpur.

I am so proud to have had the opportunity to study at this great institute. We learned science and technology under the guidance of possibly the best teachers in the country.  I was completely transformed by this intellectually challenging and life-building experience. We were all thankful for the previous 25 years that our country had dedicated itself to building institutions of higher learning and research in the field of science and technology. My education in IIT Kanpur gave me a solid scientific and technological foundation and helped me to build a 43-year strong manufacturing career and make a contribution to make our country self-reliant. 


However, I was taken aback to hear in your speech that nothing had happened in the first 25 years after independence. No efforts were made our country to become self-reliant. I am sure the young graduating students must have believed what you said about the nascent 25  years of our country. I think this seems to be an error on the part of the speechwriters. I would be highly obliged if you could hand over this letter to them so that they will include the following in your next speech. 


Just after independence expeditious efforts were made to make our country stand on its own feet. Here are some stellar examples of the solid foundation laid down by visionary leaders.


1. The constitution of our country was debated, drafted, and promulgated on 26th November 1949.


2. 1st free and fair national election was conducted, a whopping 60% population used their franchise to constitute the 1st Loksabha in 1952.


3. Construction of Bhakhara Nangal was started in 1948 and completed in 1964. The irrigation provided by this dam was the backbone of the green revolution which made our country to have surplus food grains. Food Corporation of India was established on 10th January 1964.


4. Five  IITs( one each in every region of the country)  were started starting from 1950 till 1964. Many primary schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Many primary schools, and vocational training institutes(ITI) were set up to provide basic and vocation education.


5. Three IIMs were started in the first 25 years for providing post-graduate training in Business administration.


6. Many national prestigious laboratories for fundamental scientific research were started during the infancy of the republic. Like NCL, IISC, Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute Jamnagar, PRL, 


7. Atomic research was started with the establishment of the Atomic Energy Commission, Bhabha Atomic research center. Thus we became self-reliant in Atomic energy.


8. Crucial research laboratories like DRDO, ARDE, ARDL, etc were started with a vision to make our country self-reliant in defense.

9. Many companies and organisations of strategic importance were started like HAL, BEL, CEL, BHEL, Hindustan antibiotics limited, ONGC ITI, and many more were established in the first 25 years of independence.


10. Indian space research program was launched and ISRO was established. This has paid rich dividends TO OUR COUNTRY. We are now not only Aatmanibhar in all our space missions but also provide this service to other nations.


11. Many large steel plants were dedicated to the nation in the 1st 25 years.


12. Indian Council for Medical Research was established in 1948. Many research institutes were set up under ICMR in various areas of health and medicine were setup all across the country during the 1st 25 years. AIIMS Delhi was set up in 1956. The then health minister Rajakumari Amrut Kaur donated her 100-acre land to set up this. 


Sir the list would go on and on. Our democracy invested its energy, blood, sweat, and toil in the first 25 years to lay the foundation of this country which we are so proud of. All this was done in spite of poverty, great natural disasters, epidemics, and four wars with our neighbors. Hats off to the vision of our freedom fighters and leaders of the nascent country. All these institutes instilled, nurtured, and kindled scientific temper in the youngsters of independent India.  I agree with you a 100% that work of building the country is not over as yet. We all need to rededicate ourselves with full enthusiasm and vigor.


Wishing you a very happy and prosperous new year. 


With warm regards,


Mukund Vishnu Mavalankar

———————————————————

Coming back the bamboo tree parallelism, while the bamboo tree may take 3-5 years to show its shoots, the nation building takes a few decades. Any leader of the nation has to be mindful of what one says and one does, be careful with what one is sowing now that the nation may reap for centuries to come….

The Success Lessons to Learn from the Bamboo Tree, for MODIji to introspect…

A. Success Doesn’t Come Right Away. …..

Have gratitude towards people who have sacrificed their life to build a nation that Modiji is riding now on. The entire list given above is a partial list of first 25 years of India’s progress. A lot more outstanding developments have happened till 2014, that Modi ji needs to give a thought about, before rubbishing 70 years before his tenure!

B. Success Requires a Strong Foundation. …

Even if you look at whatever little success you have achieved, Modi ji, in the last 8 years, you need to express gratitude to Dr MMS for his visionary idea of Aadhar, and Nandan Nilakani’s execution. Of course both of these gentleman will give all the credit to Rajiv Gandhi for heralding the computing revolution in India in mid 1980s. The very Aadhar you rubbished for almost a decade, you used to build whatever little you have done thus far….. Acknowledge….

C. Success Is About Your Consistency. …

Success does not come through marketing and PR. Kindly invest some time in looking at every scheme launched, renamed and relaunched over the last 8 years by you, and take stock, how consistent have you and your government been in implementing. Let us have you publish the undoctered numbers of the measures and outcomes by a neutral body.

The trashed and abused MNREGA (that was such a deeply thought economic safety net) was the last resort of your government to save the lives of swathes of Indian population in the last 2 years of devastation caused by the pandemic…

Modi ji, you need to be the Prime Minister of India, and not of a party. Be a statesman for the nation and not the spokesperson of a party!

Have dreams for nation, not for the party. Do not use religion to hold power!

Nurture Your Dreams for nation and make it part of every citizens dream..

Facilitate every citizen to believe in those dreams, and goals without having any doubts. … Only when you walk the talk, will people believe in those uttered dreams and goals..

Have Patience. Persistence Will Pay Off……