Our Obama is former President Dr.Kalam.
Many people in our country have been hoping to find an Obama in India, an agent of change, a man who can unite people, a man who has a vision for the future and a man who can rise above the religious and caste divide. The vision 2020 of our past President Dr.Abdul Kalam includes all this and more (DNA,2/3/09). It is in tune with the ancient tradition of village panchyats and Mahatma Gandhi's village republic which are mostly self-sustaining and self-sufficient but with the latest technologies. This vision can be realised if one of the leading national parties – Congress and BJP - adopt Dr.Kalam's concept of PURA – providing urban amenities in rural areas. These facilities include health, education, roads, water supply, information and communication technologies, rural electricity (non-conventional energy sources like solar/wind energy have the potential), agriculture and food processing etc. If we develop villages, the slums and the problems of over-crowding with all its attendant problems in towns and cities would disappear and we can set an example to the world. Investing in the rural areas would revive our agriculture and industry as well. This is an antidote for the down-turn in the economy too.
March 2, 2009.
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