There are many ways to define a great nation. It begins by having the humility and capacity to learn from the experiences of others
“Cat: Where are you going?
Alice: Which way should I go?
Cat: That depends on where you are going.
Alice: I don’t know.
Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
Mull over these words from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, as we prepare to celebrate our 65th Anniversary of Independence. And then, try to honestly answer the next question: Do we really know where we’re headed as a nation? I don’t know what you’re thinking, but even for a die-hard believer of the India story like me, it’s a tough question to answer. All around us, the prevailing gloom seems to suggest that we may have lost sight of the path, but hopefully, not the destination.
(This story appears in the 31 August, 2012 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)