IF ONLY A poetic take on Indias woes by Ashish Goenka India's demographic dividend, a middle class on the rise No other

nation can match its vibrancy, its sheer size An aspirational middle class, it is consumption galore With two cars and three televisions for a family of four Diets too are changing, there more meat & dairy on the table Diamonds, Jewels in plenty, somehow it's all affordable But, wait here comes the government in all its glory To change the status quo, to write a new story Gold imports banned, duty on TVs to save the Rupee But we still have enough money to have food security If only these measures were not too little too late If only investors were not heading to the exit gate If only there was something else our government could do If only sheer incompetence was a virtue A billion Indian's power & energy needs are great We have hydro, thermal, solar & nuclear to date But still thousands live in darkness, light remains a distant dream The government's answer to these people is subsidized kerosene Land, Gas, Coal availability remains tight at best Confused, corrupt policies make the sector tough to invest The great power investment stories turned out to be duds There are no green shoots of recovery, just dead flower buds If only we knew how to leverage our plentiful water, gas & coal If only we invested in solar & wind or could dig uranium out of a hole If only only government policy was not driven by personal gain If only corruption and governance were not viewed as just a game Financial Inclusion is rightly the focus of the times The banks have catchy slogans, with bells & whistles and rhymes But they shirk their responsibilities in their hunt for return While the poor go hungry and the farmers self burn Models like Microfinance emerge to meet the unmet needs For brownie points politicians bring the model to its knees Stubborn inflation, slowing growth, record deficits, rising yields Who knows how much default risk creative accounting shields If only our entrepreneurs didn't hoard assets for their empires If only banks weren't so eager to fuel & fund their selfish desires If only fiscal policy were timely, forward looking and bold If only there were safer savings alternatives than gold If only regulation didn't stifle the markets in name of caution If only a major crisis was not a pre-requisite to action World class technology companies, not a single Google or Facebook Largest population of engineers, but for overseas jobs they look Agriculture is our mainstay, but we're still dependent on rain Chinese look down at our manufacturing capabilities, in rightful disdain Quality is not a word generally associated with our great nation So we import BMWs, Bravia TVs and contribute to rupee depreciation A services driven economy, but with a legal process increasingly inept Manufacturing and quality appear to be out of our depth If only govt policies were aimed at more than just winning the polls If only we focused on quality, rather than fanfare and drumrolls If only manufacturing was seen at as more than reverse engineering If only we didn't find the 'everything goes' attitude as endearing If only we focused on our future, rather than our past glory and fame If only for once we didn't just say. 'the government is to blame'

Socialist, Free market, democratic, republic - all remain just fancy tags No freedom of speech or safety for women, millions starve in rags Several states still wait for freedom, growth doesn't reach them at all At the stroke of a pen in Delhi, destinies of millions rise & fall We talk of foreign terrorist threats, but the real danger lurks inside Naxal movements are just the 1st wave, can this govt control the tide? How long can this continue, how long can India remain one? Is the story of the largest democracy in the world over and done? If only solutions to such problems were achievable by a govt alone If only you and I were not part of the system that we calmly condone If only you and I stopped talking, and starting doing what is required If only glitz, glamour and wealth were not all that our youth aspired If only we took responsibility for our home, country, our motherland If only we understood the true meaning of the phrase, united we stand Growth forecasts reducing, rating at risk, macro concerns high Political uncertainty is also increasing, as the union elections are nigh Markets bounce back as investors don't want to miss a winning streak India has proven more than once, it knows how to get back on its feet We've seen many crises: Credit, Asian, Deficits, Inflation & Tech Bubble Somehow we always build a stronger foundation from the rubble But multiple crises together we face today, if you like, a perfect storm That threatens the India story, a return to the not-so good, old-norm If only we take responsibility for our actions and our deeds If only we understood the difference between our wants & our needs If only we tighten our belts, face our problems, find lasting solutions If only we didn't get caught up in media hype and popular delusions If only we could find our oasis in the ever-shifting global sands If only we realized that our future is only in our hands

Can India pull itself up again, can it regain the confidence it has lost Can we stop rewarding short term gains, and start focusing on the cost The cost of dependence on capital, technology, resources from lands far afield Why can we not focus on the superior returns our home-grown capital can yield Why can we not leverage our human capital, land, resources and rich heritage Why can we not be self-sufficient & well-governed & give India a new image Why can we not develop & nurture what we have, than yearn for luxuries we do not Why can we not find a way to recognize, what a great opportunity we have got If only we seize this opportunity to change & address our combined wrongs If only we stopped humming old tunes & begin to write new success songs If only there was ever a youthful population in such a fortunate position If only they desired to design a better future for themselves and fellow citizens The struggling global economy watches eagerly, we are in the spotlight If only, the govt and citizens worked together to put things right If only.