The government has set an ambitious goal of Vikshit Bharta by 2047. Growth is a normal human desire. This is the right thing to do, and we all should try to find ways to make it a reality. However we should also make sure that we carete the right kind of a Vikshit Bharat taking care of the side effets of development which are seen by other developed countries.
The right kind of Vikshit Bharat
While we pursue this vision of a Vikshit Bharat by 2047, we also need to consider what kind of Viksit Bharat we want to build. We have an advantage that there are other developed countries before us, and we can see what the good things they have done are, what mistakes they have made, and by learning from them, we need to find a path which helps in creating a Brexit Bharat without the problems of development as faced by other countries.
One of the big problems of developed countries is unhappiness, loneliness, depression, drug and substance abuse, and so on and so forth. As a country, we should adopt a model that minimises these problems on the journey to a Viksit Bharat. A Vikshit Bharat also needs to be a Happy Bharat. The soul of India lies in its villages, as famously put forward by the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. So it's natural that the path to Rakshit Bharat must go through rural India and achieve rural happiness.
Three important suggestions
It's important to take steps to create rule happiness; three key suggestions are listed here.
The first is to study the key pain points or unhappiness in rural India and put our best effeorts, aiming to solve these problems.
Second, use the power of happiness to develop rural India. Research on happiness shows that it supports better mental and physical health, relationships, teamwork, and creativity, innovation, and productivity. So happiness is a great asset, a great skill which can help in a big way in development.
Third is to convert the panchayat from an administrative place to a happiness centre. Contrary to popular perception, one doesn't need a lot of money to be happy. One needs only a basic amount of money to meet the basic requirements of life; beyond that, money doesn't bring happiness. In fact, research shows an inverse relationship between money and happiness. So it is possible that, through panchayats, happiness can be improved by sharing the latest ideas and knowledge on happiness, and this happy rural India can help develop India and advance the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Conclusion and takeaway
India is still a rural country, with a significant proportion of its population living in rural areas. It is important to focus on its development in the right way rather than following the Western model. One way to do so is to invest in happiness and create happy rural areas. By creating a happy rural India, the potential of rural India can be tapped, as happiness helps in many ways, including creativity, innovation and productivity – key skills required for development.
Let's create a happy rural India to create the right kind of Vikshit Bharat. A Vikshit Bharat needs to be a happy Bharat!
(The author is a Professor at the Management Development Institute, Gurgaon. His latest work is The Indian Practice of Happiness: Secrets from Centenarians)