Hope and faith

Within a few months our economy has come spiralling down, while enjoying incremental growth and among the few countries that survived the economic downturn cause by the recession of 2008, it was expected that this country can overcome any pitfalls.Come 2009 and it was the time for the parliamentary elections. The Congress came with a stounding majority and a rock solid coalition ready to take our growth to the next level. With major differences with the CPI-M, they looked towards the TMC who was themselves enjoying a bigger chunk of the Bengal pie. On the way to Parliament they showed the door to SP who by that time had lost their standing in UP and did not command the same power, they had when they bailed out UPA during the Nuclear Deal fiasco.So a new look to the old horse, ready to take on the mantle for another five years and hope for the citizens of a stable, functioning government. What we got was water in a wine glass.Disasterous as it has been, this government has been a failure on so many levels, even though the senior leaders assure that all is well, it magnifies the apprehension as there is no acceptance from the government of the mistakes made during the past three years.
Sadly every scam was waiting to unfold during these trying times where world economy is faltering and the Europe burden is hitting hard.Once safe bureaucracy is not safe anymore, audits are taking place and the corrupt are coming into the limelight.What a beautiful time for this country, discrepancies are being unfolded and the country is coming to a new age of transparency.But wait there are downfalls of such a turnaround.The bureaucrats who worked steadfast are now wary of audits and are not so eager at taking bold steps, resulting in project approval moving at a snail's pace. No one wants to be audited or tied into a scam. The investors are disinterested in such long approval processes and hence the capital flows are drying up. Why would anyone want to invest in a country where the risks of failure are high and honesty is met with dissidence.What is lacking is an attitude for success. 
India is a culturally diverse place. Unknown to many we are still considered a collection of cultures than a country of states. India is a democracy with flaws like no other. We have freedoms that reach to levels unmanageable. A country needs governance, instead we have pickets of elected representatives from different parts looking for development for their constituency. When requests turn into demands turn into threats no democracy can function. Every state has a separate political party in power  having a small presence at the Centre resulting in their voices being drowned or their power so vast it eclipses the majority party. Coalitions are good for the country, they result in stability, but in India coalitions become handcuffs which prevent governance. With each partner with a set of demands to be fulfilled else the government will fall. When everyone is looking at their own agenda how can we grow as a country together. The bigger question is after 65 years of independence are we a country.