Another year has passed, as India completes nearly seven decades of independence from British rule. For a nation with over 1.2 billion people it is worth asking, what does the word “independence” mean?

Why are we chanting about patriotism when one third of the population still struggle for three square meals a day?

With national elections just around the corner, there is little the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) could do to bring about decisive and rapid change. People’s confidence has been dented and perhaps the growth story may take a back seat.

The debate to define the Indian poverty scale goes on among the intellectual minds with economic growth hitting the lowest level.

Citizens are curious but voiceless as there is no one who is offering an alternative way forward. Ostrich Syndrome has continued to spread within us, so we find reasons for poor socioeconomic indicators by saying that we were robbed of all resources when the British left the country.

Accomplishments marked by a rising per capita income are not enough as overall social indicators have hardly improved. Nearly half of children below five years old are underweight. A mood of despondency and yearning is in the air. One lurking question in the minds of the people is, what went wrong with the growth monologue? They are more frustrated than ever about the things they believe are holding India back.

Is it the collective declining morality that caused the 2G spectrum scam, Commonwealth games scam, Coalgate scam and the VVIP helicopter scam?

These scams were all worth billions of rupees, and emerged after the UPA won a second term in 2009. The UPA’s incompetence in delivering results has increased pessimism among the people and has undermined the nation’s prospects both at home and abroad. The market of a billion people is no longer enough in the minds of investors.

With the rupee hitting an all-time low exchange rate of 64 against the U.S. dollar, the economy and fiscal situation is under relentless pressure. The rupee’s falling value has widened the current account deficit and raised the debt burden of corporate giants like Reliance Group, Vedanta, Essar and Adani. It is tragic that a kilo of onions in India now costs more than a liter of petrol.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assurance in his Independence Day speech that the slowing pace will not last long is being perceived with dispiritedness. Can this crisis be turned into an opportunity for reform and friendly economic policies rather than friendly political policies?

Local entrepreneurs are discontented with the slow pace of reforms and lack of skilled labor. Internal security threats and unrest needs much more attention than unsettled borders with neighbors.

Further attempts to bifurcate states from the Indian-controlled Kashmir in the north to Telangana in the south east will reduce the unity and diversity of the nation and give rise to insurgencies.

Where does the testimony to power lie? Recently a 28-year-old bureaucrat was suspended for exposing sand mafia crimes by a politician in India’s largest state. Is this all about being independent and doing one’s duty?

The state’s ineptitude in dealing with social crises is reflected in the recent killings at Kishtwar in Kashmir. Gender biases, prejudices and class distinctions continue to plague the communities. Are we living in a false sense of “pride?”

Electronic media can now highlight such issues and keep the dialogue alive in a society where still there are elements of a patriarchal mindset.

Parliamentary discourse will get bitter in the run-up to general elections with all the political parties entangled in a war of words rather finding solutions with a consensus.

Whatever good or bad things lie ahead, the most interesting part is that for the first time, the emerging middle class who have moved out from villages to cities are restless and they are the ones who will surprise the political class with their mandate. This time they will vote for governance that they believe will bring them growth and prosperity.

The author is a Master's candidate in Global Business Journalism at Tsinghua University.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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