Page 10 - The Indian EYE 081922

The Indian Eye
OPINION - INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL AUGUST 19, 2022 10

A Vibrant Democracy and A

Pluralistic Society

AMBASSADOR A. R. GHANSHYAM

or much of the two thousand
years of the Common Era,
FIndia was the largest econo-
my contributing a third of the glob-
al output. Archaeological evidence
traces the origins of ancient India’s
Indus Valley Civilization to the 5th
millennium before the Common
Era. During medieval times too In-
dia witnessed several glorious em-
pires and great civilizations spread
across millions of miles under en-
lightened emperors.
Towards the last quarter of the
last millennium, India came under Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande recently reviewed the security situation along
the influence of East India Compa- the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China (ANI)
ny for almost a century during 18th
and 19th centuries. Thereafter the
Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 compelled the
British to place India directly under
the British Crown for another nine-
ty years. For almost two centuries,
therefore, India was anchored to
Great Britain serving the interests
of only the British Empire. Of all
the colonies the British conquered,
controlled and immensely benefited Rally for celebration as part of 75th India’s Amrit Mahotsav Independence Day organise by Bhoiwada police station various schools from
from it was India that was by far the Naigaon Bhoiwada area including Kamala Mehta blind school, from Naigaon Dadar to Parel, in Mumbai on Saturday. (ANI Photo)
biggest and the wealthiest and was
often referred to as the Jewel in the story and has been narrated by many dependence. rate is 103 per 100,000.
(British) Crown. authors, Indian and foreign. During 1950-51 the contribu-
Before finally leaving India the
British divided the Indian subcon- In the seventy five years since tions to Indian GDP by agriculture, India now has more than 1.2 million
industry and services sectors were
tinent into two countries in three independence, India has negotiat- 56%, 15% and 29% respectively. doctors. There are 54,618 Sub-Health
parcels - India, Pakistan West and ed a difficult, at times treacherous, Agriculture employed the largest Centres (SHC), 21,898 Primary Health
Pakistan East. India’s population journey replete with five wars (1948, work-force of 72% with Manufac-
then was 330 million and the GDP 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999) and turing and Services providing 10% Centres (PHC) and 4,155 Urban Pri-
was INR 2.7 trillion - a paltry 3% of facing frequent occurrence of nat- and 18% jobs respectively. Today mary Health Centres (UPHC), as on
the global GDP. A country which ac- ural calamities i.e. floods, famines, the service sector accounts for 54% December 8, 2021. There are as many
counted for a third of the global out- droughts and epidemics. Two of its of Indian GDP. The Industry and
put for much of two millennia before elected Prime Ministers were brutal- agriculture follow with 25.92% and as 70,000 public and private hospi-
had thus been bled bone dry by the ly assassinated and a third died mys- 20.19% respectively. tals. As of April 5, 2022 there were
colonial masters. teriously after signing the Ceasefire Life expectancy on the eve of 117,771 Ayushman Bharat-Health
INDEPENDENT INDIA Agreement in the Soviet city of Tash- independence was 32 years. It has
kent post the India-Pakistan 1965
Independent India has witnessed War. A stretch of 21 months during now gone up to 70 years. In 1950, and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) are
seventeen free and fair Parliamenta- 1975-77 remains an aberration in infant mortality rate in India was operational in India apart from 748
ry Elections with fifteen Prime Min- India’s otherwise uninterrupted de- 145.6/1000 live births and mater- e-Hospitals established across the
isters at the helm - each contributing mocracy when fundamental rights nal mortality ratio in the 1940s was country as part of the ‘Digital India’
his/her mite to the growth, stability of Indian citizens were suspended 2000/100,000 live births which de-
and development of the Indian Na- during the period of national emer- clined to 1000 in the 1950s. There initiative of the government.
tion, its society and economy. How gency. were just 50,000 doctors across the
individual Prime Ministers of India entire country and the number of As for education, when the Brit-
tried to build a modern India from PROGRESS ACHIEVED primary healthcare centres was 725. ish left India there were 210,000 pri-
the debris of two centuries’ rule by Much water has flown in the Today, infant mortality is 27.7 per mary schools, 13,600 middle schools
the British Empire is in itself a great Ganga since India attained her in- 1000 births and maternal mortality Continued at next page... >>

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