While watching one of the Indian channels on TV, I came across a very interesting advertisement put forth by an insurance company. The advertisement highlighted the progress that India and Indians are making including what the advertisement dubbed as 'firsts' for them.

The largest numbers of movies as well as huge amount of milk being produced in India than any other country of the world were specifically emphasized. The advertisement further acknowledged the highest numbers of the titles of Miss Universe that India has won over the past few years, the largest numbers of passengers that travel on Indians railways and biggest number of scientists that India has produced and so forth.

No doubt, there has been a significant amount of progress in many facets of Indian economy. In fact, in the last decade and half, the country has witnessed an unusual spurt of growth in general economy, in international relationships and in several private undertakings, thanks to the revolution brought upon by Manmohnomics of the nineties.

All this growth has put the country close to or at-par with many advanced Western nations. The rapid progress that took place in these years over the back drop of previous half-century of post-independence slow socialistic Nehruvaad perhaps seems truly genuine to a great extent. The people of Indian origin settled abroad feel elated about the rosier pictures projected through these advertisements.

It brings a definite sense of pride when the successes of their cousins back home are highlighted and it should. Such a truth of the matter is well known to the advertisers i.e. to capture the Indian market abroad, they need to work through the hearts of Indians rather than brains. However, one must admit that still all is not that well on the Eastern front.

There are other painful situations where India also happens to lead, but being not matter of any pride, those issues usually are not emphasized. Painful as it may sound, but the bitter truth is that there is a lot that needs be done, if one were to consider this present progress to be of any true consequence to the ordinary people of India. Interestingly the program, in which this commercial was being shown, happened to be a half-hourly news-broadcast of Indian news.

Fifteen out of thirty minutes were spent on a violent protest that was going on in the streets of one of the cities of India. The protestors, more than thousands in numbers, were all out on the road, facing and fighting with an equal number of policemen. Mob was being attacked by the police with their lathis using full strength but not with guns. And a significant amount of injuries were being inflicted. The police didn't bother whether the victim was a man, a woman or even a child.

In return, the agitated mob was turning ferocious and hurling stones, not caring as to where and how bad the members of the police were being injured. Obviously the program must have been watched by many Indian families including small children. While all this was going on, the advertisements kept on repeatedly reminding the audience about records that Indians created in many facets.One of the most important issues of modern times refers to the poor plight of Indian farmers, irrespective of whether they belong to Punjab, UP, Haryana or South.

While we all keep on boasting of green revolutions in agricultural industry and hesitate not in counting the miracles that have taken place in the food production, the farmers are truly in crisis. Thanks to the government and people of India, the Indian farmers have become the real 'living-dead' of the country. Yet these farmers try their best in putting the food on the table of the rest of Indians with their sweat and blood.

A simple perusal on their condition in any State of India makes it apparent that they are in for a difficult time. According to one report, the numbers of suicides being committed by farmers happens to be the highest especially in the states where agriculture is the main industry. In the past decade, over 100,000 farmers have embraced that route.

The fundamentals behind such statistics seem fairly obvious. After spending every penny in trying to produce crops against all odds, the farmers end up taking loans which for myriad of reasons, they cannot pay back. Unpredictable natural calamities add fuel to the fire by often ruining their crops pushing the helpless farmers to the edge.

The concept of preservation of the family honor doesn't let these honorable men face the world, once they arrive at the doorsteps of bankruptcy. The progress and green revolution that we all feel so proud about, doesn't help those who brought it at the first place. Finding all doors shut, and left with no other way out, the death seems to be the only way out to them.

The number of vehicles on the roads of India is on exponential rise so much so that there isn't any space left to move the vehicles around. Cycles, rickshaws, pedestrians, animals, motor cars, buses, trucks all share the same space. The roads designed more than half century ago are sharing the burden for the population of 21st century. Yet no one seems to be bothered enough to expedite their development and if one does, there aren't enough resources.

The laws of traffic do not exist, at least in the northern states where the word safety is foreign to the driving culture. A continuous rise in accidents and deaths become the natural outcome of such dangerous and haphazard driving. Huge hospital complexes and buildings through private enterprises are sprouting all over and that is certainly two steps forward.

Yet there is no concern and no medicines for poor patients in the government hospitals that already exist in dilapidated condition. The beautiful buildings of the past are gradually withering due to simple lack of maintenance. Doctors are in plenty and they are minting money but the treatment to a patient is offered only if pockets of medical establishment are warmed enough and in advance.

The democracy of India is one of the greatest, so they say. It makes our neighbors envious of the record we have established in a very small period of time. What we are doing with this democracy or how we are going about it is altogether a different thing. Our parliament and other legislative bodies are there, yet there is a lot that could be said about their proper or rather improper functioning. We have our moral traditions in place but we don't have the way to inculcate the moral strength in our daily living.

The corruption is all too pervasive in a nation that otherwise boasts of producing the highest number of moral men and women i.e. the saints and sages. Violence at times may limit itself to physical violence, but it threatens the very fabric of human existence by turning a blind eye to the practice of feticide and mixing poisons in human food.

All this is happening daily in the land of many non-violent messiahs.After having said it all, it is obvious that our country has taken several steps forward. Yet accumulating the titles of Miss India or having the highest numbers of passengers on Indian railways may only mean that our population is on exponential rise and that there is a dire need to put restraints on our selves.

The true answer lies in a constant watch on our politicians and policy makers so that they follow an all inclusive planning which could ultimately help the poorest of poor. This is the only way that will prevent India from taking a step backward while encouraging the best of our bests to keep marching forward.