Recently I read a poem on the independence of India: The poet asks an old, bed-ridden, illiterate villager, "Do you know who the most powerful person in India is?" The old villager replies, "The Queen! She rules India." The shocked poet says, "India became an independent nation on 15th of August 1947. Don't you know that?" The villager becomes confused and replies, "Do you mean that the English don't rule us anymore and that we are free now?" The poet asks us a question, "When did this villager actually become free? Was it in 1947 when India became an independent nation, or in 2005 when this man came to know about the freedom?"
When Ram complained that an average Indian could never be financially independent in India, I told him about the above poem and asked him, "Do you have an answer to the poet's question?" Ram confidently replied, "The villager was ignorant. He did not care to know what was happening around him, in his village, in his country and in the world. Even though he was physically free, his unconsciousness and ignorance gave him the mental and emotional experience of a slave. Had he opened his eyes a little, he could have become free long ago." I said to Ram, "I fully agree with you. Can we now discuss your financial independence? "
Ram was silent for a few moments and then grinned sheepishly, "I understand your point. I am this villager in the garb of the educated Ram. I accept in principle that I will be financially independent if I open my eyes to the opportunities around me. Can you please explain to me how one can discover opportunities?" I replied, "There is a ocean of energy in the society. As the society evolves continuously and makes progress, the energy released presents itself as infinite opportunities to us. Emerging opportunities are like waves rising out of the sea. There are thousands and thousands of waves at any point of time. If a surfer takes on any wave for a ride, he will be carried by the force of the sea to dizzying heights without any effort on the part of the rider." Ram scratched his head and said, "Though what you say appears to be a grand idea, I don't understand how I can spot an emerging opportunity."
I told Ram, "A few years ago, the seaside road from Chennai to Pondicherry was bumpy and narrow. Most people preferred other roads. When the new, broad and modern East Coast Road replaced the old road, the number of vehicles that used the new road increased by hundred times. The low priced real estate properties on the sides of the road suddenly began to command high prices. The land owners and agents became prosperous. New farm houses, shops, hotels, motels and other businesses were created. The moment the first stone was laid for East Coast Road, anyone could have anticipated these developments and taken advantages of these opportunities."
Ram asked, "But such roads are laid once in a decade." I explained, "What I say is true not just for roads. All social developments open up innumerable opportunities. Last year I told many people that Value Added Tax system would become a reality in India and that they could create software and make money as soon as VAT was implemented. Most of them felt that the businessmen would never allow VAT and so it was not a good idea to spend resources on it. Of the 37 persons to whom I presented the idea, only one young man took serious interest in it. He and his friend developed VAT software based on the draft bill as the Act was not yet in place. This year VAT was implemented in many states and these two made Rs.2,00,000 in three months as they were able to modify the software quickly and market it."
"Now I understand. India is a rich country in the garb of poverty. We have everything except a will to become conscious and a heart to work hard. As India is taking initiatives for development in many areas, every Indian will find more than one solid opportunity for prosperity if he/she becomes conscious of his/her potential," Ram said and sang with a light in his eyes, "Saare jahan se achha Hindustan hamara (Our country India is the best in the world)."