India at 70

Focus should be on providing dignity to Indians

A  day before the 70th anniversary of Indian independence, it is tempting to look at how far this country has come since the British left. Whether it is literacy — only 16 per cent of Indians were literate in 1947 — or life expectancy — which was a mere 32 in 1947 — or simply its weight in the world, India has made much progress and can look forward to more. It is customary at such times to have a slight air of self-congratulation, and to point out that India is on the cusp of being a great power. Yet