The slogan ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ or ‘Developed India 2047,’ trumpeted by Prime Minister Modi and his cronies, some in Nagaland too, sounds appealing just like a juicy ripe Alphonso mango, but if we peel off the skin, all we find is a rotten mango filled with maggots. Modi speaks highly of India becoming a developed nation by 2047, as if it’s so easy, like selling peanuts at the supermarket Wednesday Bazaar. Sure, India is the 5th largest economy and may, in the coming years, climb up to the 3rd spot. Sounds impressive, right? But, besides holding the title of 3rd place, there is not much to brag about in reality. And here’s the kicker: it’s all a puffed-up chest on a malnourished, skinny body. That shiny GDP is just a bloated number riding on the backs of 1.46 billion people, a chaotic, overcrowded mess that’s more burden than boast.
Sure, India has a $3.5 trillion GDP, the fifth largest in the world, but draw open the curtain, and it’s a total illusion. Take that number, divide it by the insane 1.46 billion population, and you’re left with a GDP per capita of just $2,485 as of 2023. That’s right, $2,485 per person. Globally, that lands India at the 140th position out of over 190 countries. That’s like those last benchers in a classroom shouting and disturbing the class for attention. Fifth largest economy, but more like a statistical trick. This isn’t a powerhouse; it’s a giant crowd pretending and living a lie fed by Modi and his cheerleading media and supporters.
Now, let’s stack that pitiful $2,485 up against the big boys. As of the 2023 report, the United States, the world’s top dog, sits at $82,715 per capita; India’s sad little figure is not even in the same galaxy. China, our neighbour, clocks in at $12,614, five times more than India. Japan’s at $33,767 per capita, the UK at $49,647 per capita, and Germany at $54,343 per capita. India’s huge GDP sounds fancy until you calculate it per person. Congrats on having a big number, but it’s a hollow brag when people are scraping by annually on less than what a minimum wage worker makes in a month elsewhere.
Then there’s human development, or the lack of it. Out of 193 countries, India’s HDI score in 2023 is a dismal 0.633, ranking them 134th globally. China’s at 0.788, ranking 75th place. The US, at 0.921, ranks 20th, and even Brazil, at 0.760, sits at 87th. India’s citizens are stuck in potholes and gutters while their leaders wave GDP statistics like a school kid after passing the final exam with grace marks. Scratch the surface deeper, and the rot is even worse. 93% of Indians live on less than $10 a day. Let that sink in. The top 1% hoard over 40% of the wealth, corruption is a 38 out of 100 on the 2024 corruption index, illiteracy is rampant, and the infrastructure’s falling apart faster than a cheap umbrella in a storm. This isn’t progress; it’s a train wreck. And let’s not get started on the population.
At 1.46 billion and counting, with the fertility rate around 2.0, India’s not growing an economy; it’s breeding chaos, more mouths, more slums, and less to share. It’s a burden dressed up as a strength, and it’s sinking India fast. Compare that to China, with 1.41 billion. They’ve reined in their population growth and turned it into real gains.
Their nominal GDP is $17.8 trillion, over five times India’s. Their PPP GDP is $35 trillion, twice as big. China’s at 70th in PPP per capita, while India’s rotting at 125th. It’s not a rival; it’s a weakling getting lapped. Look next door, and it’s even more embarrassing. Bangladesh, at $2,688 per capita, is 136th globally and ahead of India. India’s bragging about superiority, while it’s neck and neck with these struggling neighbours, is hardly a boast worth shouting about.
In Asia, the real players, Japan and South Korea, leave India choking in the dust. India’s a misfit among the continent’s economic elite, plain and simple. The US, China, Japan, and Germany’s per capita GDPs crush India’s by double-digit multiples. India’s size is just a fluke of too many people, not a sign of strength. India is outdone by oil-rich Gulf states, tech hubs like South Korea, and manufacturing beasts like China. India’s not even a contender. Inequality is a nightmare too. The top 10% snatch 57% of the income while 1.2 billion scrape by as lower income. The rich feast while the rest starve. Health? Infant mortality is at 26.6 per 1000 births, worse than most G20 nations.
And the infrastructure—it’s as if the potholes infect the roads faster than COVID-19. Sanitation’s a disaster, and power grids flicker like a dying candle. So let’s revoke their bragging rights. 5th largest GDP, sure, but 140th in per capita wealth, 156th in academic freedom index, and 134th in human development scream failure louder than any hype. Call it what it is: a disorganized swarm of people with no real development clinging to the tricolor and to a delusion of grandeur. As India’s GDP is comparable to a puffed-up chest on a malnourished body, we can surely congratulate Modi and his cronies on India being a giant slum with a fancy title. Also, the 16th state of India, Nagaland, is no different in matters of corruption and the lack of infrastructure. The Nagaland government’s cabinet decision to regularize 147 assistant professors brazenly without fulfilling the due process of law is an insult to the intelligence of the educated youths, the student community, and the Nagas at large. Shame on such leaders and their decisions. With the recent global tariff war started by POTUS Trump, Viksit Bharat 2047 definitely seems like a long-distant dream. The highly publicized visit of JD Vance to India cannot save India. Lastly, I pray that the Nagas, especially the youths, will not be fooled by these political rhetorics again and again and again. God bless my beloved Nagaland. Kuknalim.
R. Francis Kikon
Naharbari, Dimapur.
(Compiled with materials sourced online)
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