The journey was layered by what I call the ‘paradox of positivism’. The more we celebrate India’s achievements, the less inclined will we be to strive for more. And yet, if we do not applaud our achievements, the positive energy necessary for that forward movement will remain absent. During the journey we tried to break this paradox by looking at India as a ‘glass half full’. We saw the many, seemingly insurmountable problems India faced. We saw cities and villages that could easily be classed as underdeveloped and poor. We saw the enormous challenges posed by a rapidly growing population and the many divisions India faced across the different regions we visited. But we also noticed the enormous progress India had made in the first half-century of its freedom. The miracle of a billion strong democracy was worthy of applause. Our blossoming higher education system, even then, was a modern day success story. The judiciary kept our national spine erect. And yet, as we looked ahead, in our fiftieth year of Independence, it was clear that our national task was far from complete.

Ten years down the line, in its sixtieth year of Independence, the ‘paradox of positivism’ remains. Headline growth rates, the acquisition of international companies by Indian companies, a leading IT service sector, a climbing sensex, astronomical rise in property prices and a growing entrepreneurial culture all reflect India’s growing prosperity. But the paradox should remind us of the dangers of national hubris. The average per capita income even now remains barely above that of Africa. Large parts of India suffer enormous power shortages; our corruption index fails to decline, our infrastructure continues to be patchy, and our institutions are still immature. Yet certain sections of India seem to have declared victory in just the first few stops of this national journey.

The Yatra explored, and my book argues that while we have to applaud past success, we have to prepare ourselves for a national journey that has just begun. Another twenty to thirty years of forward movement is required before we can call ourselves a truly developed nation. During our own twenty-two-day journey we recognized that we have to be brave, be willing to take risks, build institutions in order to succeed but, above all, have the courage to be original. In an era where computers, networks, bio-technology, agri-business, environmental issues are re-shaping the global developmental agenda, copying an industrial developmental model is a poor recipe for success. Each leg of the journey brought out such themes - whether it was the developmental models discovered in Tilonia, our discussions around China during the visit to Bodh Gaya, the focus on institution-building in Jamshedpur, or the cultural debate in Aurangabad. These themes were brought to life by the participants who led these discussions, and brought their perspectives from different parts of India. As I recall our discussions, I find those themes still fresh and surprisingly relevant to India today. Perhaps this should not come as a surprise. These discussions took place amongst the young of India, the future of our country. Then and now.  

But the relevance of these discussions now extends beyond India. As globalization and technology have made India more visible, so has it offered us a historic opportunity to contribute. In an India where, the pursuit of knowledge is equated with the pursuit of wealth and happiness, its ideas have new meaning. As large parts of the world are beginning to suffer from the first signs of an ‘industrial hangover’, can India bring in a new developmental perspective? The developmental path we saw being taken by some of the original Indians we visited during the journey is bearing fruit ten years down the line. These social, economic and even cultural entrepreneurs are using an original approach to build new institutions, a new India. The emphasis on sustainability and environment, empowerment of locals, a strong service ethos, grassroots entrepreneurship, offer new modes of thought and action. Can these developmental models show a different path to others? The spirituality and knowledge mindset of India combined with the bustling confidence of a 1.1 billion strong democracy can reshape the global debate on development. Another yatra, planned for early 2008 will be a poetic milestone to mark this new era of change.