How I wish I were the Prime Minister of my country!

I have so many schemes in mind for the

upliftment and development of my country. If I were the Prime Minister, I would put into
practice all the following schemes.

In the first place, my country is very poor. Millions of people live in extreme poverty. I would take
all steps to do away with poverty. I would see to it that the poor were able to lead a decent life.
They would not lack any of the necessities of life-food, clothing and shelter. I would also have
schemes for the improvement of national health. Then my people would be happy and healthy.

Another great drawback in our country is ignorance and illiteracy. Many people do not know how
to read and write. I have plans to educate the people and make them responsible citizens. Next I,
would impose heavy taxes on the rich and use the money to help the nation. It is not fair that a
few rich people should live in luxury and the rest should be extremely poor. My aim is to do away
with the great disparity in income that exists at present between the rich and the poor. I would
severely punish those who take bribes or are black marketers. Corruption would be stamped out
altogether.

A problem which is neutralising all efforts to improve the standard of living of the masses is that
of over population. In 1951 when the first census after the partition of the country was taken,
population was somewhere about thirty five crores. But as General Smuts of South Africa
contemptuously, though with some truth in it, remarked "Indians breed like rabbits." We have by
now more than doubled the 1951 figure and there is no knowing what figure will replace this
when we bid good bye to this century. Something urgent has to be done to arrest this alarming
growth. It will be my first duty as Prime Minister to turn to this problem of population growth
and tackle it on a war footing.

Another aim of mine is to make our country self-sufficient and self-reliant. I know that we cannot
rely on ourselves for everything. Yet I would make people realise that we should depend on
ourselves as far as possible.

Though I believe in peace and non-violence, I would strengthen my country's defense. We must
be prepared to defend ourselves in case of foreign attack. I would have compulsory military
training for all boys up to the age of twenty-one.' Then we will never be taken unawares. We will
be able to meet and successfully repel all foreign attacks.

I have many more plans for the development of my country. It is only lack of space that prevents
me from mentioning them all here.