My observations on this is prejudiced, yet, they are quite intuitive and founded on cogent logic. When you see the super power tag that is being attached to particular country you conceive of an idea- that country will be economically, militarily, culturally strong. I am using 'strong' -in a sense- as a comparative value rather than per se.
If you look at the history, the concept of super power is post industrial revolution idea. In fact, Britain is the first super power in a modern era and post world war-I - it's The USA. This tagging gained greater currency in cold war period. However, it lost it's charm- in a sense usage- in post soviet breakdown, and now seen more in people's attention post economic crisis.
This all happened because, relatively India and China were seen as most insulated from the crisis impact and recovered very quickly- to use jargon 'v' shaped recovery- after the crisis hit in mid 2008. Infact, to make most of the environment, Raghav Bahl of CNBC TV 18 wrote book on this super power topic.
But when you observe keenly the history of US or that of UK, what you notice is people's contribution to make the country really super power. The Christian protestant religion, people's quest for reason and logic in every aspect of the life, the free and democratically influenced culture as an impact of such reasoned life all have contributed their share.
Come back here in India. You get all that to make it subservient nation. Today's super power require the populace who can think freely, logically, innovatively. The countrymen who respect the other's rights as well as quite aware about what rights and duty they carry in civilized society. But here every modern idea and ideals are just rhetorics. We do not cherish them. We don't religiously fight to save, nurture, and protect them. They are all means to reach our ends. To reflect this state of affairs, our education system produces the output which further ensures the status-quo.
I wish India be the super power. But, all that what is happening is not taking it to make one. But still rhetoric is on. Let it be.
Acknowledgment:
I wish to acknowledge the contribution of Mr. Umesh on this topic. Some of the observations are really of him and the discussion I had with him has really helped in shaping my observations.
