Roopantar in Hindi means transformation.
Every sixth human being on the earth is an Indian.
Despite being an immensely diverse and vibrant democracy, the problems and issues facing India are of continental proportions.
At the same time India also has a rich tradition of spirituality, religion, community, and of undying optimism in the face of tremendous odds and civilizational challenges.
Roopantar is an attempt to record some of my reflections on why as a Buddhist Indian I have undying optimism in the potential of my country.
Despite tremendous odds, Indian constitution guarantees to every individual the right to faith and the right to propagate faith.
Hinduism, Secularism, Islam, Christianity, Parsis, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhists are all part of the tenacity of the Indian fabric.
India will always continue to confound simplistic solutions and the doom predictors.
This belief in the inherent capacity, the global and universal ideals, for which India need depend on no outside powers or conglomerations, is my belief in the inherent ability of this traditional land to surmount all odds.
Indians have never shirked sufferings, but have always given to the entire world, perennially valid ways of looking at human sufferings.
This is a unique Indian trait and the colour of Indian identity, the spirit of its great philosophers, rishis, manishis, the Indian manas.
What may be required at times, is for people to emerge who can truly represent India and its roots, in all vibrancy, to reflect all the brilliant colours of India.
The historical India, the spiritual India, the India that saw the ravages of colonialism, the India that seeks individual happiness in flourishing communities.
This is what I call Roopantar. Transformation.
Transformation of the seemingly ugly into beauty.
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