A Manifesto for Change

In 1998 a book was published that was surprisingly ahead of its times. It was

called India 2020 and proposed that India could soon be one of the top five

economies of the world. The nation had set off a series of nuclear tests and

was facing worldwide sanctions. A new government had taken charge and

the economy was facing a tough time. It was not the best of times to predict

that India had it in her to get on the fast track to development. The vision

presented in the book would go on to inspire directly or indirectly many

sectors of the economy to work for and achieve high growth. The book has since

sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

In A Manifesto for Change its author A.P.J. Abdul Kalam writing with

co-author V. Ponraj offers a sequel. As focused then as now on his dream of a

developed India by 2020 the eleventh President of India examines what we

need to get right to accomplish that essential goal: harnessing the stupendous

energy of our youth to contribute to growth a united Parliament that makes

full use of its time for constructive debate and rises above petty party politics to

achieve the larger national vision and a plan of action that looks at

development from the grassroots to giant strides in infrastructure and

bridging the urban-rural disparity. It is time to leave behind the politics of

antagonism and disruption behind he suggests. As reward: a developed India

as befits this beautiful land.