15/08/2007 9:27:58 am
India 60 Years. A huge country of great diversity and different religious groups, dominated by widespread poverty. Not surprisingly, there were doubts about how India would develop after the British left it 60 years ago.

But it remained not only one country with internal peace - it has also enjoyed a stable democratic system. The contrast with Pakistan, also 60 years, is clear; The Economist recently concluded that Pakistan is simply in "a mess".

The tragedy of India was always the massive and persistent poverty. For fifteen years, however, India has boomed. Socialism and protectionism were left behind. India opened up to globalisation. Its latest annual growth rate was 9 per cent. Despite vast improvements, many are still poor and thus income inequality has increased. But would anyone prefer that all Indians were still equally poor?

India is indeed a great showcase for democracy and economic freedom, also disspelling a number of myths. More in the FT here.