For much of its post-independence history, India was seen as the Kipling-esque land of fakirs sleeping on nail beds, sacred cows, abject poverty and, if anyone cared to remember, the imposing Taj Mahal.
But, now, in its 60th year of independence from British colonial rule, the world's largest democracy is seen as a nation of hopeful achievers; a giant awakened from a deep slumber, who discovers that he has missed out on many opportunities during the socialist stupor he had fallen into.
By throwing away the fetters of socialism, India has unleashed the pent-up entrepreneurial energy of its people. Its success story has not gone unnoticed by its neighbours, particularly Pakistan and Bangladesh, both mired in internal turbulence caused by religious extremism and political instability.
Both have a history of carnage, political instability and unproductive inflamed religious passions, offering little hope for their people. India, too, has had its own share of violence, but the rule of law still takes precedence.
The leaders of Pakistan and Bangladesh, two of the world's most impoverished countries, need to provide opportunities and hope for their people instead of fuelling suspicion and hostility against India, the 'big neighbour' often portrayed as the common enemy.
The people of these two countries deserve a better standard of living, denied to them in the past 60 years because the ruling elites and religious extremists saw in India-bashing an opportunity to establish their own vested interests.
Some western scholars suggest that Berlin's cold-war status be applied to present-day India. Berlin, a thriving capitalist-democratic showcase right on the doorstep of the communist bloc, was a beacon of hope and inspiration for people in communist-oppressed countries.
