I am ashamed and I am distressed. I am ashamed because of a recent encounter with a graveyard of foundation stones. I am distressed because most of the plans of economic and social development announced by various governments, led by different parties, have become roads to nowhere. I am sure many share the same disturbing feelings that I have.

Recently, during one of my tours, I was puzzled to find a compound full of well-shaped stones. I saw stones carrying the names of prime ministers, central ministers, chief ministers and ministers of state and other VIPs belonging to a cross-section of political parties announcing major projects of development. But what were the stones doing there? The keeper said that whenever a new party or new minister came to power, he was bound to inaugurate or lay the foundation stone of an earlier project to perpetuate his own memory or that of his party. The old stones were then brought to this place.

In other parts of the country, I asked politicians, economists and people at large about economic and social development projects. I was distressed to find that most of the five-year plan projects had really a lifespan of just 18 years from inauguration and reaching a deadend. Was any development possible in a country where these kinds of politicians masqueraded as public do-gooders? Of course, their credibility was low and their careers short-lived. Would there ever be development? Perhaps if voters discarded the labels of Hindu, Muslim, Women, Dalit and so on and became real voters and used their vote to make such politicians accountable, there might be some progress.