On the positive side

Even as the nation continues to tirelessly debate and discuss the issues of intolerance and terrorism and the stifling of free speech and Constitutional rights, we wanted to know from some of the eminent personalities in the city, what is that one development they have witnessed in the past 10 years that makes them proud to be an Indian. It was heartening to see that they didn’t have to think hard to list out a few positives.

The one thing I did feel incredibly proud of was the Mars Mission. Mainly because it was an incredible feat, but also because I love science and the fact that even scientifically speaking it was done at such a low cost. It was an incredible accomplishment. Another thing I am and have always been proud of is our democratic process and every election we conduct is proof of it. It goes to prove that even a party that has been in power for 10 years can be voted out solely on basis of their bad performance. Although there is no accountability between elections when the party is in power, I feel proud that people do come out and have the power at least during elections to vote a party out, if it isn’t performing. Varun Grover, comedian and screenwriter

In 2009, the Delhi High Court decriminalised homosexuality in a landmark judgement by Justice A.P. Shah. The language that the Delhi High Court used in the judgement, it made me so proud after so many years, I felt like an equal citizen of India. Of course, the joy lasted for four years, and in 2013, after the reversal by the Supreme Court. But the four years in between, I felt really proud. Parmesh Shahani, author of Gay Bombay and head of Godrej India Culture Lab

I think what I’m proud about is that from being a passive society, over the last 10 years, we have become people who take active participation in governance related issues. Earlier there was a sense of jo ho raha hai hone do, hum kuchh nahi kar sakte hain. In the previous generation, there was a mindset where people would think that politicians were gods and it was almost like we were the subjects and they were the rulers. The big difference over the last 10 years, is that we have sort of woken up and have started voting in large numbers. We take active interest in governance and issues related to corruption. We have a voice of protest that the powers cannot ignore. Whether it’s been the right to hoist the flag or whether it’s been the Right to Information — there’s been a desire for change and the ability to propel that, which is something that I’m extremely proud of. Pooja Bedi, actor