A symbol has many layers and multiple connotations and meanings. It hides buried in our subconscious like a seed ready to sprout at the opportune moment. It reflects as the moon in an old pond, taking on the shade of the water and the light. It flashes across the sky and is gone the next moment as a burning streak of meteorite. The multivalent effect of a language that deals with symbols, whether they be an image or a number or even a sound, can span across several dimensions and fields of study.

Let us look at the call to have a Viksit Bharat by 2047. Why is it a slogan of marketing and diplomatic genius? Why is it inspirational and aspirational and yet a political masterstroke?

First, let us look at the most external significance. It is a timeline and a milestone. Not much is defined by what is meant by Viksit Bharat and that too is brilliant, if intentional. But a date is given and repeated constantly to alter the discourse. It is almost like a precise and professional corporate plan with a clear vision and mission. What sense does this give us?

It seems to me that it is an assurance and a promise that we have a clear path forward in the next 22 years. It is a responsibility and a demand upon us. We have things to do and have no time to get distracted by any non-serious issues. We have roads to build, airports to design, trains to track. We have jobs to create, equipment to export, and mouths to feed. We will create a roadmap for our future and all of us together will build a future we can be proud of.

Voila! That was easy. But now the hidden messages raise their head. And if we pay attention, we may notice how the number 2047 becomes a metaphor. It is India’s rise as number three or even number two in the world. It is a matter only of time when we will take our rightful place in the community of nations. It is our second independence for August 15, 1947, was the day of........

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