Tavleen Singh writes: Small dreams too important to ignore

Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, has long encouraged Indians to dream big. He boasts about India's status as a developed nation by 2047 and his chief ministers regularly claim their states will become trillion-dollar economies by the same year. Building big dreams, such as new highways, smart cities, and high-quality urban services, is admirable.

However, important small dreams have been neglected in this pursuit. Rural schools are in poor condition, with no trained teachers, necessitating hundreds of thousands of teacher training schools. Schools should have libraries, playgrounds, clean water, and toilets, which are more crucial than high-speed railways. Environmental concerns, such as clean air, clean water, and efficient waste management in smart cities, have also been overlooked.

India ranks last among 177 countries for environmental matters, with Laos being even dirtier. Instead of focusing on grand dreams, the government should prioritize addressing small issues like teachers and clean toilets, as young Indians demand these changes. Corruption in Modi's government is a significant issue, as it makes doing business challenging for most Indians, and only those who can bribe officials benefit.

Modi must concentrate on small things to regain his fading popularity before the upcoming election in Uttar Pradesh, and high-ranking officials should stop prioritizing grand, unfinished dreams over essential necessities.