When the India Today conclave posed the question "India Tomorrow: Global Giant or Pygmy?", I recalled an event that occurred while meeting students in Nagaland during my recent visit there.

A Class V student asked me, "I would like to live in a happy, prosperous, peaceful and safe India. Tell me, what will you do Mr President? Also, tell me what I should do for that?"

During my interactions with schoolchildren of 17 states and three Union territories which I have visited, a series of similar questions was raised. Sometimes, I feel, we, a nation of billion people think like a nation of million people. Why is it so?

I consider no other nation has got a civilisational heritage like India to live a near-peaceful life. Indian minds were capable of absorbing the best of cultures from successive invasions.

Now we should not allow any religion or any individual fanaticism to endanger our nation. Because, the nation is more important compared to any individual or party or religion.

Even the rich and developed nations, in spite of their wealth and military strength, are afraid of virtual enemies and they live with the fear complex. Economic prosperity and military strength alone do not bring peace to any nation, as we see from the dynamics of the world.

In such a situation it is also very important to transform our religious forces into spiritual forces. Evolution of spiritual forces in addition to economic prosperity and military strength will bring happiness, peace and prosperity.

We got freedom in 1947 as a result of what I call the first vision for the nation (see "Emerging India" graphic). This vision created the best of leaders in many fields like politics, philosophy, judiciary, science and technology and industry.

Improvement took place in many aspects of life, in literacy, agricultural products, strategic areas, certain small and large-scale industries. Now more than 50 years have gone by and we are called as one among the hundreds of developing countries, in a distinct way a separation from G-8 countries.

We have many challenges. Nearly 260 million people who are below the poverty line have to join the mainstream of a good life. Hundred per cent literacy, health for all, multiple industrial and agricultural productivity and a lifestyle with a value system have to emerge.

Hence we need the second vision for the nation to become developed. After Independence, India looked forward to development through Five Year Plans. The Green Revolution and technological growth enabled India to prosper with self sufficiency in food and achievements in many technological frontiers, particularly in the past two decades