Ghazni plundered her. Ghori looted her. Babar had her enslaved. And yet she survived. Bigots tried breaking her spirit. Rulers tried mangling her body. Fanatics tried splintering her mind. And yet she survived. The Dutch depressed her. The French demoralized her. The English defeated her. And yet she survived. The cast bug tortured her. Dogma tormented her. The communal virus nearly killed her. And yet she survived. Cyclones ravaged her . Famines benumbed her. Death stared at her face. And yet she survived.

  Miraculous, isn't it? For centuries, doomsdayers have been writing India off. And yet she grows stronger after each crisis. Have you ever wondered what makes India, the great survivor? What helps us outlive nations, outlast bad times and outgrow wounds? What drives us to make history, millennium after millennium? Well, I think the answer lies within each one of us. Our incredible ability to smile at adversity. Our sheer openness to other cultures. Our native genius to learn, to assimilate and to digest new ideas. These are the qualities that unite us despite our diversity. These are the very traits that inspire us to shape the future.