Scene two: A Commissioner involves the people in cleaning up Surat, once the source of plague. Another does it in Trichy. At the Academy that trains IAS officers at Mussoorie, they are learning Total Quality Management, redesigning programs to meet the needs of trainees, and eventually to fulfil theneeds of all citizens. Sundaram Clayton wins the Deming Prize. A couple of other companies get the excellence award for ``total productive maintenance'' from Japan. These companies have transformed the way they manage, to create near-world-class entities. The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, who has been making waves, figures in a dream international cabinet by World Link. Amartya Sen wins the Nobel. Mother Teresa's work abides. Abdul Kalam demonstrates how to break technological barriers through systematic research. Tendulkar electrifies the cricket field...Glimpses of a quality India?

Which scene represents reality? The cynic dismisses Scene Two as isolated incidents. The cynic is one who has seen potential, has tried, failed and given up. He deserves our fullest respect. The achievers on the other hand have retained their conversation of accomplishment, unconditionally. True, they are islands of excellence is a continent prone to despair.

The process of change is sometimes like a snowball. For a longtime we see nothing. Then suddenly, it is huge and roaring and hurtling. The islands of quality today are the nuclii around which we could create large scale transformation tomorrow. And the islands are far more numerous than any one of us thinks they are. Our achievement recognition systems are weak, atrophied. Our newspapers and TV stations don't think many of these achievements are even news. They are busy purveying bad news.

Behind the tragic farce played out under the lights, a little silent quality revolution is occurring, unbeknown to most. For participants in this revolution, it is a privilege to make a difference, troubles are there to be overcome, and there is no question whether their quest would be realized. These are people who release the power of their potential. They don't argue about what kind of India we are heading for. They simply shape the future and redefine their sphere of work. They are in effect building a quality India, no matter what. In that sense, they are unstoppable.

Whywould we want to do anything less than quality work, or want anything less than a quality India? If we turn down that noise around us, we can regenerate this new conversation of commitment, of taking a stand. We have the knowledge, the methods, the tools, the experience and the wisdom. We need strategy, plans and reviews.

It is for us to build a quality India. If we don't, who will?

The author is the President of SRF Limited.