Superpower by 2020
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About
Superpower by 2020 and Superpower by 2030 are catchphrases describing the vision of India as a developed country or a superpower by year 2020 or 2030. Online, the slogans, often paired with photographs of less-developed areas of India, have been used to mock Indian internet users, particularly in late 2019 and in early 2020.
Origin
In 1998, former president of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Dr Y. S. Rajan co-authored India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, a book in which they expressed their vision for India becoming a developed country by year 2020 or earlier.[1]
A developed India, by 2020 or even earlier is not a dream. It need not even be a mere aspiration in the minds of many Indians. It is a mission we can all take up and accomplish.
On April 17th, 2012, YouTube[2] user Mr143mytube posted an 8-minute comedy video "India In 2030." The video imagined a tourist walking around an Indian city in the year 2030, being impressed by the wealthiness of the country and its "many white servants."
These Indian airports are just incredible! So wealthy! And so many white servants.
In the following years, the video has been posted on 4chan[3][4] multiple times, particularly on /int/ board with the purpose of mocking Indian users. The video accumulated over 289,000 views in eight years.
On July 13th, 2015, multiple threads mocking India and provoking Indian 4chan users were posted on /int/ following a previous day argument[5] between Australian and Indian anonymous users regarding rape statistics in the countries. Starting at that time, "reminder" threads claiming that India will become a superpower by the years 2020 and 2030 gained popularity on /int/[6][7] board (examples shown below). A screenshot of a post made by an Indian /int/ user on July 24th, 2015, was heavily circulated online as a part of the memes (post no longer available; shown below, bottom right).
Spread
On 4chan's /int/ board, the catchprases "superpower by 2020" and "superpower by 2030" gained notable spread starting in mid-2015. In many examples, the catchphrases were used with conjunction with Designated Shitting Streets, Bobs and Vegana and other memes ridiculing Indians.
In late 2019, an increased number of memes and posts based on the catchphrase were posted on 4chan, iFunny,[8][9] Instagram[10] and in /r/okbuddyretard[11] subreddit with more posts mocking India about failing to fulfill the vision posted on the platforms in early January 2020. For example, an October 6th, 2019, video by iFunny[12] user TheA2umarill received over 7,300 smiles in three months. A January 1st, 2020, post by iFunny[8] user AmonBastion received over 3,400 smiles in three days (shown below).
Various Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1] Wikipedia – India 2020
[2] YouTube – India In 2030
[3] 4chan – /int/ Post #7789476
[4] 4chan – /int/ Thread #18900508
[5] 4chan – /int/ Thread #44521380
[6] 4chan – /int/ Thread #44597636
[7] 4chan – /int/ Thread #44753267
[8] iFunny – AmonBastion
[10] Instagram – pepperet (unavailable)
[11] Reddit – INDIA IS BIG SUPER POWER
[12] iFunny – ThA2umarill
Top Comments
Nedhitis
Jan 02, 2020 at 06:31PM EST
:̶.̶|̶:̶;̶
Jan 02, 2020 at 09:48PM EST in reply to