It has been a long and bumpy ride.A ride that has spanned over 61 years.A ride during which we have seen war and famine;victory and tragedy;violence and death.A ride highly charged with every breath.Lets take a look at India 61 years ago and now
1.Profession
Then-If you were not a doctor,you had to be an engineer,if you were not a lawyer,who the hell are you?
Now-If you don’t own a business concern,you have to be an MBA;if you weren’t a MBa,you have to be a computer expert;if not then you have to be a fashion designer,a CA,a media person…if you are none of these,are you a doctor,an engineer or a lawyer?
2.Life
Then-The basics:A roof over the head,two square meals a day,clothes to cover body and…that’s it!
Now-The basics:An air-conditioned house,a fleet of cars,a couple of cellphones,a laptop,a wardrobe of clothes with designer labels,food rich in junk value…
3.Brit Raj
Then-Brit means bad.And for years we struggled to break free from the shackles of the British Raj.Precious lives were lost.Precious time was lost,spent in prisons away from loved ones.On 15th August,61 years ago,we breathed the air that smelled of freedom,the end of the Raj,the beginning of a new tomorrow
4.Money
Then-Finding a 1 rupee coin would mean you have the jackpot
Now-Even a begger wont accept 1 rupee
5.Leaders
Then-Mahatma Gandhi,Jawaharlal Nehru,Subash Chandra Bose,Sardar Vallabhai Patel,Sarojini Naidu
Now-First there was Rajiv Gandhi.But this hero was blown up with the bofors gun deal.Then there was P.V.Narasimha Rao ,but a suitcase full of monies made him look kind of cheap.Then there was L.K.Advani,but this one got demolished with the mosque at Ayodhya.Then there was Laloo.But he got buried in a lot of fodder.And now…we are still waiting…
Friday, August 15, 2008
What Ails India?
YOU say our Government is inefficent.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the phones dont work,,our airline is the worst in the world,our carbon emission levels are high,mail never reaches.
YOU sat that our country has been fed up to the dogs and is absolute pits.
YOU say,say and say.
What do YOU do about it??
In Singapore,you dont throw cigarette butts on the roads.You come back to the parking lot to punch your parting ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status and identity.In Singapore,you dont say anything.You do.
In London you would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange at 10 pounds a month to,”see that my STD calls and ISD calls are billed to someone else”.In Washington you would not dare to speed and then tell the traffic cop,”Do you know who I am?I am so and so’s son.Take you two bucks and get lost.”On the beaches of Australia and New Zealand you wouldn’t chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pile.You do not spit paan on the streets of Tokyo,nor do you buy up the police to hush up a rape,murder or crime in Munich.You have to do a sincere and written driving test after getting International driving Licence in USA
We are still talking of the same YOU.You who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in you own.You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indain ground.If you can be involved and appreciate citizens in an alien country,why can you be not the same in India?
When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women,dowry,child marriage and femal infanticide,we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home.Our excuse? ”It’s the whole system which has to change,how will it matter if I alone forego my son’s right to a dowry.”
So who’s going to change the system?What does system consist of?Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours,other households.other cities,other communities and the government.But definetly not me and YOU
When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system,we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along and work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand.Or we leave the country and run away.Like lazy poltroons to America to bask in their glory and praise their system.When New York becomes insecure,we run to England.When England experiences unemployment,we take the next flight out to the Gulf.When the Gulf is war struck,we demanded to be rescued and brought home by the Indian Government.After a six month holiday during which derogatory comments about India and Inidan are being made and sheepishly accepted,we are ready to leave for Australia because their old age benefits and pension schemes are very lucrative.
Bribery,tax evasion,unlicensed business,unethical practices etc have not reached the same dimensions anywhere as it has in India,thanks to each citizen’s sense of involment with the country.Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country.Nobody thinks of feeding the system.Our conscience is mortaged to money.
What’s better than negative?
Being positive
What’s better than working hard?
Working smart
What’s better than a vision?
A true cause
Why cant we say “ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND NOT WHAT INDIA CAN DO FOR US”.Lets us do it…
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the phones dont work,,our airline is the worst in the world,our carbon emission levels are high,mail never reaches.
YOU sat that our country has been fed up to the dogs and is absolute pits.
YOU say,say and say.
What do YOU do about it??
In Singapore,you dont throw cigarette butts on the roads.You come back to the parking lot to punch your parting ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status and identity.In Singapore,you dont say anything.You do.
In London you would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange at 10 pounds a month to,”see that my STD calls and ISD calls are billed to someone else”.In Washington you would not dare to speed and then tell the traffic cop,”Do you know who I am?I am so and so’s son.Take you two bucks and get lost.”On the beaches of Australia and New Zealand you wouldn’t chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pile.You do not spit paan on the streets of Tokyo,nor do you buy up the police to hush up a rape,murder or crime in Munich.You have to do a sincere and written driving test after getting International driving Licence in USA
We are still talking of the same YOU.You who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in you own.You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indain ground.If you can be involved and appreciate citizens in an alien country,why can you be not the same in India?
When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women,dowry,child marriage and femal infanticide,we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home.Our excuse? ”It’s the whole system which has to change,how will it matter if I alone forego my son’s right to a dowry.”
So who’s going to change the system?What does system consist of?Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours,other households.other cities,other communities and the government.But definetly not me and YOU
When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system,we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along and work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand.Or we leave the country and run away.Like lazy poltroons to America to bask in their glory and praise their system.When New York becomes insecure,we run to England.When England experiences unemployment,we take the next flight out to the Gulf.When the Gulf is war struck,we demanded to be rescued and brought home by the Indian Government.After a six month holiday during which derogatory comments about India and Inidan are being made and sheepishly accepted,we are ready to leave for Australia because their old age benefits and pension schemes are very lucrative.
Bribery,tax evasion,unlicensed business,unethical practices etc have not reached the same dimensions anywhere as it has in India,thanks to each citizen’s sense of involment with the country.Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country.Nobody thinks of feeding the system.Our conscience is mortaged to money.
What’s better than negative?
Being positive
What’s better than working hard?
Working smart
What’s better than a vision?
A true cause
Why cant we say “ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND NOT WHAT INDIA CAN DO FOR US”.Lets us do it…
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