Do Something for India...

[dinesh1947]

"ARE YOU AN INDIAN, DO SOMETHING FOR INDIA...

YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don`t work, the railways are a joke, the airline is the worst in the world, and mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don`t throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground Links as they are.

You pay $5 (approx. Rs.60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU comeback to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity.

In Singapore you don`t say anything, DO YOU?

YOU wouldn`t dare to eat in public during Ramzan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.500) a month to, "see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else."

YOU would not dare to speed in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, "Jaanta hai sala main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so`s son. Take your two bucks and get lost."

YOU wouldn`t chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand. Why don`t YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don`t YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston? We are still talking of the same YOU.

YOU who can respect and confirm to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay Mr.Tinaikar had a point to make. "Rich people`s dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place," he said. "And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job, it`s the same in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that here?" He`s right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stoop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms. We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child and others, 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 sons` rights to a dowry." So who`s going to change the system? What does a system consist of?

Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors, Other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely 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 look into the distance at countries far away, and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand.

Or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run 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 demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government.
After a six - month holiday during which derogatory comments about India and Indians are 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. has not reached the same dimensions anywhere as it has in India, thanks to each citizen`s sense of involvement with the country.

Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians: The article is highly thought inducive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one`s conscience too.... I am echoing J.F.Kennedy`s words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians..."ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA IS TODAY " Lets do what India needs from us.

Thank you.

[garcons]

Dinesh,

This is one thought that is already there in many Indians minds, but one problem to this is "how exactly should one go about it". Fine, i understand the article & can really relate to it well, but what then? I start working towards it, but will me working all alone eventually help?

I've seen a couple of friends back in India, who would shout at me, if i were to litter on the roads, and often i would feel "Whats the big deal. If i stop littering, would bombay be a clean place". I know I'm wrong in thinking like that & if everyone thinks like that it really wont help, but i still do it.

I'm in Australia now, and people dont litter here, but i dont care. I behave the same way as i do in India. Talking about the dog poo, yes surely the owners should understand that its their responsibility to clean it, but does it happen? Nope it doesnt.

To be honest with you, I really feel I'm happy with the way India is. It is a little messy, roads are not clean, but yet it is the best for me. You compare the life of india with the west, its so much relaxed. Americans/Australians cant think of hiring a plumber so easily, coz they are so HELL expensive, and have to do everything on their own, atleast in India we have peace of mind.

Talking about the fines/ticket charged by the cops and how we as Indians tend to bribe them and get away with it. What is so wrong with it? We as Indians dont want to go through all the shit of going to the court and pleading guilty and paying the fine. We dont mind paying a little more and getting our licences back. The fines abroad are heavy coz the roads are wide & huge, and chances of accidents are much more than In India where people dont get an option to go cross the speed limit. Infact there is no speed limit.

I certainly wouldnt say that Indians who leave India & go abroad are cowards, coz they leave india to earn some dough which is not so easy back home. If you notice, slowly slowly, as the market in India is developing, there are many Indians who prefer coming back to India rather than staying abroad. I for one am coming back to india coz i dont like staying abroad at all.

I'm sorry i really dont know where this is going, but this is one helluva topic to be discussed. I really like some more views on this, so we can all have a healthy discussion.

[Editor]

This is for sure a very debatable topic raised by Dinesh. Why don't we Indians behave the way we would readily behave in foriegn countries and then we blame every system for its inefficiency...what can be our contribution as an Indian citizen.

I think the difference lies in the fact that India is still a developing country as against US/Australia which have already developed in terms of infrastructure, economy etc.

Just look at the roads in the US, i am really impressed by their highways...even a novice who knows a little driving can put the car on cruise and follow the speed limit...distances are not such a problem...In India, you have to be an expert even if you want to drive to the neighbourhood because you would have to encounter autos, rickshaws as well as pedestranians...

I am sure there are conscious people who would NOT throw litter on roads and say no to plastic bags, and would not pay a single penny to a police officer asking bribe...but they are only few and that would not change the state of affairs.

In US, when you are in trouble, it just takes a phone call to 911 and the police are at your doorstep in a few minutes...can you imagine that kind of help here...i am not singing praises about their system but this is only to point out that these things prevent a common man like you and me to get into any kind of hassle...

Thus it will sure take time for the infrastructure to change and with the kind of population India has, it will also take time for the change to seep down.

I understand Dinesh, that the contribution of even a single person can go a long way to bring the 'change' but the environment should be such that his contribution should be praised but if that spurns more trouble for him then you can understand that the same person can get demotivated.

I believe that there are people who think about this aspect and don't wish to settle abroad. In fact, those who are there soon get bored of the monotonous life and come back. The rich Indian culture and values pull those people back to their own place of birth.

[garcons]

I personally feel most people in India just have this rough image about abroad, and they think its just the perfect system. Charu, like you mentioned, if you were int he US, all you would have to do is dial 911, and problem solved.

Well, people in Australia would have to dial 000 to get their problem solved. I've seen heaps of cases where the police system is inefficent here in Australia too. My friend had a massive accident outside University at 2am, and his $30,000 car was a total loss, so you can imagine the impact of the accident, and when we dialled 000, the cops & the ambulance arrived after 45 mins... !!! And this has not happened once, its happened many a times.

On another note, the aussies here dont think twice before littering in the train or on the roads,. Its just people like you & me who go abroad think twice before throwing stuff.

I agree with you that despite of all this, the reason why US & Australia are still far ahead, and clean is coz they are eveloped countries, and can afford to have the roads cleaned eevry single morning, whereas its not possible in India. (Though things are changing now)

And I firmly believe a single man cannot change the system. It'll take a lot to change the way Indians behave, and majority of them are happy with the current system.

One last note, when you mentioned about bribing the officer, lets take an example, if i were to be caught by an officer, i would hand him Rs100/- and just finish it right there, but in abroad you would get a ticket, plus you're barred to drive for a couple of months, not to forget the pain that you go through of going to the court to get your licence, or for your hearing.