RE: Bhuwan:knowing what we say

["Kulshreshta, Bhuwan" <Bhuwan.Kulshreshta@usa.xerox.com>]

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[Topics under debate]: GOOD GOVERNANCE
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Girish,

First let me tell you that I am not an NRI. I am merely in the US for a
short term assignment that's all. I shall be back in India within a few
months, so I do not speak FOR NRIS nor do I have the qualifications to
do
so. My work, however has given me the opportunity to travel extensively
around the world for many years and I speak from that experience.

The big surprise for me has not been what I have seen in Europe or in
the
US, these are rich nations and hence very easy to ignore, but what I
have
seen in Thailand, Malaysia, Korea and China has been a true eye opener.
These are countries like ours & to which I have travelled for many years
and
have seen there transformation in front of my eyes. This whole "ground
situation is different" argument one hears all the time in India is all
bull. It is as different as you decide to see it. Japanese and American
ways
are different but that has not stopped the two from borrowing heavily
from
each other's experience and adopting learning's from each other.
Primarily
the need of all humans anywhere in the world are the same. We keep
claiming
we are different and keep labelling all advice from anybody as
"inappropriate western theory". Let me tell you what you see in Thailand
and
in China etc. is NO theory. These countries have made major progress on
the
ground in just a few years. Their citizens, as poor as Indians a few
decades
ago, have today a far better standard of life than Indians, their
children a
far better future than ours.

It is so fashionable in India to look at the Asian countries in trouble
and
say " See we are so better off". The sheer ignorance this shows of the
reality of the situation is amazing. The life of the average man in
Malaysia, in Thailand, in Korea is far far better than that of an Indian

despite their reccession.The only reason our economy did not contract
during
the last few years is because it was not growing in the first place. The

pity is that we in India have a far better chance of making it big but
we
keep blowing it up by not being willing to learn from others on the one
hand
and not coming up with the magical "ideal for India solutions" on the
other
hand. All we do is dish out lame excuses of how different we are and
build
walls around us and imprison ourselves.

If we say that we are open to criticism, then be open. Don't say we are
open
and then label any comment as condescending. I am as much of a resident
Indian as you Girish, and it has been a difficult job learning to accept

that we have a lot to learn from even small countries like Mexico and
Chile.
Sure we have big problems but the first step towards solving some of
these
is to get rid of this colonial ghost that sits on our shoulders that
forces
us to be so damn inclusive and so damn insecure about anything foreign.
That
above all is the reason why far smaller countries with far fewer
resources
and half as intelligent people have gone so far ahead. Let us not
confuse
learning from the outside world as a threat to our almost non-existent
National pride!!

Regards,

Bhuwan



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