Sometimes I feel as if I live in two countries at the same time. One poised to take its place in the league of powerful nations and another, which is mired in filth, decadence and corruption.
Yesterday I returned from one of my regular visits to Chennai. The first half of my trip was in the great country. I visited a place on the outskirts of the city, which had recently had a port built in quick time by private operators. The port had completely changed the topography and profile of the erstwhile sleepy town. Now it was bustling with activity, and was witnessing a boom in infrastructural development, roads, industries, employment and economic development. I felt part of something big, and I think so did everyone else who had encountered this development.
The other half of my trip was in the medieval nation. I had to visit the office of a local government run agency in the same city. From the first step inside the filthy, ill kept and depressing building, I felt somehow oppressed and revolted. This feeling was only reinforced as I met one babu who had been mandated by law to attend to people like me. Not only was this gentleman filled with a sense of his power, he was also ignorant and arrogant (a deadly combination!). He was far removed from the logic of business or the compulsion of change – all he cared about was his position of authority, which I guess he owed to sycophancy of political masters. I felt a sense of great relief as I walked out of that building, even with my work not done.
Sometimes I wonder about the sustainability of all the good things happening in this country. Growth and progress will one day have to meet and overcome the barriers placed by babus like my friend above. One day the two different countries will have to collide and go to war against each other. I don’t know which one will win – still under the influence of my visit to the latter country, I only fear the worst!!
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9 comments:
MDA is planning to create a Shenzhen in Haryana and to get there from Delhi you might have to dodge 50 cows on the way. we would continue to live in two countries till out primary education system improves, and there wont be no war. we will crib and curse but continue to coexist...
~A
My point is india can be divided into three broad set of people
1. Those benifiting directly from economic boom (5%)
2. Those hoping to benifit but on perifery right now (10%)
3. Those who only see others benifit from the boom (85%)
Now when we have the big demographic change in 20 yrs time -
only 15-20% population will give us the "demographic divident" ...rest 80% will become the "demographic time bomb" impending a catastrophic exlposion
the first comment is very important.....get more people educated ..so that more people can share growth.....or else we will spend most of our time fighting the battle between the haves and the havenots
a. Hats off to people who have managed to create the small pockets of development in face of a 100% babu enviroment. Atleast, we have them as inspiration to try and strive within the country, knowing that radical change is possible.What/who was their inspiration ?
b. Baawra's comments make me ponder. Isnt Gurgaon a perfect example of dis-proportionate development ? Overflowing malls packed with people with overflowing pockets, skyscraper- like office buildings/res appts in an otherwise backward and economically poor area. Result- rampant robberies, murders, assaults. The demographic time bomb is already ticking there.
Anonymous was Me :))
the biggest scourge of this country is that it is both india and bharat.it will always have a double identity.it is a two faced creature; attractive in the front ugly at the back. only the very ideallistic can think mera bharat mahan.but hats off to those die hard optimists who can think that!
v
Calling your own land "filthy" is shameful both for u and that land which nourished u to bring u up from "filth" to what u r today. U owe it to that very land dear and if u cant respect it, better stop calling it yours.
Dear anonymous,
it is one thing to be patriotic and another to be blind. No country is born great, it has to be made great. I dont think you got the gist of what i was saying.
Cheers,
to anonymous
1. how about putting a name or atleast a letter of your name to differentiate you from the other anonymous
2. About "filth" . We have the right to call parts of our own country "filthy" this is because the country is our own. To give an analogy - its always within our rights to call our own home or room dirty ("...hey my room real dirty today.." is perfectly fine) . It may not be so proper when we refer to other people's houses ("..eeek you house is so dirty.." will not go down well with too many people)
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