A national obsession with politics?
Stumbled on this a few days back: Is this the infrastructure we deserve? by Tavleen Singh.
A thought-provoking excerpt below (emphasis mine):
There are few things that leave me feeling more pessimistic about India’s future than taking a flight from Mumbai’s international airport to Bangkok’s international airport. Having made this short journey just before writing this piece, the differences between the two airports are still fresh in my mind and I am going to list them here to emphasise why I believe India is never going to catch up with even a small country like Thailand on the infrastructure front.
…
Our infrastructure problems do not end with airports. Our railway stations are among the most decrepit in the world. Our highways are so old-fashioned that they would not be counted as modern roads in any other country. And, the sad truth is that unless we can do something about the dreadful state of Indian infrastructure, India is quite simply not going to make it. Of course the fundamental problem lies with government and its inability to modernise archaic procedures that ensure delays and substandard design. If this does not change and if deadlines are not imposed for major projects, nothing will change. But, the truth is that these changes happen when citizens demand them and when we in the media make it our job to point out the importance of these changes.
As things stand, we are much more interested in politics than governance, so when the roof of Delhi airport flew off two weeks ago, the news barely got reported. Everyone was more interested in Jaswant Singh’s book on Jinnah and on the bizarre goings-on in our main opposition party.
That depresses me almost more than anything else. Our national obsession with the chatpata political gossip of the day is so much more important than governance that while the world changes for the better, India changes for the worse.
…The time is not far when all of India will begin to look like a vast slum, but to us this seems not to matter. What concentrates all our energy is the political gossip of the moment. So I suppose we get the governance we deserve and the infrastructure we deserve. How depressing is that?
Depressing indeed.
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I think we Indians tend to draw so much attention to what is bad about the country, we don’t realize what a miracle it is that we have already achieved what we have.
Compare India to Bangkok? Japan? Ridiculous. Look at India’s size, the fact that people don’t speak the same language all over, it’s democracy, and the fact that there’s barely a shared common culture and history between the cultural regions (before the british raj).
Consider also that India is just 62 years old – developed democracies like the US and Europe are hundreds of years old – I mean what do you expect?
Ideally India should need another 200 years before it can become like them. The way it’s going, it’ll reach it in less than half that. Is that not a miracle? People who complain about India need to understand the way nations develop over time and what it is that makes them tick.
And don’t even get me started about India’s achievement as a democracy. There’s so much to tell – here’s a blog post on the matter.
What I think, 62 years old nation must have everything modern, and in running condition not same as 100 years old country. Right! Awareness is definitely very low.
—-Compare India to Bangkok? Japan? Ridiculous. Look at India’s size, the fact that people don’t speak the same language all over, it’s democracy, and the fact that there’s barely a shared common culture and history between the cultural regions (before the british raj).—
Than what government is for and doing? That shows people are on their own.
All I’m saying that you can’t change the laws of the way things work. NO country in India’s position could have done better with the same constraints.
If you look at America 62 years after their Independence you’ll find they were much worse off than we are now even taking into consideration technological changes and the relative dollar values.
Let me give you an example. Race apartheid was outlawed in the US only in 1965! That’s some 200 years after their independence. Homosexuality was legalized in Texas just 6 years ago! India has never had legal apartheid (though the caste system is a social stigma, it’s not sanctioned by law and a person can break away from it – they don’t have to sit in the back seats of buses etc) and for it to have decriminalized homosexuality only 62 years after independence is a feat hardly to be matched anywhere in the world.
Be proud of what we have achieved. India deserves no less.
I agree with Tavleen Singh. Everything in this country is looked at with the prism of vote banks etc. Mumbai airport is one such example, the slums surrounding the airport are a major security hazard, this has been pointed to Congress Party led Maharashtra government end number of times, but the result is zero. These politicians want these slum dwellers to get free flats at the expense of the state as compensation!!!! How and when will this stop if such huge compensations are given to these people?
I live in Mumbai and travel regularly in the west of the country. If Narendra Modi led BJP government in Gujarat can clear out the slums in Ahmedabad and Baroda, then I am 100% convinced that Maharashtra government can do it with even more ease.
It all boils down to political will and nothing else.
All,
So who do you believe will bring so called changes?
Isn’t this your job too? If so then please open your eyes a little more, look around and get involved into whatever development process you can. I know when we change, i.e. we improve lifestyle of our own and family, it helps country in many ways but thats not enough.
We shall fight the corruption from the roots and the roots are these politicians. So lets collaborate and uproot all of them.
True we need to embrace our achievement but we should not tolerate disgrace to country and its citizens by these politicians.
We shall not settle for any less. Because we deserve much better.
Jai Hind! Jai Maharastra!
These are half baked dramas of media. Does she have an iota of knowledge around the state of governance and why we are in mess?
@ Bhagwad Jal Park
Correct, but you are talking about social aspect not governance. Right!
Surely people has to change their attitude and that can come with good governance. The same people goes to Singapore and follow all the rules, why not in India do they do so?
Traffic police is the biggest menace in Mumbai, extorting money from the NRI passengers. Nobody is taking note of all this happening in newspaper. Why? What it has to do with 200years and 62 years old country. I doubt even after 200 years we will match up them if we go by this attitude. of course we don’t need to ape them in everything we do but we need awareness and public care badly for the good of India and its people.
From what I observe, social and civic responsibility takes time to develop in people. For that to develop, it takes education, long periods of security and safety, and generations.
Parents who get a little bit of it pass it to their children who in turn pass it down further. This takes time. Already there are people like this in India who have achieved it both through themselves and through their parents who in turn got it from their own parents.
As we prosper, as the general level of education, awareness, food safety and physical security increases, social responsibility will change slowly. This will also mean better governance and everything else that you so admire in “developed nations”.
I’m afraid you cannot force the process through. Speed it up a bit – certainly. We already have. That’s why I’m saying we shouldn’t be so harsh. I’m not saying we must not stop trying to improve. It’s just that I hear so much about how crappy India is that I feel we need to appreciate it as well.
@All,
There is a significant difference in the psyches of countries in Europe, Japan and others with India. They were independent and under the rule of a single monarch/system for extended period of time. India, sorry to say, has been treated like a cow shed for a thousand years. Generations have lived in abject fear, enslaven to foreign and religious despots.
Majority of the people have less than two square meals a day to eat with basic necessities being a privilege than automatic.
The issue with Tavleen is that she focuses, in this article, on the problems of a few while ignoring problems of many. A new airport could cost Rs.100 crore to build. But the same money could be used to improve school systems, provide clean drinking water….
I would love to have a state of the art airport in Mangalore, but if that money could be better spent elsewhere I wouldn’t grudge that decision.
Its all about priorities, as a society we need to rethink what our priorities as a nation is.
I agree wholeheartedly with DD on last comment. I don’t care for ‘comforts’ relative to needs! But I guess in some aspects we should do minimal to showcase the world, like China does, so that it helps society indirectly eg: Comfort creature westerner would need a decent airport on his arrival so that it brings business(?) and benefits that trickles down the society.
—–There is a significant difference in the psyches of countries in Europe, Japan and others with India. They were independent and under the rule of a single monarch/system for extended period of time. India, sorry to say, has been treated like a cow shed for a thousand years. Generations have lived in abject fear, enslaven to foreign and religious despots—-
Agree!
—–Majority of the people have less than two square meals a day to eat with basic necessities being a privilege than automatic—
Why are we still enslaved?. Now what? When will they get two square of meals?
We wont get it till we start demanding. Because those who rule us are also from same generation and one among us. They need people to open their eyes. Its not demand about big airport, just two square of meals. Right! Is that too hard to do it?
We need good governance and awareness for sure.
@Indian
Have some of you wondered why when people go unfed as in India they simply resign themselves to their fate? Have you wondered why when are so well fed and with your many creature comforts why you are not so enraged to do something about this great wrong? I am afraid that as long as you are going to apologists for the failure of government to deliver it because of the trauma suffered by India’s in its long history, or that India progress should be measured in the years since its independence, you overlook the fact that there is little prospect of change except in states run by the likes of Modi. The phenomena of victims of abuse identifying with the abuser known in individual victims of trauma has been turned into the highest state of art in Hinduism. It is little wonder that Hindu converts to Christianity have become so violent against the Hindus of India: it comes with their release from the strait jacket of Hinduism that explained their fate to the force of their own circumstances from which there was no escape until death. When such fatalism rules, how can Hindus ever take charge of the destiny of their own lives let alone their own country? I must therefore impress upon you that you should feel so angry that you find the determination to do all that is necessary by aligning with all those that feel the same way.
(DD, VOP, Indian, Khandu Patel)
I think you guys are keen on doing something good for Bharat and Bharatiya’s.
So may I ask you all to collaborate under one roof and start fighting against bad through PIL petitions, Contesting elections, promoting good schools by devoting some time there. Organizing cultural events where we can guide people to nationalism.
What you all say?
I’m not only interested in discussions over internet but also want to do good by stepping outside my comfort zone.
I was also planning to start a news channel that will be promoting the truth only (I dont know how much money it needs or its requirements, but determined about it.)\
Jai Hind! Jai Mahrashtra!
@ संदीप नारायण शेळके
I agree. I have been thinking along the same lines. The Team India Force is very little in scope.
I agree with your idea on establishing a news presence. An internet presence costs little to establish but is scalable at non or small cost.
Are you listening Shantanu?
Please stay in touch.
Jai Hind
@ संदीप नारायण शेळके
Great thought संदीप… Action is pending post discussions.
All,
Please send me your mail ids and phone numbers(if you dont mind) on sandeepnshelke AT gmail DOT com. we shall have some conference or discussion first then we can have a detailed approach and plan of execution.
Shantanu, appreciate your support a lot.
Lets take this enthusiasm to next step.
Jai Hind! Jai Mahrashtra!
Dear All: Thanks for a great discussion.,..Unfortunately dont have time to go through the links and the comments but will do that as soon as possible (hopefully late tomorrow) and respond…
Thanks
@Kandu Patel
Exactly, we were mold to think everything bad happening is because or our fate and destiny. Many time I come across people and I ask them how did this happened. Promptly comes the answer;may be because of destiny or fate! Undoubtedly missionary has taken maximum advantage of this words destiny and fate.
We show great strength protesting outside our country. One such example of Australia’s racist attack. See how they got together and moved PM’s of both the country by protesting outside the office. But we become so feeble and weak when its happening all around us in our country. What’s obstructing that great strength in the country we belong to? What’s that not letting speak and take action? Who do we fear injustice, dishonesty, lie, abuse? Or are we now
enslaved by powerful, and rich? or are we just careless and reckless?
@Sandeep
I support your initiative. As an individual we are powerless but in a group we realize we are not less powerful.