Dispatches from the Other Side: India Emerging
As I make this journey from my hometown of Nashik to the info-tech city of Pune in the wee hours of the morning, I could not help but reminisce about two events that are seemingly uncorrelated.
Take 1 – During his much-awaited trip to India, President Obama unilaterally declared, “India is not emerging, but India has emerged”
Take 2 – In India, my dad, I, and a friend of my dad’s are discussing current events and sharing wisdom.
Dad’s friend shares an interesting incident that occurred in front of his restaurant. A gentleman working in a well-reputed private bank visited his place for an afternoon snack or perhaps lunch. After the meal, as is a customary for him, he had a “Paan (a Betel leaf assortment)”, just outside the restaurant. Well, not unusually, he could not resist from spitting the dark red remnants formed as a result of this concoction, right there, in front of the restaurant. To this, my dad’s friend and owner of the restaurant, could not resist quipping, “Sir, I have been watching you spitting in front my place for last 10 minutes. You have finished your meal, but somebody else will walk right into the mess and then walk into the restaurant. Perhaps that could happen to you, before your next meal. Any discussion on hygiene at that point will be moot. Perhaps, somebody will spit right in front of your house and you will walk through that, right into your house. So please reconsider your actions the next time you have the urge to spit.”
Seemingly unconnected events, but I could not help but see the inter-dependence of emergence as a quasi-super power and real, palpable achievements at the grass roots levels.
How do we define India’s emergence on the world scene from a third world developing country to a developed nation? Can we continue to use age-old metrics of GDP growth, export surplus, reduced trade deficit, size of the middle class, and their spending power and values, that have been created and passed down from a generation that has seen a shift to the next generation; all while we continue to neglect basic responsibilities?
Much larger problems await for India as we try to navigate through this world scene, fueled by a mix of FII (Foreign Indirect Investment) and organic growth. For one, potable water remains a rampant issue across large swaths of India, child poverty and malnourishment, lack of early education, corruption at each level of government, non-accountability of tax rupees – what are we as the first generation of 21st century parents doing to leave a lasting gift to the next generation?
Children, as we know, are imitators and learn significant values, not from their school teacher or friends, but from their parents. What are we as Indian parents living in India or as Indians living abroad doing to stimulate and instill in them the values that will guide us to true progress?
I am ambivalent about this apparent “progress” and the pace with which it is coming at us. I am afraid that we don’t have a plan, or at least if we have one, it has not been shared with world-citizens of India. More ever, in order to see some of these changes occur, we the common citizens need to be proactive.
So think about it, what are YOU doing?
About the Author
Aanand Ghan Has Written 1 Articles For Us!
AanandGhan is a long-time Houston resident who came to the United States for higher education and found vocation thereafter. When not working, he is a thinker-tinkerer, with quasi-socio-economic issues, Indian diaspora and all things digital. His reading interest range from international economics, social and political issues in the Indian subcontinent and Middle East, nationalism, and some fiction. His other interests include discussions/gardening/outdoor activities (camping, traveling and deal-hunting).
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Fred M. Miller
