Incredible India!
22 runs to win, Dhoni batting on 28 of 47 balls – Commentator “Dhoni has played an inning such out of character in the interest of the team ….” Next ball dhoni plays a maverick slog such “in-character” and get bowled stunning and silencing the crowd – camera rolls on to the spectators showing despaired fans – Commentator “The crowd goes silent as another wicket…..” this is when the the section of fans on your screen start celebrating – waving at the cameras as they see themselves on the large screen, such is India – Incredible.
My first impression during my first few days of India visit was – changed, the country has changed drastically, but then a closer look, and the changes seemed only superficial, cosmetic and purporting to the microcosm of urban and corporate India. We have graduated from one lane to 6 lane roads but we still drive on the lane separators, we have glass dressed buildings but we still spit on no spitting boards, people still smoke in public places with no consideration for others, large corporate have tall aristocratic buildings with lawns and pools with no consideration for the neighborhoods and roads around the area- but are the first to complain about the worsening traffic and power situation. This particular grievance is addressed to IT companies who are so obsessed with comforting their employees - devise fancy ways of compensating them so that they can evade income tax and then expect government to take care of various issues. Adopt a mile of highway culture; industry government co-operation is nowhere to be seen.
One of the surprising developments was my reluctance to buy multinational products in India. When I went around comparing the prices of products like Pepsi , coke, McDonalds, Reebok in India there is no major difference in the prices in India and US in fact some are costlier in India. Now if you compare how much an average Indian and an American earns, buying these in India is like some outrageously prodigal expenditure. However equally baffling is how we don’t mind spending on this stuff.
So what more, On the tube the plethora of news channel is mind boggling and the content even more so, everyone wants to feed in live happening of violence – gory picture showing the agony and atrocities, the crime rate in urban India and the problem compounded by non existent law and order. A pathetic and hilarious happening today, Samajwadi party workers attacking American tourists over the execution of Saddam hussain, now who were the American tourists? Indians like me visiting the country, so Indians attacking Indians over Saddam execution. Saddam Hussain Jindabaad slogans complimentary with the stone pelting …….
So is everything so bad out here ? No…….there are many pleasant things around …. The economic boom is so inspiring, the country is marching towards prosperity and the Indian girls seemed more beautiful than ever before ;)
22 runs to win, Dhoni batting on 28 of 47 balls – Commentator “Dhoni has played an inning such out of character in the interest of the team ….” Next ball dhoni plays a maverick slog such “in-character” and get bowled stunning and silencing the crowd – camera rolls on to the spectators showing despaired fans – Commentator “The crowd goes silent as another wicket…..” this is when the the section of fans on your screen start celebrating – waving at the cameras as they see themselves on the large screen, such is India – Incredible.
My first impression during my first few days of India visit was – changed, the country has changed drastically, but then a closer look, and the changes seemed only superficial, cosmetic and purporting to the microcosm of urban and corporate India. We have graduated from one lane to 6 lane roads but we still drive on the lane separators, we have glass dressed buildings but we still spit on no spitting boards, people still smoke in public places with no consideration for others, large corporate have tall aristocratic buildings with lawns and pools with no consideration for the neighborhoods and roads around the area- but are the first to complain about the worsening traffic and power situation. This particular grievance is addressed to IT companies who are so obsessed with comforting their employees - devise fancy ways of compensating them so that they can evade income tax and then expect government to take care of various issues. Adopt a mile of highway culture; industry government co-operation is nowhere to be seen.
One of the surprising developments was my reluctance to buy multinational products in India. When I went around comparing the prices of products like Pepsi , coke, McDonalds, Reebok in India there is no major difference in the prices in India and US in fact some are costlier in India. Now if you compare how much an average Indian and an American earns, buying these in India is like some outrageously prodigal expenditure. However equally baffling is how we don’t mind spending on this stuff.
So what more, On the tube the plethora of news channel is mind boggling and the content even more so, everyone wants to feed in live happening of violence – gory picture showing the agony and atrocities, the crime rate in urban India and the problem compounded by non existent law and order. A pathetic and hilarious happening today, Samajwadi party workers attacking American tourists over the execution of Saddam hussain, now who were the American tourists? Indians like me visiting the country, so Indians attacking Indians over Saddam execution. Saddam Hussain Jindabaad slogans complimentary with the stone pelting …….
So is everything so bad out here ? No…….there are many pleasant things around …. The economic boom is so inspiring, the country is marching towards prosperity and the Indian girls seemed more beautiful than ever before ;)
india really rocks dude....the last line of ur blog seems to a perfect ending...and infact its very true after coming back from india....for a change, i liked ur blog.....lol
ReplyDeleteI shall wait for you to go back after a year or so. We shall talk again!
ReplyDeleteIndia marching towards properity? Where did you go man? I bet it was one of those metros. Look up some numbers from govt. publications, and then you will know how have we done in terms of progress. For example, mortality rate or per capita income, or number of schools per 1000 population or number of students dropping out before reaching 5th class, or number of health care services per 20 sq Kms, or number of hours of total daily electricity supply per day, or .....you have no idea dude....
ReplyDeleteOne good thing about you, and that distinguishes you from other scores of indians, is that YOU CARE. Although your perception is not realisitc as of now (Its is Metro-listic), but atleast you care. I am sure you will look deeper into the progress made by India as a nation, and again get disappointment, and may be write another blog. But I hope someday, when you will find the time right, you will do something....to solve or atleast try to solve....Remember the the view of India from Bangalore and Delhi is much different than it is from Rengarpura in Uttar Predesh.
Keep the fire burning....
I cant justify all facts but atleast i know that people have ridiculous salaries in IT and so the per capita income has to go up, may be the polulation is addion to the denominator, & who can b held responsible for that? I experienced fewer power cuts and the roads were cool too.
ReplyDeleteMahesh