[world-vedic] Chitthi aai hai: To the NRI from a Caring BHARTIYA

[Guest guest]

>

>Thu, 6 Jan 00 20:45:48 EST

>"Romesh Diwan" <diwanr

>Chitthii aai hai: Message to the NRI:

>

>Dear friends,

> Nameste and Happy 2000. Here is an interesting food for our thought.

>It

>was forwarded by e-mail from shri Vijay ji. I have taken the liberty to

>give

>it a new title. With kind regards. r

>

> Chitthi aai hai: To the NRI from a Caring BHARTIYA

>

> TO ALL NR BHARATIYA: YOU SAY THAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS INEFFICIENT. YOU SAY

>THAT OUR LAWS ARE TOO OLD. YOU say that the municipality does not pick up

>the garbage. YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,

>the airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.

>YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

>YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?

>

> Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS. Give him

>a

>face - YOURS.

>

> You walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In

>Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the

>stores.

>YOU are as proud of their Underground Links as they are. You pay $5

>(approx.

>Rs.210) to drive through Orchard road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or

>Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 pm. You comeback to the parking lot to

>punch

>your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping

>mall irrespective of your status & identity. In Singapore you don't say

>anything. You DO. In Dubai you wouldn't dare to eat in public during

>Ramzan.

>In Jeddah you would not dare to go out without your head covered. In

>London

>you would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange at 10

>pounds

>(Rs. 650) a month to, "see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to

>someone else."

>In Washington you would not dare to speed and then tell the traffic cop,

>"Jaanta hai sala main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's

>son. Take your two bucks and get lost." On the beaches of Australia and New

>Zealand you wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the

>garbage pail. Why don't you spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't

>you use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston?

>

> We are still talking of the same YOU. You who can respect and confirm to

>a

>foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will

>throw

>papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If

>you

>can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country why cannot

>you be the same here in India.

>

> Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay

>Mr.Tinaikar had a point to make. "Rich people's dogs are walked on the

>streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place," he said.

>"And

>then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for

>inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do?

>Go

>down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In

>America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job.

>Same

>in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that here?"

>

> He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that

>forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect

>the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally

>negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop

>chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stoop to pick up a

>stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to

>provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of

>bathrooms. We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of

>food

>and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least

>opportunity. This applies even to the staff who are known not to pass on

>the

>service to the public.

>

> When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women,

>dowry,

>girl child and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue

>to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? "It's the whole system which has to

>change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry."

>So

>who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of? Very

>conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other

>cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and

>YOU.

>When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system

>we

>lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the

>distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along &

>work

>miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand. Or we leave the country

>and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to

>bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure

>we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next

>flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be

>rescued and brought home by the BHARATIYA government.

>

> After a six - month holiday during which derogatory comments about India

>and Indians are made and sheepishly accepted, we are ready to leave for

>Australia because their old age benefits and pension schemes are very

>lucrative.

>Bribery, tax evasion, unlicensed business, unethical practices ,etc. has

>not

>reached the same dimensions anywhere as it has in India, thanks to each

>citizen's sense of involvement with the country. Everybody is out to abuse

>and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience

>is

>mortgaged to money.

>

>Dear all,

> This is a thought provoking article and calls for a great deal of

>introspection. It pricks one's conscience too. I am echoing J.F.Kennedy's

>words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.."ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR

>BHARAT AND NOT WHAT BHARAT."

>

> CAN DO FOR US"

> Let's do what BHARAT needs from us. Forward this mail to each BHARATIYA

>for a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.Thank you. Let the

>Strength and Courage help you to run this race .JAI-HIND

>

>

>Romesh Diwan, Professor of Economics

>Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180

>diwanr

>

 

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