THOUGHT PROVOKING

[Guest guest]

Dear Friend in TBP,

 

This lecture was delivered by former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul

Kalaam a few years ago in Hyderabad. I think it applies to most of us

regardless of geographical boundaries.

 

*Please read this article by giving 10 minutes from your busy life.

Really good.... ** *

 

*The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalaam's Speech in Hyderabad *

 

Why is the media here so negative?

 

Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our

achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing

success stories but we refuse acknowledge them--- Why?

 

We are the first in milk production.

We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.

We are the second largest producer of wheat.

We are the second largest producer of rice.

 

Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a

self-sustaining, self-driving unit.

 

There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed

in the bad news and failures and disasters.

 

I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was

the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken

place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had

the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed

his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture

that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments,

deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

 

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.

 

Why are we so NEGATIVE?

 

Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign

things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign

technology.

 

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that

self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this

lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked

her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a

developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed

India You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is

a highly developed nation.

 

Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

 

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice

is yours.

 

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. 60) to drive through

Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road ) between 5

PM and 8 PM. YOU come back 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, DO YOU?

 

YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai.

YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.

YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in

London at 10 pounds ( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and

ISD calls are billed to someone else.'

YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and

then tell the traffic cop,'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who

I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.'

YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the

garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.

 

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 conform 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 stop 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 that is known not to pass on the

service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like

those related to women, dowry, and 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 Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and

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

is mortgaged to money.

 

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a

great deal of introspection and 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 INDIA

AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA

WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

 

Let's do what India needs from us.

 

Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes

or junk mails.