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 a 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
is 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
neighbors’, 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.
Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalam
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