Why is the media here so negative?Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, ourachievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazingSuccess stories but we refuse to 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 aSelf-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of suchachievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news andfailures and disasters. I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli Newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks andbombardments and deaths had taken place.The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had thepicture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed hisdesert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picturethat 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 arewe so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessedwith 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 thatself-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving thislecture,When a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her whather 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 mustproclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highlydeveloped nation. Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back witha 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, theairline is the worst in the world, and mails never reach theirdestination.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. Givehim a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at yourInternational best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts onthe roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Undergroundlinks as they are. Youpay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent ofMahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back totheparking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in arestaurant 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 duringRamadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your headcoveredIn Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephoneexchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it thatmy STD and ISDCalls are billed to someone else.' YOU would not dare to speed beyond55 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 coconutshell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australiaand NewZealand. Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Whydon't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates inBoston??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respectand conform to a foreign systemin other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papersand cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If youcan be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, whycannot 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 onthe streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' hesaid.'Andthen the same people turn around to criticize and blame theauthorities for inefficiency and dirty pavement.
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. Wego to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit allresponsibility.We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to doeverything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. Weexpect the government to clean up but we are not going to stopchucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick aup a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect therailways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn theproper use of bathrooms.We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food andtoiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the leastOpportunity.This applies even to the staff that is known not to pass on theservice to the public. When it comes to burning social issues likethose related to women, dowry, and girl child! And others, we makeloud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse athome. Our excuse? ‘It’s the Whole system which has to change, how itwill matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who'sgoing to change the system? What does a system consist of? Veryconveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households,other cities, other communities and thegovernment. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actuallyMaking a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves alongwith our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance atcountriesfarAway 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 theirglory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run toEngland . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight outto the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued andbrought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse andrapethe country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience ismortgaged 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 echoingJ. F.Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIAAND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIAWHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Lets do what India needs from us.
-Dr. Abdul Kalaam
Mail forwarded by Vinopraba thirumavalavan
