The above picture of snow-drenched Europe (thanks to a dear friend) makes me reflect upon a the scenario that India presents for the mankind. Appropriately I have titled this post as "India, the next best thing on Earth?', the next best thing as the motherland is always the best thing, now matter whether the biggest in size or the tiniest island on the planet. The immediate cause of reflection is the news which has been flashing on television channels recently that snow-storms have hit European nations and the landscape is covered in thick white layers. The naturally corollary is the seizure of all activity, whether professional or recreational (unless of-course making snow-creatures is discounted for). While the same is good at a personal level in which the family-folk get time to inter-mix, the conditions outside the household being indomitably against traveling to work. However it leads to a loss of nation as a whole.
Stand-still scenario is not good for the economy as economic activity is the basis on which a nation and in fact even a society survives and not just thrives. It is not good for the employers / manufacturers as the invested capital (in monetary as well as material perspective, both) lies idle and thus the rate of returns diminishes or in fact turns negative. Sustained inactivity is also not a rosy scenario for the employed / professional in as much as the room to work, and thus the earning capacity, is simply not available. Thus society, which requires interaction of its members on economic platforms, arrives at a point which due to natural reasons is unable to engage in meaningful interaction. On a non-monetary aspect as well. It comes on account of idle time attributable to folks. People who do not work become lethargic, gain weight and add to all sorts of social problems. No point enlisting the evils of an empty mind, but then we have seen it more than heard that an empty mind is devil's workshop.
So, how is this related to India? In a sense it is. There are no snow-storms, no natural variations to affect the work flow. On the contrary a nearly permanent tropical weather for most parts of the country presents a conducive environment for work at its appropriate pace. The stark lack of any dominating chieftains (as it used to be a couple of decades back, as reflected in the Hindi cinema of those times), the moral aspect of this aspect irrespective, has allowed the increase in working hours and employment of a working force which has now grown used to working abysmally long hours. With rich endowments from mother-earth in the form of natural resources, and a citizens dedicated to the cause of work more than work itself, the country has grown into a grove that is not just meant to be sustaining but in fact it looked upon as the harbinger of growth for both its western and eastern counterparts.
The impact of the progressive reins of Indian economy is so much so that today even the IMF is impressed with the deft approach of the Indian policy-makers (who only ensure to stay out of the way, lest turn into a stumbling stone in the path of growth of the self-driven Indian entrepreneurs), This the same IMF which enlisted India at the edge of bankruptcy not long back so as to be ebbed away from memory. Nonetheless we Indians take, just like all else, even this in our stride as we continue to march in our quest not just to be labelled as a developed nation but rather lead but example to all rest, as we were in the past a few centuries ago.
The newly independent India witnessed the migration of elite and talented to serve the western nations. Though they might have well been settled as of right abroad, the urge for them to be treated specially, be it as 'Persons of Indian Origin' or 'Overseas Citizen of India' etc., it reflective of the revived status of India that it is has turned "cool" for one to be associated with this proud-nation. The current Prime-Minister sees this trend as 'brain gain' whereas it is also to note that those seeking to rework the forgotten ties with this nation are not the unsuccessful ones looking to return but those who have made their name amongst the very best of the best. These distinguished persons are known internationally for their contribution to the global-village that this planet is and not just confined to the cause of a state or nation.
More importantly, what i personally like is the spirit of fighting-back. Be it massive floods (which have almost become a normal feature), tsunamis, earthquakes or even terrorist attacks, the country never stops. The productive activity never comes under a seize so as to turn dormant. Not just for earning livelihood, the people in this country also work for the sheer sense of joy that it brings to invent, invigorate, create, with the things around us. Though as a flip side of the all the industrialization activity no doubt the habitat has declined a bit compared to its pristine form, yet what matters is the fact, the bad manners notwithstanding, the we carry out with us an admirable capacity of owning up. A group pollutes, another tidies it up.
And, with all pun intended, just a reminder to other. The size of scams which we have are of such magnitude that few of them can equal the whole economic output of some nations. But then we turn a blind eye to these in our daily interaction, being assured that the scale will balance eventually and those responsible will be booked, the incident being just a bubble in a bath. ...
So, how is this related to India? In a sense it is. There are no snow-storms, no natural variations to affect the work flow. On the contrary a nearly permanent tropical weather for most parts of the country presents a conducive environment for work at its appropriate pace. The stark lack of any dominating chieftains (as it used to be a couple of decades back, as reflected in the Hindi cinema of those times), the moral aspect of this aspect irrespective, has allowed the increase in working hours and employment of a working force which has now grown used to working abysmally long hours. With rich endowments from mother-earth in the form of natural resources, and a citizens dedicated to the cause of work more than work itself, the country has grown into a grove that is not just meant to be sustaining but in fact it looked upon as the harbinger of growth for both its western and eastern counterparts.
The impact of the progressive reins of Indian economy is so much so that today even the IMF is impressed with the deft approach of the Indian policy-makers (who only ensure to stay out of the way, lest turn into a stumbling stone in the path of growth of the self-driven Indian entrepreneurs), This the same IMF which enlisted India at the edge of bankruptcy not long back so as to be ebbed away from memory. Nonetheless we Indians take, just like all else, even this in our stride as we continue to march in our quest not just to be labelled as a developed nation but rather lead but example to all rest, as we were in the past a few centuries ago.
The newly independent India witnessed the migration of elite and talented to serve the western nations. Though they might have well been settled as of right abroad, the urge for them to be treated specially, be it as 'Persons of Indian Origin' or 'Overseas Citizen of India' etc., it reflective of the revived status of India that it is has turned "cool" for one to be associated with this proud-nation. The current Prime-Minister sees this trend as 'brain gain' whereas it is also to note that those seeking to rework the forgotten ties with this nation are not the unsuccessful ones looking to return but those who have made their name amongst the very best of the best. These distinguished persons are known internationally for their contribution to the global-village that this planet is and not just confined to the cause of a state or nation.
More importantly, what i personally like is the spirit of fighting-back. Be it massive floods (which have almost become a normal feature), tsunamis, earthquakes or even terrorist attacks, the country never stops. The productive activity never comes under a seize so as to turn dormant. Not just for earning livelihood, the people in this country also work for the sheer sense of joy that it brings to invent, invigorate, create, with the things around us. Though as a flip side of the all the industrialization activity no doubt the habitat has declined a bit compared to its pristine form, yet what matters is the fact, the bad manners notwithstanding, the we carry out with us an admirable capacity of owning up. A group pollutes, another tidies it up.
And, with all pun intended, just a reminder to other. The size of scams which we have are of such magnitude that few of them can equal the whole economic output of some nations. But then we turn a blind eye to these in our daily interaction, being assured that the scale will balance eventually and those responsible will be booked, the incident being just a bubble in a bath. ...
