Current Events
Khushwant Singh ... on India
New Delhi, India
India has more national holidays – in my estimate nearly 50 every year – than any other country in the world.
Sometimes there are three holidays together in one week which causes a lot of inconvenience to the public.
As a consequence, we are work-shy, we produce the least and remain the world’s poorest country.
We Indians work only three days in the week. On the other hand, the Chinese work eight days in the week. Consequently, their rate of development is much faster than ours.
They outpace us in every activity of life – be it farming, working in factories or offices or sports. So they outstrip us in every field of activity.
They had little trouble in giving us a sound thrashing when we went to war against them.
They continue to thrash us in every field. They produce world champions; we have not produced a single one. They have a work mentality, we have “chhutti” mentality.
How on earth can we catch up with the advanced nations of the world?
We have to radically change our mindset or we will remain the most backward nation on the globe.
Courtesy: Tribune.
October 7, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Sarbjit Singh (Jalandhar, Punjab), October 07, 2012, 11:52 AM.
Absolutely 100% correct judgement. I am in India at the moment, visiting after 24 years in the US. It's the same story, as always ... nothing has been changed. Corruption, dishonesty, lies, cheating. It's all still the same. I don't think it will ever change.
2: Gurdev Bir (Columbus, Ohio, USA), October 07, 2012, 2:15 PM.
What with the upper echelons deeply immersed in nepotism and corruption and the greed for power and money, leaving the masses to fend for themselves, where justice is a distant dream, that will not change in the foreseeable future. There have been more 'bhagats' and 'holy souls' born in India than anywhere else, and we are still in a pathetic human state! Your comparison to china says it all.
3: Jaspreet (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada), October 07, 2012, 8:53 PM.
If India were to ever rival China in its economy, it is not necessarily the case that the benefits would filter down to the masses. In comparison to India, China seems to care for its people. It probably doesn't have anything akin to the Hindu caste system that is violently maintained in India.
4: Dr.Birinder Singh Ahluwalia (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), October 08, 2012, 9:51 AM.
I have great respect for all countries struggling in today's economic climate, including India. However, in a mood of levity, I would like to share this experience with you all. Yesterday, I was shopping with a friend of mine visiting from India and happenstance, saw the Consul General Of India also shopping in a store named "Banana Republic" - my friend quipped: "What irony! Here in person is the representative of a real Banana Republic!" As I said ... I have great respect for India and its CGI and, of course, I've read that India is on a path to become a responsible global power - my best wishes are with all Indian people to realize their dreams. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
5: Charandeep Singh (Chandigarh, Punjab), October 13, 2012, 2:26 PM.
How can the lands of the great Gurus be bad? A person in India will not follow rules, will cheat and become corrupt, but the same person, when he goes to a foreign land, will be highly disciplined. The individual is not bad but there is a lack of good leadership and rule of law in India. Indians, particularly Sikhs, have carved a niche in every sphere, in every part of the world because of the hard work, industriousness and sincerity. Shah Mohammad, the famous Punjabi poet wrote about the Sikh defeat in the last Anglo-British War: "Shah Mohammada ik sarkar bhajhon, faujan jit ke ant nu harian ne." - "O Shah Muhammad, but for the right leadership, the armies who were so close to victory, were defeated." If there are so many holidays here - it is for the appeasement of the vote bank. The root cause of these evils can be found in bad politics. Politicians themselves encourage illiteracy, slum culture, hollow rituals and the fake 'baba' culture for their vote bank. Nature has been so kind to the country. India has one of the oldest civilizations. In the past, the western world looked towards India with awe. Even till 1940s, one Indian rupee could buy 13 US dollars! India needs a leader like the great Maharaja Ranjit Singh and most of its problems would be solved.