Comments on: Can India be Great? http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/ A look into Asia in the year 2020 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:31:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Mark http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/#comment-177 Mark Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:19:12 +0000 http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/?p=166#comment-177 The article failed to mentioned that for India to be great, it have to revisit "how it implement its democracy". So far, being one of the longest running and open democracies in Asia, the vast majority of the population remains desperately poor. Despite the vast amount of wealth and knowledge accumulated by a small section of population, this failed to significantly impact and benefit the poor (and the rich does get richer, yes). I think the poorly implemented democracy (which is copied from a western template) is hindering India's ability to grow due to its cultural irrelevance (where else do you have such a huge population? India is unique). One can say India got the worst part of good democracy and China got the best part of bad communism. I'd love to see India becoming great, but they have to realise the term "democracy" has got many layers of meaning, and it is used as a marketing buzzword allowing US to hold a moral high ground. Learn to question democracy, and not merely accept what's on offer. The article failed to mentioned that for India to be great, it have to revisit “how it implement its democracy”. So far, being one of the longest running and open democracies in Asia, the vast majority of the population remains desperately poor. Despite the vast amount of wealth and knowledge accumulated by a small section of population, this failed to significantly impact and benefit the poor (and the rich does get richer, yes).

I think the poorly implemented democracy (which is copied from a western template) is hindering India’s ability to grow due to its cultural irrelevance (where else do you have such a huge population? India is unique). One can say India got the worst part of good democracy and China got the best part of bad communism.

I’d love to see India becoming great, but they have to realise the term “democracy” has got many layers of meaning, and it is used as a marketing buzzword allowing US to hold a moral high ground. Learn to question democracy, and not merely accept what’s on offer.

]]> By: Dev Kumar Dutta http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/#comment-162 Dev Kumar Dutta Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:36:03 +0000 http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/?p=166#comment-162 A well-written piece that sadly couldn’t avoid the invariable temptation of baiting the so-called “Hindu right-wing”. I really don’t have to explain why the author is wrong in his assessment about a “small segment of India’s vast Muslim community” having “turned to the siren call of radical Islam” because of what he perceives to be the wrongdoing of the Hindu right wing. The pathological hatred for anything and everything Indian and Hindu, in the tone and tenor of the respondent, Alam, a Muslim, is the best explanation of the author’s misplaced opinion about Muslims. The truth about the Muslims of India is that like most of their folks elsewhere, they’re a mullah-driven society where half the population is forced to live in darkness inside black veils while the other half lives in the blinding rage of lunatic fanaticism fuelled by the blazing sword of Islam. So, whether there’s a Hindu right wing or not India’s Muslims will remain alienated from the heart and soul of the nation and would do everything to stay as far away from the mainstream as possible. The author should do well to remember that there was no Hindu right wing worth the name when vandalistic hooliganism for the creation of Pakistan was launched by the Muslim leadership in pre-independence India. When the time came to vote for the creation of Pakistan, the entire Muslim community, lock, stock and barrel, voted for it, barring a ironic exception, the Pakhtoons of what is today, NWFP in Pakistan. Ironic, because that part of Pakistan is today identified as the epicenter of the fanatical Jihadi movement in the world. I don’t buy this assessment though, because in my opinion the problem lies not in any particular geographic location but in the creed itself. Coming back to the Muslims of India, they are the descendents of the very same separatists who divided India with their votes. Pakistan at least, would not have been created on the basis of voting by Muslims in what constitutes today’s Pakistan and Bangladesh because their votes would have drastically fallen short. Even if half the number of ancestors of the Muslims of today’s India had voted against the creation of Pakistan, it would not have come about, at least on the basis of voting. Today in India, nothing really has changed with regard to the alienation of the Muslims because they are still the same dogmatic, insular and fanatical community they always were. Their inspiration is Pakistan and they openly say so. No, don’t imagine that they all want to go away to Pakistan. Now they want to create more land for Pakistan out of whatever is left of India today. In my life spanning 43 years, I’ve known enough Muslims from different walks of life who have the same views as the respondent, Alam, or even worse. They just can’t identify with anything native Indian or Hindu and it is pathological. They can’t help it. I’m not interested in classifying it as right or wrong because in my view and those of a growing number of Hindus, it’s time to call a spade a spade and confront the problem head on. As for creatures like this respondent, Alam, well, I don’t know where he is from although it matters little because he’d be the same wherever he is. That is, if he’s still alive then he’s a walking human bomb ready to blow up in some crowded place and if he’s already blown himself up, then well, he’s in paradise as promised by his scriptures. A well-written piece that sadly couldn’t avoid the invariable temptation of baiting the so-called “Hindu right-wing”. I really don’t have to explain why the author is wrong in his assessment about a “small segment of India’s vast Muslim community” having “turned to the siren call of radical Islam” because of what he perceives to be the wrongdoing of the Hindu right wing. The pathological hatred for anything and everything Indian and Hindu, in the tone and tenor of the respondent, Alam, a Muslim, is the best explanation of the author’s misplaced opinion about Muslims. The truth about the Muslims of India is that like most of their folks elsewhere, they’re a mullah-driven society where half the population is forced to live in darkness inside black veils while the other half lives in the blinding rage of lunatic fanaticism fuelled by the blazing sword of Islam. So, whether there’s a Hindu right wing or not India’s Muslims will remain alienated from the heart and soul of the nation and would do everything to stay as far away from the mainstream as possible. The author should do well to remember that there was no Hindu right wing worth the name when vandalistic hooliganism for the creation of Pakistan was launched by the Muslim leadership in pre-independence India. When the time came to vote for the creation of Pakistan, the entire Muslim community, lock, stock and barrel, voted for it, barring a ironic exception, the Pakhtoons of what is today, NWFP in Pakistan. Ironic, because that part of Pakistan is today identified as the epicenter of the fanatical Jihadi movement in the world. I don’t buy this assessment though, because in my opinion the problem lies not in any particular geographic location but in the creed itself. Coming back to the Muslims of India, they are the descendents of the very same separatists who divided India with their votes. Pakistan at least, would not have been created on the basis of voting by Muslims in what constitutes today’s Pakistan and Bangladesh because their votes would have drastically fallen short. Even if half the number of ancestors of the Muslims of today’s India had voted against the creation of Pakistan, it would not have come about, at least on the basis of voting. Today in India, nothing really has changed with regard to the alienation of the Muslims because they are still the same dogmatic, insular and fanatical community they always were. Their inspiration is Pakistan and they openly say so. No, don’t imagine that they all want to go away to Pakistan. Now they want to create more land for Pakistan out of whatever is left of India today. In my life spanning 43 years, I’ve known enough Muslims from different walks of life who have the same views as the respondent, Alam, or even worse. They just can’t identify with anything native Indian or Hindu and it is pathological. They can’t help it. I’m not interested in classifying it as right or wrong because in my view and those of a growing number of Hindus, it’s time to call a spade a spade and confront the problem head on. As for creatures like this respondent, Alam, well, I don’t know where he is from although it matters little because he’d be the same wherever he is. That is, if he’s still alive then he’s a walking human bomb ready to blow up in some crowded place and if he’s already blown himself up, then well, he’s in paradise as promised by his scriptures.

]]> By: jimmy kantesaria http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/#comment-160 jimmy kantesaria Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:12:01 +0000 http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/?p=166#comment-160 The north-eastern part of the country has many attractive tourist points and can be developed for tourism business. But the government do not take much interest for that and because of that only those portion of the country is still unexplored. The north-eastern part of the country has many attractive tourist points and can be developed for tourism business. But the government do not take much interest for that and because of that only those portion of the country is still unexplored.

]]> By: ASHOK KUMAR MEENA http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/#comment-152 ASHOK KUMAR MEENA Sat, 16 Jan 2010 11:04:49 +0000 http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/?p=166#comment-152 Yes, it's true that India will be a future power in all aspects. but India has to prevent its new educated breed to go to foreign countries. We constitute 45% of the NASA. So is not it reasonable to say how this breed is important for us. As far as education is concerned changes should be brought in the university level education. And doors of IIM and IIT should be opened for underprivileged people. Because they can not have such an exceptional study background which these premier institutes consider to give admission. As far as secularism is concerned it can be transformed just by eliminating the political parties because at the time of elections only these parties raise the issue of religion, caste, region, language etc. and it does let the country be stable politically. And for economic progress it is much necessary to have stable government to run the country. Like china where only one party, the Communist Party rules. That's why it was able to maintain double digit growth rate for a long time. One more thing which I want to add is that India has been ignoring eastern states which are still unexplored and have an abundance of natural resources. Even they are not well connected with the other part of the country by rail, road or air. India has to involve these states into the mainstream by bringing development. Because of the negligence an number of insurgent groups now drastically emerging like ulfa, naxals etc. and demanding to make it separate from rest of the India. And also because of this negligence China is trying to penetrate into this region. India has to develop border states of this part to save it from China. Yes, it’s true that India will be a future power in all aspects. but India has to prevent its new educated breed to go to foreign countries. We constitute 45% of the NASA. So is not it reasonable to say how this breed is important for us. As far as education is concerned changes should be brought in the university level education. And doors of IIM and IIT should be opened for underprivileged people. Because they can not have such an exceptional study background which these premier institutes consider to give admission.

As far as secularism is concerned it can be transformed just by eliminating the political parties because at the time of elections only these parties raise the issue of religion, caste, region, language etc. and it does let the country be stable politically. And for economic progress it is much necessary to have stable government to run the country. Like china where only one party, the Communist Party rules. That’s why it was able to maintain double digit growth rate for a long time.

One more thing which I want to add is that India has been ignoring eastern states which are still unexplored and have an abundance of natural resources. Even they are not well connected with the other part of the country by rail, road or air. India has to involve these states into the mainstream by bringing development. Because of the negligence an number of insurgent groups now drastically emerging like ulfa, naxals etc. and demanding to make it separate from rest of the India. And also because of this negligence China is trying to penetrate into this region. India has to develop border states of this part to save it from China.

]]> By: Samar Abbas http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/#comment-143 Samar Abbas Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:05:02 +0000 http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/?p=166#comment-143 To alam India is of Indians not of Hindus or Muslims. Secularism, democracy and a forward-looking attitude will ensure a better future undoubtedly. Sadly, tolerance is missing in Pakistan and many other Muslim countries. To alam

India is of Indians not of Hindus or Muslims. Secularism, democracy and a forward-looking attitude will ensure a better future undoubtedly. Sadly, tolerance is missing in Pakistan and many other Muslim countries.

]]> By: Amit http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/#comment-142 Amit Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:58:08 +0000 http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/?p=166#comment-142 Yeah, India can be great and its great because it will help everyone in trade and commerce Yeah, India can be great and its great because it will help everyone in trade and commerce

]]> By: 2sfs http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/#comment-137 2sfs Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:26:31 +0000 http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/?p=166#comment-137 I am interested in some keywords from the article: Singh, infrastructure, education, China. I hope India can move forward because it is proud of the Asia. I am interested in some keywords from the article: Singh, infrastructure, education, China. I hope India can move forward because it is proud of the Asia.

]]> By: Saurabh http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/#comment-69 Saurabh Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:32:54 +0000 http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/?p=166#comment-69 @Alam and yapchongyee India is much less corrupt than both China and Pakistan. We all know about the condition of defence in Pakistan, every day a new bomb blast kills 40 people or so. Nations are not marked great by their armies but by living standards and values. @Alam and yapchongyee

India is much less corrupt than both China and Pakistan. We all know about the condition of defence in Pakistan, every day a new bomb blast kills 40 people or so. Nations are not marked great by their armies but by living standards and values.

]]> By: Saurabh http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/#comment-68 Saurabh Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:24:00 +0000 http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/?p=166#comment-68 Surely some 50 years later India will be, I believe. Given around 90% literacy. Imagine 1.3 billion people educated and working for the country. Surely some 50 years later India will be, I believe. Given around 90% literacy. Imagine 1.3 billion people educated and working for the country.

]]> By: BHARTI http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/feature/can-india-be-great/#comment-51 BHARTI Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:48:47 +0000 http://apac2020.the-diplomat.com/?p=166#comment-51 No one is born great. Greatness, is not a matter of chance but it's the matter of choice. Discrimination on the basis of caste, religion etc. has forced others to ask this question, 'Can India become great?' I believe in: when 1.2 billion manpower, or rather I should say 1.2 billion undiscriminated horsepower, focuses on the one-and-only target: to prove greatness of India, then the question in itself becomes very small. No one is born great.
Greatness, is not a matter of chance but it’s the matter of choice. Discrimination on the basis of caste, religion etc. has forced others to ask this question, ‘Can India become great?’
I believe in: when 1.2 billion manpower, or rather I should say 1.2 billion undiscriminated horsepower, focuses on the one-and-only target: to prove greatness of India, then the question in itself becomes very small.

]]>