On Independence Day, I read a news item
in TOI that on many indicators, China, Indonesia and Sri Lanka have done much
better than us. China's per capita income is 4-5 times of that of ours. What I
was surprised about that even Sri Lanka and Indonesia's per capita income is
double of ours. Just because our population is high leading to a big size
economy doesn't erase the fact that we are amongst the poorest and worst
(socially and human development indicators wise) countries of the world.
Why
is it so? I think one of the main inhibitors of our progress is our mindset.
Here are some everyday examples, which demonstrate duality of our character or
double standards-
1. Ragging Mindset: Those who criticize ragging in the
first year in College change overnight and indulge in it second year onwards.
More than 90% freshers would be against ragging and more than 90% seniors would
be pro ragging.
2. Dowry: Your arguments and position change depending
upon whether it is the marriage of your son or your daughter. I have hardly
seen any bride’s father speaking in favor of dowry and similarly a groom’s
father not justifying dowry for practical reasons.
3. Corruption: Every citizen who doesn’t have a
government servant in the family is dead against corruption and most of the
family members of government servants can tell you 10 practical justifications
for the corruption.
4. Reservations: I have hardly seen a HUC (Hindu Upper
Caste) person being pro-reservation (except for some politicians and bureaucrats for
whom it is a compulsion) and hardly any OBC/SC/ST/Muslim person being anti-reservation?
5. Police Commissioner System: IAS, IPS are supposed
to be the people who should keep the country’s interests above their own
selfish power interests. Why then I am yet to find an IPS opposing Police
Commissioner System and an IAS advocating for it?
To begin with, I have listed only 5 examples. I have
deliberately not included the obvious double speak of political parties
depending upon whether they are in power or in opposition. You are most welcome
to add to this list through comments.
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