Dear Prof Kishwar,
Many thanks for your absolutely superb and well researched article.
It is obvious that most people share your view on India's way of life,
as documented by you.
I have no doubts that however rich India might be someday, it will
never, ever, ever be at par with any Western nation in terms of quality
of life.
In the time I lived in Goa, fully 'Indinized' now, I have never found
any aspect of life where corruption was not involved. That was not the
case under Portuguese rule. Even on the day I have returned back to
Europe, I had to pay a police clearance certificate, and I was asked by
the non-Goan Goa Police desk clerk if I could add a 20 rupee note (some
pocket money in 1994) to the 5 rupees fee! To that, I have just replied
that when I would return to visit Goa, I would definitely get him some
bubblegum. To which he nodded happily!
As the rich get richer and more powerful, as the police and government
departments get more greedy, corruption will never be stamped out as
without it, these so called 'leaders' would never be in their 'richie
league' and would just be nobodys - like the vast illiterate people who
elect them to power. Many times, many of these are paid to exercise
their 'democratic' right!
Sad, such a huge nation with endless resources to make it amongst the
league of great nations... but as corruption will never be stamped out,
it is doomed to be just another nation where it might throw in their
weight in world issues, but will never call the shots and pride itself
in being a place anyone would be happy to live in. A place where the
rich would not care if they have to bulldoze a few slums to make way for
a nice garden... overlooking yet more slums!
Kind regards,
Joao Paulo Cota
"The more you know, the less you know, because the more you know you
don't know". --M. Lin
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