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NEW BOOK: 'PATRIOTISM IN ACTION: Goans in Indias Defence Services'
With Foreword by Gen SF Rodrigues, PVSM, VSM, ADC (retd)
former Chief of Indian Army Staff
and Governor, Punjab & Administrator, Chandigarh UT
Copies now available at:
GOA: Literati (2277740), Other India (2263306), Broadway (6647038),
Mandovi (2427904), Noel DSilva & Associates (9823120454 / 9096781714),
Confidant / Golden Heart Emp (2732450), David & Co (2730326), Vardaan
(9527463684)
SERV / RETD Def Offrs in Goa: O/o Sainik Co-op Hse Bldg Sty, Def Col, Porvorim
(2417288)
MUMBAI: David & Co (22019010)
PUNE: Manneys (26131683), Popular (25678327)
BENGALURU: Narayan (22865800)
DELHI: Ritana (24617278)
ONLINE (worldwide delivery): http://www.ritanabooks.com,
http://goa1556.goa-india.org
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Quoting Selma Carvallo:
"Lastly, coming to the matter of hygiene. I'm sorry but Indians have the worst
hygiene standards, I personally have come across. I don't need statistics or
surveys to back me up"...
Selma has been accused by some of being prejudiced against Indians for her views
on the India's hygiene-habit. I feel that this prejudice is justified somehow,
and I would
side with it only if there is something to be done about the issue of national
attitude to filth
and not just point judgmental and holier than thou fingers.
The fact is that there is more dirt around/ about people in India; Indians are
blaze about
squalidness and dirt. We may try to justify it by giving several reasons if we
want to,
but since that does not help, there is no point in doing so. ( We must also
realize that this nation
has suffered many a dictum like "brahma sttyam jaganmitthaa" = only Brahman is
truth,
all else that is manifest is false. Buddha and Shankara have done more harm to
the vitality of this
great nation than a Micky Potcheko can ever hope to!)
I wonder if anything might actually work except by improvement in living
conditions by eradication of poverty by effectively imposing a forked agenda of
pragmatic,
good and relevant education and control (for some years at least) of our
national breeding
habit. It was there in place during India Gandhi's rule, perhaps it is still
there but there is no
way of implementing it effectively and yet be a democracy! (remember nasbandi
during 1975?)
Also without the threat of going out of power. So it is catch 22. Besides, with
a diversity like
ours in a democratic set up only an impossible idealist can hope to get
results, I guess.
I am ashamed to admit that we Indians have acquired a degenerate sense of
hygiene than the
rest of the world and, perhaps because of the high world standard of hygiene
and
cleanliness, India's own is way, way below substandard. (We may feel proud of
the fact
that these conditions can/could produce a Mother Teresa! Indeed there are great
minds who
actually feel proud of this fact. Lapierre's romantic flattery in "city of
love" perpetuate all this)
I tend to agree with Selma regarding her reference to mindsets. That is so
obvious from
our general quality control standards. Take anything, from match sticks to
machines, Indian quality
is substandard. Why, is that a fact? I may agree that we are improving by and
by, and perhaps
that is because we are also becoming reasonably richer collectively.
So I believe that since all those who have commented on this thread have cut
close to the aching nerve,
we are all aware of this situation(!) But rather than single one cause to blame
I would try to understand
India as a continuum, a civilization which is a palimpsest. To sort out its
evils and eradicate them we need
a couple of things: psychic Love for this wonderful nation ( no place for
judgmental
prejudice or prejudiced judgment there), and indefatigable patience with Indian
people, who,
fundamentally, are lovely people.
My thoughts above are loosely arranged without any attempt at making it a
valid, analytical thesis.
So, PLEASE, do not ask silly questions like what I mean by "Hindu politics" and
the like.
