I was just reading the other day in the papers about the First Black President-elect.... in fact there was hardly anything else positive in the papers which I can say was worth reading. To be very truthful, we need to hand it over to the Americans for their support to this lean man in whom they have put their trust. People might say a thousand things about the racial difference and ill treatment in the west but this election definitely makes one thing clear which we badly lack - Americans give the person a chance if he/she has the potential. Not that it is a bed of roses for anyone, anywhere and neither should it be that way. But then the thumping majority definitely proves that Americans are more secular than us.
Except Sonia Gandhi, I really can't think of any other foreigner who has been elected to the Parliament of independent India and the world knows the opposition that she faces being the odd one out (Well,well, I am not a Congress supporter in anyway! In fact I strongly believe that all parties take the country to the dogs, its just the speed at which they do is different :)). But there is a long of politicians from other races who have been having their say in the American senate.I guess its one of the reasons which puts us in the developing nation category and not in the developed one as yet. We just don't let the person with the ability to make a difference to raise his head.
Why talk of others, lets just analyse ourselves. How many of us look at the new colleagues entering our workplace as someone capable of doing some good to the organisation. He/she is always a threat and we dig to find the mistakes rather than let the person settle and get comfortable with us . Have I said anything wrong?
I guess there lies our fault. We, Indians, have a pseudo-superiority and when we can't really achieve what someone else has, we either become their psycophants or oppose them with "religion and culture" as our shields.And if the person who has done something exclusive has even a remote connection with India, we don't stop at anything to establish the connection irrespective of whether that person has any knowledge of where India is, forget the patriotism part.I don't say US is perfect..... but actually I am, for once, just trying not to find their fault but trying to learn why they excel in a lot of things. What do you say?
3 comments:
hi, read your piece on Barack Obama....
see, there are few things that I, as a financial journalist, have realised about the present scenario...number one, US is in recession, and no one else but they themselves have to be blamed for it, given the fact they were the most leveraged economy in the owrld, just surviving on borrowings.
Now how does that affect the outcome of the election? `Change', the key word that Obama used for his campaign, is also the key word in analysing the situation here.
the Americans wanted change, they were tired of theold regime. So they voted for a change. If US was not inmidst of a economic downturn, I guess we would have not seen this change.
Yes, I do agree with you that anyone, irrespective of his/her caste creed, race, can become part of the great American dream, but we must realise that the great American dream was as big a mirage as the great America itself...we are a more realistic country, people.
Totally agree with you comments. Oh and I think you forgot one more in the mix....the discrimination of women....it still does exist. How many Indian men can tolerate a women being superior at work place :)
Hi Prashant, Very fine writing from you as always. Its a pleasure to read your comments and views. I am here in the US watching all of the Obama Rama and the Palin Drama and it was a treat, I tell you.
I do agree that the victory for the new President was a combination of the People's frustration with the current govt's screw ups and also the powerful campaigning and oratorical genius of the President. Things are so bad here now, that we have to see how much reversal the new govt can make. We do have such smart and energetic young politicians in our country also who are making small differences in the community. For example I think you can run for the PM post at a proper time if you put your mind towards it. Its possible. I know what you all are thinking but that is how Obama started and I read his Bio and it was so captivating how much work he has done to reach where he is now. He has a dream to change the community and I hope he succeeds and so can you or anyone who has the dream and the Hard work to go with it. Keep Dreaming,Keep Blogging!
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