East is East
West in the eye of an Indian
“What was the first thing that struck you as you landed in India?” I was asked after my first visit abroad.
“ Pollution ”, I blurted after a moment’s reflection.
That was 1995, and Delhi my home, the comparator. My answer today would not be same. The pollution level in Delhi has reduced drastically between now and then.
“What is the difference between India and the West?”
I have mulled over the issue at length, and tested my hypothesis on subsequent visits abroad.
The disparity in physical infrastructure, level of cleanliness, or a general absence of poverty is not striking, at least in the European cities I visited. May be because we expect advanced nations to be good in these areas. What I found most striking was the general civility in social and public life in these nations.
Almost every one engaged in public dealing – be he the bus conductor or the ticket inspector in train, or a person one may have rung up to make enquiry, are at the best of their behavior when dealing with public. Contrast this with the roughness with which the providers of public utility treat people in India. One imagines it may take centuries to bring about civility in public life in India. Even if we catch up with the west in material wealth, our life will continue to be poorer until we learn to improve our index in politeness.
A measure of democracy
An interesting contrast between India and Britain is the way politicians conduct themselves in media.
Unlike India, journalists tend to be very aggressive when interviewing politicians on TV. The politicians on the other hand never dare to raise their voice, or show annoyance at the grilling they are subjected to. I could easily correlate the response to such a session, if the person in question was an Indian MP or minister.
The only explanation is that a politician is not expected to be rough and cantankerous in public life. Like anywhere else in world, politician in UK must be having a lot of clout but it never gets displayed in public. The perception of what is an acceptable public behavior reigns supreme.
Kidding around
I was taking a round of the National Art Gallery at Trafalgar Square in London, when I saw a string of kids aged around 6 to 8 years, accompanied by their art teacher, entering the museum. After about an hour or so we converged in one of the halls. The art teacher had the kids seated at front of one of the paintings. I found that it was a Picasso.
“What do you see in this painting?” the teacher asked the kids.
Gradually the kids started responding, pointing out various objects in the painting – a table, fruit bowl, and some fruits.
“What is the difference, is it a normal table that you are viewing?” teacher coaxed.
Kids again responded pointing out various differences in appearance and reality.
For next fifteen minutes or so, I went through a fascinating experience. One of the greatest modern time painters, seen through the eyes of six-year-old kids.
Some thing that strikes you is how child friendly Western Societies are.
I found that the government school, in East London – supposed to be the part where less well off reside, was better than the public schools with big names in India.
The difference again had little to do with physical facilities. It was more a result of caring attitude and dedication to the job. These manifest in small innovations, making school a wonderful place for the kids.
“How do you find the school ?”
The head teacher of the primary school asked my seven year old son, after a week in school.
“It is a hundred times better than DPS” was my son’s response.
After viewing their working for a few months I concurred.
In nut shell
“We have been made such fools !” my fiend Madhusudan and I concluded, watching the water flow by in Thames. There is so much to be learnt from the outside world. We have been so smug.
As a society we have insulated ourselves from learning from others. We are made to think that we are the best, and there is nothing superior in the developed countries other than economic wealth. One could be so wrong.
Ultimately, only that society develops which is open to learning and ideas, irrespective of their place of origin. This in nutshell explains the difference between India and the West.
“What was the first thing that struck you as you landed in India?” I was asked after my first visit abroad.
“ Pollution ”, I blurted after a moment’s reflection.
That was 1995, and Delhi my home, the comparator. My answer today would not be same. The pollution level in Delhi has reduced drastically between now and then.
“What is the difference between India and the West?”
I have mulled over the issue at length, and tested my hypothesis on subsequent visits abroad.
The disparity in physical infrastructure, level of cleanliness, or a general absence of poverty is not striking, at least in the European cities I visited. May be because we expect advanced nations to be good in these areas. What I found most striking was the general civility in social and public life in these nations.
Almost every one engaged in public dealing – be he the bus conductor or the ticket inspector in train, or a person one may have rung up to make enquiry, are at the best of their behavior when dealing with public. Contrast this with the roughness with which the providers of public utility treat people in India. One imagines it may take centuries to bring about civility in public life in India. Even if we catch up with the west in material wealth, our life will continue to be poorer until we learn to improve our index in politeness.
A measure of democracy
An interesting contrast between India and Britain is the way politicians conduct themselves in media.
Unlike India, journalists tend to be very aggressive when interviewing politicians on TV. The politicians on the other hand never dare to raise their voice, or show annoyance at the grilling they are subjected to. I could easily correlate the response to such a session, if the person in question was an Indian MP or minister.
The only explanation is that a politician is not expected to be rough and cantankerous in public life. Like anywhere else in world, politician in UK must be having a lot of clout but it never gets displayed in public. The perception of what is an acceptable public behavior reigns supreme.
Kidding around
I was taking a round of the National Art Gallery at Trafalgar Square in London, when I saw a string of kids aged around 6 to 8 years, accompanied by their art teacher, entering the museum. After about an hour or so we converged in one of the halls. The art teacher had the kids seated at front of one of the paintings. I found that it was a Picasso.
“What do you see in this painting?” the teacher asked the kids.
Gradually the kids started responding, pointing out various objects in the painting – a table, fruit bowl, and some fruits.
“What is the difference, is it a normal table that you are viewing?” teacher coaxed.
Kids again responded pointing out various differences in appearance and reality.
For next fifteen minutes or so, I went through a fascinating experience. One of the greatest modern time painters, seen through the eyes of six-year-old kids.
Some thing that strikes you is how child friendly Western Societies are.
I found that the government school, in East London – supposed to be the part where less well off reside, was better than the public schools with big names in India.
The difference again had little to do with physical facilities. It was more a result of caring attitude and dedication to the job. These manifest in small innovations, making school a wonderful place for the kids.
“How do you find the school ?”
The head teacher of the primary school asked my seven year old son, after a week in school.
“It is a hundred times better than DPS” was my son’s response.
After viewing their working for a few months I concurred.
In nut shell
“We have been made such fools !” my fiend Madhusudan and I concluded, watching the water flow by in Thames. There is so much to be learnt from the outside world. We have been so smug.
As a society we have insulated ourselves from learning from others. We are made to think that we are the best, and there is nothing superior in the developed countries other than economic wealth. One could be so wrong.
Ultimately, only that society develops which is open to learning and ideas, irrespective of their place of origin. This in nutshell explains the difference between India and the West.
posted by haute potato at 11:15 PM
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