While India’s IT success story, poverty, corruption, etc may be pretty well known, Swaminathan Aiyar writes about an aspect in India’s Global position that may not be common knowledge.
In his column in The Times of India (April 19, 2009) Swaminathan says “India scarcely matters. It is still a country that instinctively seeks aid and foreign concessions. On the international scene, it is a taker, not a giver. China, however, is now a giver. In the proposed expansion of the IMF’s lending, China has offered to supply $40 billion, against $100 billion from Japan and possibly the US. India does not figure in this giver’s list — it would rather be a receiver.”
Is this statement tied to the fact that the Nation is unfortunately and basically poor? Or are we “like that only”?
Regardless, asking ourselves questions such as “Do I cheerfully give or am I simply living a self-centered life?” can improve quality of life through self-awareness.
PS: The phrase “like that only” is borrowed from Rama Bijapurkar’s book, We are like that only: Understanding the logic of consumer India.
First posted in WordPress on April 20, 2009
In his column in The Times of India (April 19, 2009) Swaminathan says “India scarcely matters. It is still a country that instinctively seeks aid and foreign concessions. On the international scene, it is a taker, not a giver. China, however, is now a giver. In the proposed expansion of the IMF’s lending, China has offered to supply $40 billion, against $100 billion from Japan and possibly the US. India does not figure in this giver’s list — it would rather be a receiver.”
Is this statement tied to the fact that the Nation is unfortunately and basically poor? Or are we “like that only”?
Regardless, asking ourselves questions such as “Do I cheerfully give or am I simply living a self-centered life?” can improve quality of life through self-awareness.
PS: The phrase “like that only” is borrowed from Rama Bijapurkar’s book, We are like that only: Understanding the logic of consumer India.
First posted in WordPress on April 20, 2009