Will India become like Japan ?
“NO” – Swami Vivekananda.
This interview with Swami Vivekananda by a reporter
from The Hindu at the Chengalpattu
Railway station in February 1897 may be a
surprise. (Ref: Ramakrishna Vijayam – January 2015, Title: “Learn from
Foreigners”- Translated from Tamil)
Excerpts:
Q; What is the secret
of Japan’s fast growth in the recent years?
Ans: The Japanese are basically honest and very
patriotic. They are ready to sacrifice
for the sake of their nation. India will
be successful only if Indians are honest like the Japanese. A nation’s success and prosperity are
determined by the valor and integrity of its citizens. People have to develop a
nation. They are ready to do anything for the sake of
their country whereas Indians are not.
Indians care more about their own family and their own belongings.
Q: Do you wish India to
become like Japan?
Ans: No!
India will remain as it is. It cannot become like another country. Every
nation has its own basic character around which it is built. The nucleus of India is RELIGION. All other social and political development s
will only have a mild and temporary influence on the deep rooted religious
feelings. Religious and god fearing
feelings are all pervading in this nation and they alone can give the citizens
peace of mind. India will remain as
India because we are not like the Japanese.
The above interview
reveals an important aspect of the Indian culture and psych. Ignorance and
apathy still influence the 69 year old national spirit. Patriotism is demonstrated by waving the
national flag and shouting Vandhe Mataram on the streets on August 15th every
year. Indian patriotism is still lingering around on the long gone
British rule. The proof is the mass cheering of the recent outburst of Sashi Tharoor in Oxford against British
imperialism. It is similar to the style of Pakistan
where its patriotism is measured more by hatred towards India. Indian rulers did not strive at all to educate the citizens on the true patriotism of
caring for the development and security of the nation. Media
is also more reactive than proactive.
Swami Vivekananda missed the great fun of the
new developments after independence, the cinema culture, political games and religious
fervor. Majority of the Indians, including the well
educated have scant knowledge about our army’s importance and achievements,
where as they read and discuss a lot about many wars and battles described in
the epics. Security consciousness remains at a rock bottom. Devotees compete to splurge on donating high value
jewelleries to the deities while the temples starve for basic infrastructural
needs in and around the temple like water, sanitation, pathways and cleanliness.
G.K. Chesterton, British writer said “Indians only exist in this world but
live in some other world”
The patriotism fire lit
by Mahatma Gandhi is running out of fuel mainly due to permeating dynastic
rule. Obsolete British customs,
practices, rules, regulations and laws are still in force with least interest
to revise and indianise them. The
educated youth are disgusted with the corrupt politicians. One of the comedy TV programs by Cyrus Baroacha mocked about BTBB meaning “Bring the
British Back”. Britain will certainly
decline any such offer. Murmurs of the
learned are becoming louder concurring with the hate speech of Winston
Churchill.
“All Indian leaders will be of low caliber
and men of straw. Indians are not fit to rule, they are fit to be ruled” –
Winston Churchill.
"A commercial
company enslaved a nation comprising two hundred millions. What does it mean that thirty thousand men,
have subdued two hundred million vigorous, clever, capable, and freedom-loving
people? Do not the figures make it clear that it is not the English who have
enslaved the Indians, but the Indians who have enslaved themselves?" (Letter
of Leo Tolstoy to Mahatma Gandhi)
Crab mentality seems to be a curse on Indians. *The self derogatory remark is “one Indian is equal to 10 Japanese
but 10 Indians will be equal to lesser than one Japanese because of politics
and infighting among them”.
Neo
Patriotism
Political and economic experts affirmed in a
panel discussion ** (By Mythili
Bhushnurmath) that the ambitious Smart City programme of NaMo will be a reality
only if Swachh Bharath (SB) becomes a success. YES. SB is a great
opportunity and a challenge to the younger generation of India to demonstrate
their patriotism. The success will have
tremendous positive and progressive impact on the social, economic and
political fabric of India. It will bring people together for better understanding
and mutual respect. It is not an easy
task but should not be given up. Boundary of demonstrating patriotism is not
limited to fight with belligerent foreigners.
Fighting against our own odds and focusing on national development and security
are the needs of our time. SB had
started off very well invoking the national spirit; hopefully it should evolve
as a culture. The Japanese and the Chinese were very successful in this
experiment. Suggest that it may be made a mandatory part of the Corporate
Social Responsibility program.
Swami Vivekananda will
be only happy if his remark is belied.
Dr. Krishnan
Arunachalam
Ref
*Sujeeth
Kumar, Infosys, speech in CTM
**
economictimes.indiatimes.com › Experts
Panel discussion on smart cities, its challenges for India
in Macros
(published in Mylapore club magazine Sep/2015 titled “ Swachh Bharath- A great opportunity to Demonstrate our Patriotism”
Demonstration of true patriotism (Indiatvnews.com)
