It is time Indians must wake up to certain realities!
India can’t remain a mute witness to the reality of sending cheap labour to the American market!
Some three million Indians live in the USA. Some, one lakh Indian students study there!
These are the latest data. Yet, India seems to have difficulties to understand the American psych! See how the American diplomatic corps, the judiciary and the police behaved in the Devyani Khobragade affair?The Indian lady is a diplomat. Even if you err, you should err on the safe side. In this case, the Americans erred on the grossly uncivilized brutal manner.Any Indian protested? We mean the very many highly placed professionals, the great economists, the very many highly placed Indians in various government departments? In the US universities we have a long list of professionals, from Nobel Laureates and highly decorated Indian names, the venture capitalists to those technology innovators and all those who made it big in the US business industry?
The very Indian government showed its total failure to stand up.What it matters when Obama comes down on the White House steps to see off the Indian Prime Minister?It means not a thing to any Indians.What does it means that 3 million Indians live in the USA?
It is an old story that continues till this day. First it was the African slaves who were bought and sold, brought to the US shores, then came the indentured labourers, to the USA and nearby islands, the West Indies, Indians came in large number, then came, this generation, the Indians, the educated, they also came and lived and made it big as coolies, now the only difference is the new generation Indians live as what is called the “techno-coolies”.
We, Indians are yet to get over the tag of “coolies” image. This can happen only when Indians realise that we can make it up in high technology area and much else.After a decade of the end of the Cold War, came the 1998 nuclear explosion, the economic growth story. Anybody can lay claim to the new reality.
But the fact remains that it was long after the Indian rise in economic and strategic development, Indians becoming clever in the IT industry, our software skills started pinching on the lagging industry practices in the US. The reality hit the Americans that Indians are cleverer in science and maths and they can take on the lazy Americans that the USA started to realise where they were lagging.
The current Indo-American trade figures give 100 billion dollar inter-trade and this is,though big for India, in reality that India is still the 13th largest trading partner.
So, we have a long way to go.
Also, the nuclear, we mean the civil nuclear agreement, though a great milestone is yet to go through many hurdles, the text ban treaty is yet to be signed and we have to pursue a vigorous civil nuclear programme based on sought,internationally-supported basis. This we have not done yet.Let us be realistic.
Our PM might go soon. So, the long road on the civil nuclear co-operation is for others,the people to take it up. There must be a widespread public understanding of the nuclear power issue.Nuclear power, it is to be said, can never, not in our lifetime and in the foreseeable future could become a substitute for conventional energy.So, we have to pursue our energy strategy on a wider canvas.
Secondly, we have to also realise that depending on the USA alone for many other strategic thinking and policies is not enough. We have to search and cultivate friends, outside the USA, from Russia, Japan and why not even from China?
We need strategic minerals and many other raw materials and finished goods.
India is, unfortunately, is the largest arms buyer from the USA.
USA, at the end of the day, would only want to unload its weapons, often outdated weapons. This we have to be weary of.Our understanding of the international relations doesn’t seem to be very deep and persistent.We seem to give the picture of a soft and softy nation. We Indians seem to be softies after all.So, there is this unbalanced view of the U.S.A. in our psyche and psychology.
We have to develop our education system in such a way that we Indians have the natural inherent talents for maths and science.Our children must score internationally in a competitive manner.We have seen the Korean children and others in the South East Asia traveling a lot.Our children too must be exposed to international travels. International travels must me made part of our school curriculum.This would lay the very basic foundation for strengthening the Indian mind-set and our outlook.
Now, coming to the USA, it is not wisdom to live with what is given in the US context.
We can’t take Barack Obama’s good intentions for granted.The USA even now, after Obama ordered the restriction of its spying activities on other government, the US establishment had reconciled to minding its business. In his latest reply to German Chancellor Angela Markel that he would not allow spying German government, while the US will continue to spy on foreign governments!
There is also a sign of coolness on the part of the US president when it comes to India, as signs are indicated by recent activities.A senior Indian diplomat in a recent article observes: “President Obama seems to have a step backward. He shows personal regard to the PM but not enough practical commitment.
Oh, dear Indians, Indian experts living in the USA, please realise that India can’t be mere mute senders of cheap Indian labour to the US market!
India has to be on the march on the international stage!