Our business chamber had a visiting group from a private university, a couple of weeks ago. One of the officials slipped her card to me and advised that the seminar would be an interactive one and to provoke them with as many questions. That was enough to excite me. They went on comparing and brooding India’s economy and growth with that of India. The more than one-hour presentation revolved over China, China and China.
This is not the only instance of messing up by bookworm economists, trying to make pork chops from potatoes. I explained the futility of any comparison with a country with a) no god and religion, b) no opposition parties to deride everything government 3) no slanted media and 4) no courts to stop infra projects. The flag may be red and the name of their party Communist, but it could be more capitalistic in offering better and luxurious living standards to its citizens. Jazzy, long limousines are not frowned upon as bourgeoise but awed.
The communist revolution began 70 years ago setting course for a purge of earlier rulers and establishing a new class of governance. The time was not dissimilar to India’s attaining independence. Both countries were in abject poverty, inadequate infrastructure and industry but India had been colonized by Britain, which ensured that the country was stripped naked of its wealth to the last paisa.
The Chines diaspora which had escaped successive revolutions had planted themselves in many countries, running carpentry like in Canada, and eateries in all the western world. They started remitting money back like our Kerala boys from Dubai do now. The US policy to promote China and as a counterbalance to Russia’s influence changed the profile of China forever. The US perhaps never expected China to grow so much to challenge it one day like it is happening now.
The stark difference between the Chinese and the Indians is that the Chinese are filled with National pride. Our pride for India is shrouded by scepticism, disdain and even disgust of the duly elected governments and our leaders. When we talk about national pride, that too is given a coat of religious paint, confusing between a nation and religion.
The power of money has indulged in building new cities on ‘developing now and fill later’ basis, one such I had a chance to visit near Shanghai. The city had everything from apartments, bungalows, factory sheds, power distribution, gas, water, malls, schools, colleges, hospitals, universities, trees and gardens but without a soul living in it. That was just a few years ago. Today Pudong is brimming with activity. Why, Shenzhen, a sleepy fishing village of 30000 bordering Hong Kong too was developed from swamps in 1980 and is now the 4th largest with 12 million population. It would be unthinkable in India that even a tree could be cut down for infra-development and the courts remaining mute spectators (Aarey milk colony).
We take pride in demolishing our inner strength, our core-values blaming every adversity to the government in place, here and abroad. I asked my Chinese friend, a senior official, “What would be the consequences if someone criticizes President Xi as a thief.” He just froze, as if stepping on a high-tension live wire and after replied, “No one can, and no one should, for he is our country’s president.” That sums about their faith in their leadership.
More later!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
In Pic: Proud Chinese policemen standing like statues for hours at a stretch, only their eyes scanning the crowd.
