Complex, Imaginative Indian
Here is a business article “Negotiating with the complicated, imaginative Indian” about behavior of Indian businessmen. I wonder if it is simply a stereotyping or there lies a profound analysis.
Paper starts with example of failure of Enron project. Paper proposes a conjecture that it failed because Enron managers couldn’t understand Indian counterparts. As I understand, that project failed not because of mis-understanding but careless analysis of the issues by both the sides and the probable corruption revolves around the project. Even if, it is true that the project failed due to some cultural mis-understanding then paper should have shown the alternative way Enron could have behaved in concrete instances.
The paper is written in very bad mode. It explains to a “North American Manager” the behavioral characteristics of an “Indian Manager”. Indirectly, It assumes that North American is the reader. The paper explains the points over which the Indian manager deviates from an ideal behavior, as some kind of character flaw. For example, paper says that Indian manager demands all sorts of ‘unnecessary’ information. The reason for this demand North American manager fails to understand. The paper suggests American Manger to be patient but no suggestion for Indian Manager to clearly state the reason why he needs certain information.
Paper states that Indians are most nationalist people in the world. I find it hard to believe as there are so many separatist movements going on. The paper connects this to Colonial era. May be there is some truth in it but I don’t think Indians, who are exposed enough to western world, are having inferiority complex all the time.
Paper says Indians are blend of East and west. Indians are individualist at the same time collectivist. Due to this duel attitude, it becomes hard to predict Indian manager. I find it a strange observation. I guess everyone is somewhat composed of both the attitude. An American may be more individualistic than a Japanese or other way round. How can one make such a concrete claim?
It seems like a masters thesis of a complex imaginative HR Guru.
Pakistan vs. Algeria
Latest events of Pakistan are so reminding me the history of Algeria. I have a limited knowledge of Algerian freedom struggle. My analogies may not be entirely accurate or may be grossly generalized.
Algeria was boiling in 1960s against French colonial occupation. It was the last front of old school colonial occupation. FLN—quite Islamic and nationalist group—was carrying out violent insurgency against French. Eventually French suppressed this uprising with extreme brutality. After few years of this violent attempt, the people of Algeria took matters to the streets with massive protests. Finally, French political climate did change and they saw the wisdom in leaving the country. Then ex-terrorist became the freedom fighter and took charge of the country. This new government didn’t turn out to be just enough. Military became powerful and yielding influence over politics. Democratic process failed to run fluently. In 1990s, an ultra Islamic group won the elections and military refused to recognize their election. The usual justification behind this move was that the Islamic group is not civil enough to understand the modern concept of running a just state. The ultra Islamic group didn’t take it very lightly and took up arms. So, it started a bloody decade of brutality. It was vicious loop. More Islamic group rebelled. Military got more justification for brutal repression. This makes rebels more angry and more violence. Algerian government took very horrifying strategy to fight with these rebels. They committed massacres themselves and blamed it to the Islamic groups. Mainly to defame the rebellion such that population start hating them. Slowly, rebellion became week due to their internal clashes and slowly died. Now Algeria is trying to recover from this bloody history.
Now! Pakistan, quite similar history. Pakistan, which used be part of British India, born when British left India. Their creation struggle is lead by Muslim league, a quite Islamic and nationalist group. In Pakistan, democracy could never establish itself. Soon, Army was in control. Military coups has been regular in last 6o years. The government has not been effective in delivering the needs of population. Now! Ultra Islamics are taking hold of the country. Similarly as it was in Algeria, the Pakistani government is coming into direct confrontation to these Islamic groups.
Now! what is the route Pakistani government going to take? Try to kill them all? From Algeria case, we learn that it will be bloody specially for civilians. Is there another way, for example talking to them? It does not seems great idea as their demand is not to get justice but to deliver justice(Sharia law) at their will.
There are some questions whose answer can lead to the solution. How do they get sophisticated weapon system? Who is selling them? Why can’t they be stopped from getting weapons? There must be some genuine demands of locals. Why don’t pakistani government tries to address them?
Mee Nathu Ram Godse Boltoy
This is a play about Nathu Ram Godse. He assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. In this play, his character argues for necessity of killing of Gandhi at the movement, kills Gandhi, and proudly goes in death row. Play is full of nationalist sentiments. He repeatedly identifies him self with Sivaji. He cites the great cultural heritage of Indus valley civilization. He cites ancient epic references to the places in current Pakistan which after all shows that whole south asia should have been a country called Hindustan or Bharat. He is specifically angry about giving away ‘Holy Sindhu’ river to Pakistan. He mainly accuses Gandhi for not standing against the partition. He believes that if Gandhi has been firm against partition then he could have stopped it. Therefore, Gandhi has sole responsibility for the partition. He then goes on to make a case for assassination. He says Gandhi should be stopped because he is full of crazy ideas to appease Pakistan even if it is waging war against us.
The problem with play is that there is no strong character against Nathu . Son of Gandhi suppose to represent opposite side of Nathu’s position. He comes at the end of the play and argues with the Nathu. He has weak lines. Nathu wins the argument with nationalistic jargon and very simplistic arguments. For example, he argued that Gandhi’s ‘religion does not divide’ attitude is flawed because other side, which is Pakistan, doesn’t recognize it. We are being attacked and we should prepare to fight in our self defense. Why even we thinking about helping Pakistan with lots of money?* If Gandhi looked at everybody equal then why did he fight with British? At this point, son of Gandhi becomes speechless and Nathu wins. I find it such a weak defense of Gandhi. Someone could have easily argued that Gandhi was not fighting against British but the repressive and unjust system, which they represent. Gandhi simply wanted injustice to end.
Gandhi had his own ideals and he was acting on them. He made his choices according to his thinking. As there is vast evidence that he has been consistent and honest to his principles. So, we may safely assume that he made his choices in honest spirit in the case of the partition. As this play reflects, Nathu has no principle criticism against Gandhi’s ideals. He liked Gandhi’s basic ideas. He didn’t even try to accuse Gandhi as charlatan or being inconsistent. He was just unhappy about Gandhi’s attitude towards Pakistan.
This play doesn’t paint complexity of the situation. It cites Hindu’s being killed in riots but it doesn’t say anything about Muslim who are being killed. It ends with a massage of certainty of correctness of Nathu’s position. I think this is a dishonest thing to do if you are writing a play about such a sensitive issue.
*India donated 550Million rupees to Pakistan at that time.
Is following a valid argument?
Whatever Israel does is wrong regardless of the fact that so many other countries do worse.
When I raised this concern in a recent debate, my opponent accused me of changing the subject. He said we are talking about Israel now, not Chechnya or Darfur. This reminded me of a famous exchange between Harvard’s former president, Abbott Lawrence Lowell, and the great American judge Leonard Hand. Lowell announced that he wanted to reduce the number of Jews at Harvard, because, “Jews cheat.” Judge Hand replied that “Christians also cheat.” Lowell responded, “You’re changing the subject. We are talking about Jews.”
-Alan Dershowitz on JPOST
“Jews cheat” is a statistical claim and if you want to make a policy based on that then you have to show specifically that “Non-jews don’t cheat” so often. This is the meaning of the reply of the judge, “Christians also cheat”. In the case of war crime of Israel, no one is saying that “All jewish states does war crimes” more often then others. But, they are pointing at specific incidents of crimes.
If you respond to an accusation, which is not statistical but an specific crime, by saying that others also have done it then you are certainly changing the subject.
Will there be a ‘war crime’ tribunal?
Yesterday, Ban ki moon, UN head, called for war crime investigation against Israel for attacking UN compound in Gaza. Other human rights watch groups are calling for wider investigation. I don’t know how UN functions. I guess there would be a vote in security council or in general assembly for creation of investigation. Lets see how US reacts to this proposition.
This will be a litmus test for Obama!
(If you have not been following horror’s of Gaza then you should!)
Slumdog effect!
Following is the front page story of CNN website for a while:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/14/india.slums/index.html
Razing slums is everyday story in India. All of sudden, why CNN is so interested – which is great – in slums of India.
I guess Slumdog Millionaire effect.
Movie: Sorry Bhai!
Interesting one!! Fans of ’ Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’ must be rushing to watch this one. The 3rd film of Chitrangada Singh.
Movie is about a guy who falls in love with the fiancée of his brother and ends up having live in relationship. I didn’t like it much. Just story flow didn’t feel natural.
This film displays the acceptance level of changes in the social values in India. It is a constant struggle for an Indian about which social value to keep or which one to let go, as we are running towards the industrialization and modernization. There is noone who can provide a solid definition of ‘Indian social values’ but people have a vague idea about what is ok and what is off limits. Many of the social practices have become impractical and sometimes absurd in the light of current shape of careers of people, knowledge, and cultural mix with western world. Main observation is that now it is possible to make movies which finally says,
It’s OK. Things happens. Let, them live their life.
This movie not that famous in India. Some of my friends have never heard the name of this movie.
Chomsky reffering to Mayawati
In recent article by Noam Chomsky, he reffers to Mayawati of Uttar Pradesh in following way:
Reactions to the election from across the spectrum commonly adopted the “soaring rhetoric” that was the hallmark of the Obama campaign. Veteran correspondent John Hughes wrote that “America has just shown the world an extraordinary example of democracy at work,” while to British historian-journalist Tristram Hunt, the election showed that America is a land “where miracles happen,” such as “the glorious epic of Barack Obama” (leftist French journalist Jean Daniel). “In no other country in the world is such an election possible,” said Catherine Durandin of the Institute for International and Strategic Relations in Paris. Many others were no less rapturous.
The rhetoric has some justification if we keep to the West, but elsewhere matters are different. Consider the world’s largest democracy, India. The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, which is larger than all but a few countries of the world and is notorious for horrifying treatment of women, is not only a woman, but a Dalit (“untouchable”), at the lowest rung of India’s disgraceful caste system.
It is up to Indians if they want to feel proud or feel sorry. 
What do you think….
It was summer of 2005, I was working in Delhi and going home on weekend. I was catching an overnight train to Kanpur. I couldn’t manage to get reservation for the sleeper berth. So, I choose to go using general class. It wasn’t that crowded day. I easily found place to sit. I found a compartment with 3 more people sitting. 2 of them were facing me and 3rd one was sitting next to the window besides me. The 2 facing me were traveling together. One of them sitting just next to the window and, by his appearance, he seems to be some pundit(hindu priest). His fellow passenger was very lean middle aged man. He seems to be unhappy just by design. He would tell me his name but all I remember that his name ends with ‘ram’ so lets call him Sitaram. Sitaram kept asking Panditji time to time if he needs something. Sometimes, he whispers in the ears of Panditji and then Panditji mumble something, with noding his head, to give him some kind of assurance. The guy next to me was dosing all the time. He seems to be annoyed by every single utterance of a word in the compartment.
I was reading a book on quantum physics. After half an hour on the train, Panditji interrupts me and asks, “What are you reading?”
First, I was puzzled by the sudden question. If you have a habit of traveling in higher class then you would never experience such questions from strangers. I had no idea how to explain quantum physics to a layman and specially in hindi.
I started, “I am reading a book about physics. It is a field of science which tries to explain behavior of physical objects. Quantum physics is one of the theory which explains some activities of our surroundings. This is very special kind of theory which revolutionize the way people look at the world. Can you follow me?”. I stopped and asked if he wanted me to blather more about it.
He kept nodding and said , “Go on!!”
“This is a special kind of theory. Very hard to comprehend. It is not because of its mathematics but the view of universe it tries to propose. …….” Then I kept speaking for next 4-5 minutes and he kept nodding harder and harder.
At the end he asked, “Why are you reading this book? Which exam are you preparing for?”
“No, I am just reading because I want to know. It is exciting.”
Then Sitaram jumps into conversation, “Educated people behave weird ways!” ( padhe likhe loogoon ki alag hi baat hai!!)
Sitaram asked me, “What do you do?”
“I am an engineer working for a company which makes microchip for you mobile phone.”
Then I asked, “What do you do?”
Sitaram responded or lamented, “I work for railways at Kanpur railway station. These days it has become harder and harder to work at the station. Time is getting harder.” Pointing at Panditji, he says, “He is known priest. He is full of knowledge. I am taking him to my place to do some prayer for my kids. They are extremely naughty. I have 2 son’s and a daughter. 2 sons ran away from home about an year ago. I used be bit tough on them but it doesn’t mean they should run away. I looked for them all over the city but I couldn’t find them. I complained in police and they wouldn’t do any thing until I pay them. You know I am just a poor railway worker. I just unload and upload on goods carriage. How can I pay to those police officers.”
I was in little shock to hear the story. He continued, “Then, I went to known Guru in Unnao. He told me that I should go to south-west of kanpur then I will find my kids working at some road side food stall. I went on my bicycle for 200km on jhansi-road but I didn’t find my kids. I had to come back. I was dis-hearted. I couldn’t believe how can that Guru make a mistake”
“Did you find your kids?” I asked with excitement.
“I came to Delhi to meet this priest. He told me to go back on bicycle and look for kids on the way. To my surprise, I found my kids working in a tea shop around 50km north of kanpur.”
I thought what an odd that the first priest just missed it by direction but he got rest of it right.
“I knew that my elder son made all the plan. Younger one just followed. I will see if he doesn’t try to run away again.”
I hardly believed his story. Various thoughts were floating in my head. He might not have found his kid when was coming back from delhi. They might have returned just by themselves. He might have found them somewhere else. He might be deluding himself that he found his kids because of miraculous capacities of the Panditji. He might be saying things just to flatter the Panditji. He might be saying thing because you make up stories when you gossip with strangers. The thought, that he was a deliberate liar, never came to my mind. He might be just trying to grab some stranger’s attention.
Then Panditji started, “Look this man is so unhappy. I had to help him. I don’t take much money for helping people. Look I agreed to travel on general class because he can’t afford sleeper class ticket.”
Then he turns to sitaram, “Sitaram! God will help! and I will make sure he will! You have to just follow the right procedure of prayer.”
“Only you are the available help to me! God knows how else I will cope!”, Sitaram said after touching his feet. I saw bits of tears in his eyes.
This was a scene for me. Sitaram then sit back and PanditJi says, “This guy regards me very much, like many others. I don’t know how to help all of them.”
I said with sympathy, “It must be tough.”
Then this conversation ended. I think it was a longer conversation but I guess that I have forgotten most of the details. May be we had spoken about corruption in Indian Railways. May be about cultural degradation in the youth. After an hour of silence Sitaram speaks again,
“What do you think? Is America’s time over? Their pot of sin must be over flowing by now!”
( Kya kahete ho aap, Lagta hai amrika ke din pure ho gaye hain.. paap ka ghada bharne waala hoga!! )
I stopped myself in bursting into laughter. I didn’t know how to answer that so I just nodded and closed my eyes as if I was trying to sleep. I am almost sure he hardly knew any facts about the sins of America. All he must be knowing that America is rich so Americans must be living a fanciful life. India is miserable and He is poor. So, all the blame of his problem goes to the rich America. He must be hearing all the time America bashing blathers. So, He concludes America is doing sins at very fast rate therefore their pot of sins should be about to be full. It was not filled yet otherwise God must have started taking its vengeance on the America. Apparently, God is giving all the things that Americans want.
Facist face of India!
Hindu right of India is getting more and more attention therefore receiving lots of sympathy, support, loathing, and detest. But, They are all the time in news. Thanks to SABASE TEZ news channels .
Recently, they attacked S.A.R Geelani by spatting on his face. The professor of Delhi University who was accused for parliament attacks and acquitted by the supreme court. He has been attempted to be assassinated.
