Indians and their begging mentality...

[lucifer-in-disguise]

Folks these are some of the Q\'s lifted directly from an interview by an indian with Bill Gates...<br><br>

Q) How do you view the minimalist foreign aid spending by the US administration when it is ready to spend $100 billion for a war against Iraq? US foreign aid to India is a mere $150 million.<br>


Bill Gates: But $150 million is a lot.

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Q0 Not when you look at it per capita, it\'s not...
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Bill Gates: That\'s true. But if you look at giving by any country to any other country, it is quite a lot. The reality of help is that by and large most countries are largely dependent on their own resources. I\'m very pro-US doing more on foreign aid. In Washington we are as effective as we can be. Even so, for the amount the US is giving, they deserve some credit. It is not enough to solve the problem though. It is going to take the foundation coming in, the government of India spending more, and people who are successful in India and those Indians outside India... we\'d like to draw them in as well.
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Q) It\'s just that Bill Gates and Ted Turner seem more concerned about these issues now than people in Washington. After all human resources are as important to the United States as they are to your business...
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Bill Gates: I\'ve been very lucky to have the resources I have and I\'m committed to give those back. Rich countries do give foreign aid. Is it enough? Should they do more? I always encourage them to do more. But we have to plan in terms of India achieving its full potential on its own. We have to plan assuming foreign aid not going up dramatically. The cost of prevention at this stage versus the cost of treating people later on is so dramatically different. That\'s why we have to highlight the cause now.
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Q) India is a wretchedly poor country with some fabulously rich people. What message do you have for them from the philanthropic angle? Are there things Indian companies can do?
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Bill Gates: I talk with (Narayan) Murthy and (Azim) Premji and I am impressed they believe in philanthropy. Both have involved their wives and are picking causes. I enjoy talking to them about these things and they will be good models for others. The importance of the rich giving back is becoming greater and greater on a global basis and I hope that a strong tradition of that is developing in India as well and I will do my small part to encourage that, The U.S has more philanthropy than any other country but we still don\'t have as much as we should have.
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Now dont you guys feel that INDIANS should stop calling themselves as a wretchedly poor country, and in the future hang such an interviewer? The achievements that INDIA had in just 50 years are really great if not remarkable, I feel...

[Srinu]

LID, i think this raises an important question abt the lack of social obligations from the high & mighty of our society. steve waugh has the decency to donate something for good causes in kolkatta, but i dont see ganguly doing the same for his home town (i maybe wrong, maybe he is doing anonymous donations, but i guess it would be out sooner or later). what about tendulkar, our movie stars. i agree that we should not stoop to the level of calling ourselves \"wretchedly poor\" but one indian reporter who has obviously lost his marbles cannot be a stand in for all indians. u cant generalize \"indians and their begging mentality\"

[lucifer-in-disguise]

ya, i agree with you srinu, and probably i cannot comment on ganguly or others, i think always as to what I have done so far........but forget all this, when a Indian goes out of his country or doing any thing which is seen by the outside world, we should rahter talk only about the success we have made, and not about the failures.......\"\"\"because to be succesful one has to always project a image of success\"\"........take china for example, those big fat liars, have more worse life conditions than Indians, but always give statements that they are becoming rich every day, and the brand that they have built around is more useful for themselves....finally it always happens when ever i see a Indian talking to a foreigner, they always tell as to how people are suffering in India, n how lucky they are to leave that country.....now what is this attitude called???

[Srinu]

its a inherent quality in human beings that they try to claim they are better than their neighbors(in this case their countrymen). i know some people from india now settled abroad who call india \"filthy\", \"dirty\"... but there is the other side to your comments LID. i remember a speech by narayan murthy where he said indians are very conceited lot. he quoted instance after instance where indians think they(as an individual, as a community, as a nation) are the best in everything.. to the extent that they cannot \"learn\" from other individual/community/nation. now a man of that stature cannot be ignored.. and think of it and you realize its true. i am very proud of my country abt a lot of things.. but it would be very foolish to assume that we are the best in everything there is. so i guess we are too arrogant where we shouldnt be as well..very contrary to what we were mentioning b4.

[llucifer-in-disguise]

srinu, this attitude is good ........keep it up, but should you meet a foreigner, always show him only one side of coin,( i.e what all we have achieved till now) there is abs no need for any one to know about the ills of our country..... does it make any good?????????think for ur self

[Alibhai]

Reality is Reality you speak you dont speak people know about it. It is better to speak yourself about it rather than to nod your head right and left when some outsider explores.

India is in the villages in the rural areas not in towns and bunch of hifi disguised cities. By talking big we dont become big - we look stupid and damn ignorant !!

[Sunny!]

I can see you are coming from a practical point of view Ali, and I agree with that to an extent. But do you know what exactly is the root cause reality?? Its the population, and if you are so practical, go out there and complement the cause of family planning programs, awareness, do something about it rather than admitting that the problems are there in India and it would be stupid to fake it!! You have an attitude which a lot of people can use in our country, but what matters is how you ue that. Maybe the death of the great Kaloji should ring some bells for everyone!

[Alibhai]

Thanks for your ideas Sunny. I am afraid it presents another jerky attitude. India will remain India as long as we fail to take ownership of anything that we always want others to do. I see population as a fortune provided each indian grow in him/her a little sense of responsiblity towards the nation. (Those who already are truly responsible remain that way - this does not apply to them). We are the largest country in every aspect, particularly rich in variety of natural resources, but we deliberately and consistently fail to capitalize our resources for personal material gains and then blame population, leadership, politics, et..etc.. but take a minute to think whom are we talking about -- OURSELVES!!!! When we elevate ourselves a little above our personal interests and start thinking ATLEAST about our closest needy neighbour/friend/countrymen we begin to make a india that we all wish to see. As long as we disguise ourselves and remain self centered even the dreams of today for a better india will fade out soon.

[llucifer-in-disguise]

ali bhai, no economics, politics, responsibilities, etc, etc, in this board plz......... my board , put simply was, do you guys feel it is good for any body out side India, say or address it as a wretchedly poor country????

[Alibhai]

Dear Lucifer - I wish I could give you an answer in simple YES or NO. Unfortunately I cannot because it is not as simple as you expect.

As far as the concern with the word \"Wretched\" goes , how would you define India after the world has seen , heard the media reports (and in many instances - witnessed) that in many states huge number of our farmers are committing suicides because they cannot earn enough to support their families and pay interests and debts, in many villages people are starving and are forced to eat rotis made out of grass, many died of drinking,only available,poisonous water (poisoned due to industrial wastes) numerous children are dying of starvation, there are crores of children doing hard labour at tender age; deprived of education and basic amenities, the list is endless.. is it HITECH - RICH - COOL - CLASS !!!!!!!!!!! you decide.

[llucifer-in-disguise]

alibhai, are you unemployed rt now?.........and why are you talking about those billions of ppl who are deprived of many things???dont you know that any where in the world only the fittest can survive........why should any body donate money ? see bill gates did not rob any body rt.....and now even though India is producing more quality people than any where else, but still because of the more stupid, illiterate, uneducated ppl surrounding them, the fit ppl are also branded as wretchedly poor nation citizens.........n finally, mind you no person in India is deprived, I can give you scores of examples where the ppl get complacent too quick.... hey foprget man , this discussion is just going wayward.............and i am not arguing basically!!!

[llucifer-in-disguise]

and ya , millions of children are doing labour job at tender age, because they want to do that for money, they are not interested in education.....even if you give them money and ask them to go to school they WILL NOT, so dont talk \'bt such crap, secondly because even there parents were illiterate,and just gave birth to 10 or 12 kids,w/o knowing as to what should be there responsibilities as parents in future....I dont basically consider these careless, ppl as Indians, I am ashamed, when ever i think about them..., and i am ashamed to talk with you, as you are thinking these set of ppl as deprived

[Alibhai]

Lucifer - I have concluded that I have wasted my time. My Grandpa use to say Jerks are always Jerks try not more than twice with them. So, TATA - Live in Dreams. And FYI by the Grace of God I am a very happy and content person.

man... u both are on the extremes... ali.. do you think no other country in the world has probs?? even the so called \\

[Sunny]

Well, looks like you are just repeating what I said!! You answered yourself!!