What exactly is progress? And when can we be said to have achieved it? Is it progress when double-digit growth translates into personal prosperity, palatial bungalows, trendy malls and fancy cars for a madly consumerist few? Or is it progress only when everybody gets a chance to hop on to the bandwagon without imperilling the environment?
And are all those who advocate the latter view retrograde reactionaries if not blazing red commies who, while enjoying the fruits of progress, are seeking to deny it to the rest of their countrymen and women?
Sir Mark Tully, the BBC’s voice of India for more than two decades, has a new book out, India’s Unending Journey: Finding Balance in a Time of Change. And in it he makes a simple point: that the world is making a mistake by equating India’s software prowess, the export of Bollywood films, the middle-class’ clamour for cars and foreign travel, as a sign of progress.
“When I first went to India the picture was of a country riddled with poverty, a hopeless place which was described as ‘living from ship to mouth’ because it was so dependent on food aid. I always struggled to try to portray the other sides of India without denying there was poverty…
“Now there is a reverse situation where people are being simplistic about the progress India has made; glibly talking about India as the great economic power of the future, without realising and remembering that there are enormous problems India has to address, and without discussing the way that India should develop economically.”
In an interview with The Independent, London, Sir Mark makes an additional point that is so commonsensical but rare in our gung-ho, anything-goes media culture. Which is that India should not make the same mistake as viewing progress through the same prism as the West.
“I firmly believe that the way the West has developed economically is unbalanced and that if India develops in this way, it is going to be very dangerous for it. Growth in the West is driven by consumerism, which is unbalanced and unhealthy, because it inspires greed. We all need to consume things, but that must be kept in balance. It is also unbalanced because of what we are doing to nature, the amount of energy we consume.”
What do Indians make of his words of caution, now that greater riches appear to be in their sights?
“Some Indians say ‘You are trying to stop India becoming like other countries and stop us enjoying the kind of things the West enjoys,'” he admits. “But one of the things I admire and love about India is that it’s a hugely open society. I’m a foreigner after all, and yet I can go around India and say these things about where I think India is going wrong and I’m listened to with respect and interest, though by no means always with agreement.”
Read the full interview here: ‘It’s always a question of balance’
This is what The Prime Minister was telling the Industrialists the other day -to keep a sense of proportion, be it their salaries, perks and king-size living.Sure there is corruption everywhere including Govt , Parliament etc.which needs to be rooted out. But it doesn’t mean the industry or the very rich lose a sense of proportion, when still India and its crores of people have a very long way to go..Lakshmi Mittal’s Arcelor is fine so is Tata’s corus etc.. But the tragedy of suicides amongst farmers need to be addressed and solutions found.That is why I cannot understand how Mr Sharad Pawar is so oblivious to the farmers plight and is concentrating his time in finding a successor to Greg Cahppell and finds time to visit Bangla desh!Isn’t something missing there….?
Sometimes the wrong questions arise and comments after that will lead to a sorry state of discussions. Just because the topic was more speculative or delicious to have it.
The other ways of understanding India’s progress is serious gap emerging in standards of living not comparing to west but comparing to our ancestors. It makes a lot of sense to understand how much of deviation we have had from good then and bad now, and good now and bad then ways of lifestyle.
West has had a totally different way of living, setting up families. So thats good for them. India however is diverse in from the roots and we have oppurtunity to live with many languages, cultures, ecosystems. If only having an expensive car, home with carpets, toilets with papers, etc is making it west then its just superficial and even the westerner will disapprove of this. West is different from its core, there are new lifestyles emerging in their systems, which is become everyday serious problem. Indian lifestyle, culture and languages are there from ages and have all best practices for every individual wanting to lead .
compare between now and before seems more important than the west.
rest apart, even the west realizes growing like west is unsustainable.
but the real question is how far is growing like west from desirables like individual liberty? & how to strike a balance? certain egalitarian principles in the west are only sustainable because of this high consumption for example.
the most measurably respected toilet cleaners are in the west for example.
the most measurably respected women are in the west for example.
if you think that these are due to reasons other than materialism then I have a religion to propogate for you.
Progress = Destruction of Environment.
Before Industrialization humans destroyed Environment primarily for Food. After Industrialization humans are destroying environment for Food and unnecessary Consumer Goods.
In this context I want to post a part from my article which examines the impact of Speed, Overstimulation, Consumerism and Industrialization on our Minds and environment. Please read.
Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment.
The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked. Our Minds cannot be peaceful when attention-spans are down to nanoseconds, microseconds and milliseconds. Our Minds cannot be peaceful if we destroy Nature.
The link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues.
Subject : In a fast society slow emotions become extinct.
Subject : A thinking mind cannot feel.
Subject : Scientific/ Industrial/ Financial thinking destroys the planet.
Subject : Environment can never be saved as long as cities exist.
Emotion is what we experience during gaps in our thinking.
If there are no gaps there is no emotion.
Today people are thinking all the time and are mistaking thought (words/ language) for emotion.
When society switches-over from physical work (agriculture) to mental work (scientific/ industrial/ financial/ fast visuals/ fast words ) the speed of thinking keeps on accelerating and the gaps between thinking go on decreasing.
There comes a time when there are almost no gaps.
People become incapable of experiencing/ tolerating gaps.
Emotion ends.
Man becomes machine.
A society that speeds up mentally experiences every mental slowing-down as Depression / Anxiety.
A ( travelling )society that speeds up physically experiences every physical slowing-down as Depression / Anxiety.
A society that entertains itself daily experiences every non-entertaining moment as Depression / Anxiety.
Fast visuals/ words make slow emotions extinct.
Scientific/ Industrial/ Financial thinking destroys emotional circuits.
A fast (large) society cannot feel pain / remorse / empathy.
A fast (large) society will always be cruel to Animals/ Trees/ Air/ Water/ Land and to Itself.
To read the complete article please follow any of these links :
PlanetSave
FreeInfoSociety
ePhilosopher
Corrupt
sushil_yadav
Dear All,
Sorry I have to wade in…this lamentation of the West is so typical and fashionable and it is what I call ‘The Satyajit Ray’ effect. Better to have a bunch fools exhibiting tribal trinkets than build dams like Narmada (can’t remember the exact name of this dam) that can save people dying of thirst.
Progress is inevitable–just prepare your society for it. Build more equitable systems (ooops I sound like NRN) and enhance shareholder value (I am using Sushil Yadavism here).
TS
The best hedonism is found in the East–no wonder the West doesn’t want us to progress. “Where will we go?” they ask! The best non achievers and their worshipers are found only in India. Once a Tendulkar always a TENDULKAR–I am in the zone like!
Sunil Yadav,
It clearly shows technology can be destructive in your ‘creative’ mind:) If you are the drinking kind, just have a cool beer and marvel at the issuing bubbles in your glass. Or try lobotomy!
if india becomes west then iy will be fine.
we have to go forward in western values ,for example see the western values of honsty, non corruption,and the value of time and their patriatism
arent these things are good to adapt?”let nobel thoughts come to us from everyside” as a saying we have bring best from the west
if india becomes west thin it will be fine.
we have to see the finest values of west for example their honesty,non-coruption,and the value of time and their partiatism.
Arent these things are good to adapt?
as rigveda says”Let nobel thoughts come to us form evey side”lets us bring best form the west.
Progress is inevitable. Even if the progress is regressive in parts. Sri Mark Tully brings up valid points. Nothing will be done about it, though. In this situation, either lead, follow or get out of the way. Or like a few others, lube up and get into position… ; -)