Comments on: Shifting Focus from Bharat to India

By: sumit dudeja

sumit dudeja — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 17:38:29 +0000

i totally agree with writers point of view as in the hoard of becoming a developed nation by liberalisation,globalisation and privatisation(lpg),we hv 4got abt the rural india (bharat)people there still endevour for the basics ,by just opening malls and building flyovers doesnt mean that we have become a developed nation .plz send me your views at sumit_i_dudeja@yahoo.co.in

By: The Urbanizer » Blog Archive » Globalisierung oder mein Sonntag im Hotelzimmer

Sun, 05 Jun 2005 16:50:53 +0000

[...] h hab das Internet zum Thema Globalisierung und Indien durchforstet. Dabei bin ich auf ein interessantes Blog gestossen: People are generally ignorant of th [...]

By: Nitin

Nitin — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I agree with Atanu’s point of there being several Indias.

India ended up getting branded for what you term as being Sharad Joshi’s Bharat. With that kind of perception, it would be impossible for Bharat to ever develop into ‘India’. The country would have become a target for Oxfam, MSF and other charities; who no doubt do a great job of alleviating pain and suffering but effectively apply several overlapping band-aids over an ever widening wound.

Instead, the new India Shining (for the want of a better word) brand puts out a different image, a fast developing India that can help develop its Bharatiya countrymen. I’d draw a lesson from China – the eastern sea board was allowed to develop first; with the hope that progress will diffuse to the interior.

I dont deny that a large majority of Indians live in a different world – and not everyone’s India is shining equally. Much needs to be done to spread (rather than diffuse) the prosperity to these people, but that should not holding back the India that is shining.

By: sudeep

sudeep — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I disagree with the nomenclature of bharat and India, IMO its the urban, sophesticated Bharat thats shining, and socialist, beurocratic India thats stagnating.

But minor quibbles apart, I have felt this sense of unease more than once, that in all the media hype and feel good, is the poor chap with the skinny donkey being left behind ? Bharat loosing its connections with its poor cousin India, is a scary prospect.

I can agree that more cars, cheap (by what standards ?) cellphones, consumer goods etc do not translate to a shine, for Bharat or India. These things may have a “trickle down” effect, but it shall not generate a massive leap forward in living standards. As a self professed Bharatiya, I really do not know anything about the badlands of Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, eastern UP etc. How would one get any news thats without any ideological bias from these parts of the country ?

By: sudeep

sudeep — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

India wud shine when

1) Every child has access to primary education
2) Every child has access to primary health care
3) Micro Credit schemes are available to farmers and small scale entreprenuers.
4) Every one has access to information
5) Transportaion and travel across the country becomes cheap, affordable, and comfortable.

If substantial progress has been made in the past few years in the above fields, I would say that India/Bharat is indeed on its way to shine.

By: Prasad Boddupalli

Prasad Boddupalli — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

However Atanu, Thomas Friedman’s arguments are not any shallower than those who are shouting from the rooftops that the american economy is bottoming out due to outsourcing. Just as the India Shining campaign is taking focus off the pressing problems, all the media blitz about sourcing is taking focus off the real issue, which is “unsustainable levels of living”. Those migrated jobs may come back if those who cannot cruise in anything but any SUV will be happy with a chevy cavalier.

By: Bharat

Bharat — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

strangely enough i think all this media hype and shining whining really is less impactful at grass roots level, where reality is so harsh that all the shining is not even given a first glance. (jab paani hi nahi hai tab washing machine ka ad kya samajh mein ayega??) Whenever the grass roots have voted for change…it has happened only when they felt it will change their ground reality…case example Digvijay’s second term as CM in MP. He made a lot of in roads with rural MP with some innovative social programs and empowering communities under the 73/74th amendments. Every media pundit wrote him off…but he came back, stronger. So as long as ‘Bhaarat’ is motivated enough ( and not coerced…Bihar) to vote, they do get their say. Unfortunately the politicians forget them as they get blinded by the shining flash of the urban,successful few.