Bandra Worli Sea Link and Slumdogs
Heard the news and saw the pics that the Bandra Worli sea link (considered an Engineering Marvel by us Indians and Mumbaikars) has opened for traffic and I sincerely hope that the 8 Lane Road becomes a boon for Mumbai.
It makes me brim with pride (all negatives and rantings come lateron) that we Indians have atleast done something different. It may not be the best in the world but shows that if we Indians put our mind to it we can jump from service providers to solution providers.
I am all for Sethu Samudram project if it really helps us a nation and there is no severe environmental impact because I do believe that Lord Rama would not have wanted us to fight amongst ourselves over this. Anyways lets not go off topic. This is about the BWSL(Bandra Worli Sea Link).
You know what I didnt see an inch of report on this in CNN the news website that I constantly read everyday. The reason being this shows Indias achievements with all its negatives. Hmm if a slum had been razed in its place, may be that would have made the news in CNN. Anything that shows positively about India is not an interest to the world media.
Following things the Media likes to Project about India(Including our own Desi English News Channels)
a. Slums.
b. Suffering in Slums.
c. More Slums and yes riots
etc etc
Neither does a news channel like BBC. What is the problem with the world media?
Why is this achievement by Indians not being published in any of the major news websites. ? Who is to blame?
The answer to the question "Who is to blame?" is multipronged. Inward looking and "Navel Gazing" people will say its Indians. Others will say its the west and will point to one conspiracy or the other.
I generally tend to go with the Navel Gazers. The problem is projection. We Indians dont want to project ourselves aggressively (never been in our collective psych) or as achievers. Only as contended folks , hey give us something to service you and we will provide it for you. We insanely revile people who are selfish, ego-centric, over achievers etc. We take pride in getting Oscars when India is shown in a bad light. (Salaam Bombay, Slumdog Millionaire etc and the list goes on). Heck even the movie was not made by an Indian but by an Englishman based on a Indian diplomats novel. To get one Oscar award we can stoop so low.
For the first time I was praying Oscar would not be given to this movie. I was sincerely hoping Benjamin Button would get the Oscar it deserved. Benjamin Button is a movie that is made sincerely with all heart, body mind and Soul put into it.
And what to talk of people living in the slums day in and day out. Why do we Indians consider living in filth a privilege and that everytime we have to wait for an avatar or messiah or prophet to rid us from this hell.? And take pride when all over the world this hell is projected in a masalla movie?
When Steve Waugh (For those of you who dont know Cricket, Australian Cricketer) cleans up Kolkatta's streets we ask where are Sachin/Amitabh etc. We dont ask why do we need Steve Waugh to clean up Kolkatta's streets? Why cant the people living in Kolkatta slums clean up their own mess?
200 Years of British rule really has made us slaves in mind heart and soul of the west. Instead of learning the west's respect for rule of law, for innovation we are waiting for the west to provide the world with new things , new economies instead of building our own solutions.
Our farmers commit suicide everyday instead of getting together and finding out alternate farming methods suited to our local climatic conditions. If you ask them they will say "kya karen bhagwan barose jee rahe hain"(living by the grace of god) instead of saying I will try do this lets leave it to god if it works out or not. Dying is easy. Living is hard.
I dont how many more years will pass by (may be not in my lifetime) when the world looks at India with awe and inspiration as a nation that has millions of cultures, languages and nationalities and yet as a nation we not only survive but progress and progress spiritually (for the spiritually inclined) , morally and economically.
On that note I am stopping my rantings and see you all next time!
It makes me brim with pride (all negatives and rantings come lateron) that we Indians have atleast done something different. It may not be the best in the world but shows that if we Indians put our mind to it we can jump from service providers to solution providers.
I am all for Sethu Samudram project if it really helps us a nation and there is no severe environmental impact because I do believe that Lord Rama would not have wanted us to fight amongst ourselves over this. Anyways lets not go off topic. This is about the BWSL(Bandra Worli Sea Link).
You know what I didnt see an inch of report on this in CNN the news website that I constantly read everyday. The reason being this shows Indias achievements with all its negatives. Hmm if a slum had been razed in its place, may be that would have made the news in CNN. Anything that shows positively about India is not an interest to the world media.
Following things the Media likes to Project about India(Including our own Desi English News Channels)
a. Slums.
b. Suffering in Slums.
c. More Slums and yes riots
etc etc
Neither does a news channel like BBC. What is the problem with the world media?
Why is this achievement by Indians not being published in any of the major news websites. ? Who is to blame?
The answer to the question "Who is to blame?" is multipronged. Inward looking and "Navel Gazing" people will say its Indians. Others will say its the west and will point to one conspiracy or the other.
I generally tend to go with the Navel Gazers. The problem is projection. We Indians dont want to project ourselves aggressively (never been in our collective psych) or as achievers. Only as contended folks , hey give us something to service you and we will provide it for you. We insanely revile people who are selfish, ego-centric, over achievers etc. We take pride in getting Oscars when India is shown in a bad light. (Salaam Bombay, Slumdog Millionaire etc and the list goes on). Heck even the movie was not made by an Indian but by an Englishman based on a Indian diplomats novel. To get one Oscar award we can stoop so low.
For the first time I was praying Oscar would not be given to this movie. I was sincerely hoping Benjamin Button would get the Oscar it deserved. Benjamin Button is a movie that is made sincerely with all heart, body mind and Soul put into it.
And what to talk of people living in the slums day in and day out. Why do we Indians consider living in filth a privilege and that everytime we have to wait for an avatar or messiah or prophet to rid us from this hell.? And take pride when all over the world this hell is projected in a masalla movie?
When Steve Waugh (For those of you who dont know Cricket, Australian Cricketer) cleans up Kolkatta's streets we ask where are Sachin/Amitabh etc. We dont ask why do we need Steve Waugh to clean up Kolkatta's streets? Why cant the people living in Kolkatta slums clean up their own mess?
200 Years of British rule really has made us slaves in mind heart and soul of the west. Instead of learning the west's respect for rule of law, for innovation we are waiting for the west to provide the world with new things , new economies instead of building our own solutions.
Our farmers commit suicide everyday instead of getting together and finding out alternate farming methods suited to our local climatic conditions. If you ask them they will say "kya karen bhagwan barose jee rahe hain"(living by the grace of god) instead of saying I will try do this lets leave it to god if it works out or not. Dying is easy. Living is hard.
I dont how many more years will pass by (may be not in my lifetime) when the world looks at India with awe and inspiration as a nation that has millions of cultures, languages and nationalities and yet as a nation we not only survive but progress and progress spiritually (for the spiritually inclined) , morally and economically.
On that note I am stopping my rantings and see you all next time!
Labels: Bandra Worli Sea Link, Slumdogs
posted by Rama at
12:06 PM
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