People from the Indian subcontinent will instantaneously assimilate the sense behind both expressions in the Title Phrase....and how deep set it is and runs in the fabric of the Society in the many people groups from the SAARC region (Member Countries are: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh) in varying degrees, to the detriment of progress in all spheres of activity in the region and extending to the world as well.
After all "The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century” (by Thomas Friedman ISBN 0-374-29288-4), which is true and any symptoms in a region of the world have global implications, like it or not!
Often times we say "We are Like This Only! Or Hum Nahin.." and laugh about it and move on...but I like to stop and think there is a deeper systemic problem we are ignoring in that phrase and message often ignored to our own collective failings in matters concerning the Region that encompasses SAARC. I believe this is a region that offers a lot to the world community and can even do more but for the deep set impasse that runs like a dagger across its fabric.
The WESTERN NATIONS have been seriously concerned about another collective scourge in the African Continent for a long time: Poverty, Mal Nutrition, AIDS, Illiteracy, backwardness until they decided enough is enough and they collectively rallied as Politicians (case in point:Mr.Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister) a Musician (Mr.Bono), an world wide icon & Entrepreneur of the IT world named Bill Gates, a former US President: Bill Clinton, a Media Personality (Oprah Winfrey Andersen Cooper of CNN ) Many Hollywood Actors and other prominent folks such as Rev. Rick Warren, Rev Franklin Graham; all saw how serious the problems of Africa are and how it affects the rest of the world and they acted upon it with great gusto. and the uplifting ongoing changes and positive results emanating from Africa are self evident.
They did this through a movement and by spontaneously mobilizing and infusing large dozes of Money, Time and Effort to deal with that huge challenge rightly identifying it as a scourge in that region. What is even more unique about the movement is this was not a State sponsored event. It was Empowered Individuals from different disciplines in life coming together to help alleviate the People of Africa's from their sufferings.
No doubt the SAARC Region also has similar challenges as in Africa and they are alarming too but I think there is also another Big Problem that is unique to the SAARC Region and it has been flying under the radar for a long while completely ignored. That problem is "We are like this only" and "Hum Nahin Sudhrenge"
(To those who do not follow the Hindi Phrase, translated it means: sheer obstinacy and resistance to any change.)
Some likely factors are:
1. Centuries of ruling by different conquerors over the region and suppressing the people’s aspirations....2. Socialistic vision of each country's founding fathers by intentionally marrying Former USSR style Communism (now non existent) with Capitalism...Of Course its worthy to note that change has been ushered into India in particular, by progressive Congress and BJP leaders (Dr. Manmohan Singh and AB Vajpayee & others), Bureaucrats and Entrepreneurs’ since the last 15-20 years....but still the old die hards of the old order keep pulling the Sub Continent Region down!3. Fundamentalist Religious reasons, illiteracy, ignorance, abject poverty, politicians exploiting people groups for vote banks, social stigma all chip in too.....to add their twist to the Symptom & long standing Malady.
To deal with it, the WEST need not come calling. There are enough and more people from the Sub Continent Region who can empower and bring about the change as was done in the case of Africa.
A collective vision is needed and the Media could influence the change spear headed by Private Channels, Entrepreneurs’, Film Stars of Bollywood and other Regional Cinema and Celebrities from different walks of life all coming together to make concerted efforts to rid the region of the scourge. One can look at Indian Idol and similar other Regional TV programmes to notice the galvanizing effects of such events in the Region.
Can an AFRICA style mobilization which was actioned by the WEST be adopted by the Media, Entrepreneurs, Bollywood, Corporate Giants from the Region, Intellectuals Authors & Economists like Dr. M Yunus (of Bangla Desh) & Arundhati Roy, The different Khans of Bollywood, A Mohanlal, Ambani...... imagine all of them from the Sub Continent come together to do some thing about changing "We are like this only"!?
A dynamic, deliberate and ongoing effort to rid this Symptom from this important region of the 10/40 window would usher in faster & lasting change?
Its time that the Sub Continent came into its own.....and there is a lot of hard work needed to make that dream a reality.
A 26/11, Malegon Blast, Hindu Maoist Nepal, Jihad-ism in Bangladesh, Religious Fanaticism as demonstrated by the Indian Taliban: Mutalik of Ram Sena, deeply entrenched Corruption and Nepotism in Government across SAARC Nations (the lone Bhutan being an exception), Seperationist tendencies in the SAARC region, The breeding of Satyam's Rajus ...all continue to multiply and breed in this region partly due to "Hum Nahin " or "We are....only!" mentality.
Dear Reader, I hope there is enough fodder for thought in the above paragraphs to provoke people to agree and hope that in due course of time we can all see a dream realized in the positive upliftment of the SAARC region from the scourge!
XXXX-XXXX
After all "The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century” (by Thomas Friedman ISBN 0-374-29288-4), which is true and any symptoms in a region of the world have global implications, like it or not!
Often times we say "We are Like This Only! Or Hum Nahin.." and laugh about it and move on...but I like to stop and think there is a deeper systemic problem we are ignoring in that phrase and message often ignored to our own collective failings in matters concerning the Region that encompasses SAARC. I believe this is a region that offers a lot to the world community and can even do more but for the deep set impasse that runs like a dagger across its fabric.
The WESTERN NATIONS have been seriously concerned about another collective scourge in the African Continent for a long time: Poverty, Mal Nutrition, AIDS, Illiteracy, backwardness until they decided enough is enough and they collectively rallied as Politicians (case in point:Mr.Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister) a Musician (Mr.Bono), an world wide icon & Entrepreneur of the IT world named Bill Gates, a former US President: Bill Clinton, a Media Personality (Oprah Winfrey Andersen Cooper of CNN ) Many Hollywood Actors and other prominent folks such as Rev. Rick Warren, Rev Franklin Graham; all saw how serious the problems of Africa are and how it affects the rest of the world and they acted upon it with great gusto. and the uplifting ongoing changes and positive results emanating from Africa are self evident.
They did this through a movement and by spontaneously mobilizing and infusing large dozes of Money, Time and Effort to deal with that huge challenge rightly identifying it as a scourge in that region. What is even more unique about the movement is this was not a State sponsored event. It was Empowered Individuals from different disciplines in life coming together to help alleviate the People of Africa's from their sufferings.
No doubt the SAARC Region also has similar challenges as in Africa and they are alarming too but I think there is also another Big Problem that is unique to the SAARC Region and it has been flying under the radar for a long while completely ignored. That problem is "We are like this only" and "Hum Nahin Sudhrenge"
(To those who do not follow the Hindi Phrase, translated it means: sheer obstinacy and resistance to any change.)
Some likely factors are:
1. Centuries of ruling by different conquerors over the region and suppressing the people’s aspirations....2. Socialistic vision of each country's founding fathers by intentionally marrying Former USSR style Communism (now non existent) with Capitalism...Of Course its worthy to note that change has been ushered into India in particular, by progressive Congress and BJP leaders (Dr. Manmohan Singh and AB Vajpayee & others), Bureaucrats and Entrepreneurs’ since the last 15-20 years....but still the old die hards of the old order keep pulling the Sub Continent Region down!3. Fundamentalist Religious reasons, illiteracy, ignorance, abject poverty, politicians exploiting people groups for vote banks, social stigma all chip in too.....to add their twist to the Symptom & long standing Malady.
To deal with it, the WEST need not come calling. There are enough and more people from the Sub Continent Region who can empower and bring about the change as was done in the case of Africa.
A collective vision is needed and the Media could influence the change spear headed by Private Channels, Entrepreneurs’, Film Stars of Bollywood and other Regional Cinema and Celebrities from different walks of life all coming together to make concerted efforts to rid the region of the scourge. One can look at Indian Idol and similar other Regional TV programmes to notice the galvanizing effects of such events in the Region.
Can an AFRICA style mobilization which was actioned by the WEST be adopted by the Media, Entrepreneurs, Bollywood, Corporate Giants from the Region, Intellectuals Authors & Economists like Dr. M Yunus (of Bangla Desh) & Arundhati Roy, The different Khans of Bollywood, A Mohanlal, Ambani...... imagine all of them from the Sub Continent come together to do some thing about changing "We are like this only"!?
A dynamic, deliberate and ongoing effort to rid this Symptom from this important region of the 10/40 window would usher in faster & lasting change?
Its time that the Sub Continent came into its own.....and there is a lot of hard work needed to make that dream a reality.
A 26/11, Malegon Blast, Hindu Maoist Nepal, Jihad-ism in Bangladesh, Religious Fanaticism as demonstrated by the Indian Taliban: Mutalik of Ram Sena, deeply entrenched Corruption and Nepotism in Government across SAARC Nations (the lone Bhutan being an exception), Seperationist tendencies in the SAARC region, The breeding of Satyam's Rajus ...all continue to multiply and breed in this region partly due to "Hum Nahin " or "We are....only!" mentality.
Dear Reader, I hope there is enough fodder for thought in the above paragraphs to provoke people to agree and hope that in due course of time we can all see a dream realized in the positive upliftment of the SAARC region from the scourge!
XXXX-XXXX
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