The President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's Speech in Hyderabad.
Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat. We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transformed the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed with the bad news, failures, and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks, bombardments, and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary.
It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths were inside the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India, we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation, so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14-year-old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India.
For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.
Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, the choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient. YOU say that our laws are too old. YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage. YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke, The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport, and you are at your International best. In Singapore, you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have overstayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore, you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs. 650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.' YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston??? We are still talking about the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why can you not be the same here in India?
Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr. Tinaikar, had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?
In America, every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us while our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up, but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place, nor are we going to stop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms, but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries, but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who are known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing-room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us, it consists of our neighbors, other households, other cities, other communities, and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears, we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure, we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war-struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection, and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Let's do what India needs from us.
Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending some jokes or nonsense junk mails.
Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalaam (PRESIDENT OF INDIA)
Sare Jahan se Accha Hindustan Hamara.
From India, Hyderabad
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15Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat. We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transformed the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed with the bad news, failures, and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks, bombardments, and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary.
It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths were inside the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India, we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation, so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14-year-old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India.
For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.
Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, the choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient. YOU say that our laws are too old. YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage. YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke, The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits. YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport, and you are at your International best. In Singapore, you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have overstayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore, you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs. 650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.' YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston??? We are still talking about the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why can you not be the same here in India?
Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr. Tinaikar, had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?
In America, every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan. Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us while our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up, but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place, nor are we going to stop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms, but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries, but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who are known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing-room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us, it consists of our neighbors, other households, other cities, other communities, and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears, we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure, we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war-struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection, and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Let's do what India needs from us.
Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending some jokes or nonsense junk mails.
Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalaam (PRESIDENT OF INDIA)
Sare Jahan se Accha Hindustan Hamara.
From India, Hyderabad
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Dear Sai,
Thanks for posting the article on the site. It's not too late [APJ gave this when he was in the chair], but it's always thought-provoking. We Indians need a poke in our butt. We take on the identity of any other country but our own. When people say they want to come to India at least once a year, it's just to relax from the rules of the countries they stay in. As soon as they open the doors of the aircraft... it's time for the old ways... littering, spitting, jaywalking... It's time we changed [high time].
Lisa
From India, Madras
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Thanks for posting the article on the site. It's not too late [APJ gave this when he was in the chair], but it's always thought-provoking. We Indians need a poke in our butt. We take on the identity of any other country but our own. When people say they want to come to India at least once a year, it's just to relax from the rules of the countries they stay in. As soon as they open the doors of the aircraft... it's time for the old ways... littering, spitting, jaywalking... It's time we changed [high time].
Lisa
From India, Madras
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No doubt it is an excellent speech, but just admiring it is not enough. This is not what our ex-president wants. He wants us, who are actually the young brigade of India, to come in front and take charge for the development of India. If we can just give a little part of our life towards society, this place would definitely be a better place to live in.
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He was very right in his comments. Let’s try our level best in making India a Better & Developed Nation. Jay Hind Regards Smriti
From India, Vadodara
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From India, Vadodara
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Dear Sai Prasad,
This speech highlights an important fact that 'appreciating the good' is not part of our culture, yet!
Development of individuals and organizations depends on the amount of attention, appreciation, and affection people give and receive from each other.
The ability to appreciate the good in others is typically a very unique cultural trait of successful people and nations.
Israelites could succeed even in their agriculture, and in spite of living in a desert, they export agri products because they know what to and how to appreciate!
In Tanjore District, Tamil Nadu, in a year when we receive 700+mm rainfall, we cry it is an unprecedented drought year, and that farmers should be fed with free food.
While the best part of Israel receives not more than 300 mm rainfall, experts from Israel were invited by the Government of AP to train farmers: Imagine farmers from Adilabad (AP), where the average annual rainfall is 1000mm taking lessons! Ultimately, what we learn (or are yet to learn) from the Israel experts is how to appreciate every drop of water we have!
Bill Clinton, as the president of the USA, appreciated the food he ate in a hotel in Delhi; he called on the chefs to appreciate them!
Bill Gates told the media he enjoyed the uttapam at Dr. P. Chidambaram's house and parota at Kalaignar Karunanidhi's!
That is the typical trait of winners: appreciate the good... It's a cultural trait.
We have a wonderful Management Theory "Appreciative Inquiry" from Case Western Reserve University, on how we could develop organizations by bringing into awareness all the wonderful things its members are experiencing in it. An excellent OD tool, we are yet to use it!
Our mind has enormous long-term memory (Hard Disk space). But, the ability to pay attention to that which is immediate (RAM Memory) is very limited to plus or minus seven items only. We tend to fill this RAM with 'problem-solving' tasks than admiring the good around us.
As a trainer, I tell my trainees, "Use the word 'wonderful' from your heart, honestly, at least ten times a day, and you will flourish; and you will brighten up the lives of others."
At the same time, I caution them: "If you find someone who has spent hundreds of thousands of rupees to appear beautiful, on ornaments, and attire, and go and tell her 'Madam, you are really looking beautiful,' even if she does not, someone nearby might attack you!"
A foreigner typically will come and tell you this or that looks wonderful. But, for us, we have a long way to go to learn to give or even to receive appreciation!
We cry foul that our culture is destroyed by the 'pisa culture' of the West, even while enjoying pisa; But, we need tourists to come and admire our dosa or parota. Whoever told us not to take our dosa or parota to the US?
Parveen Warsi is an example of how by selling samosa in London, she could build an empire of over a hundred million UK pounds around it and get an award from the Government of the UK for her entrepreneurship.
Typically, we may appreciate our sons and daughters going abroad with an MBA degree to work under entrepreneurs there, like Parween Warsi! But, if the son/daughter wants to go abroad, with or without an MBA to sell dosa, are we ready to appreciate that child?
That shows our cultural inability to appreciate human labor, which is a direct fallout of our caste system that teaches us that manual labor is not respectable; that it is better to 'settle' down in 'secure' jobs than to venture out doing risky business, etc!
In fact, I believe that Dr. Kalam's own success is in his ability to appreciate the contribution of his team members to the space mission he was heading more than anything else! I read somewhere the press statement he gave after the successful first launch of India's missile... He was rattling out names of his engineers and staff who sacrificed so much for the mission... And, he wanted everyone in the organization to be rewarded for the success! A man who rose up by his ability to appreciate!
May his tribe increase! Let us learn to say "Wonderful."
Thanks for waking people up with this wonderful speech of the president of India on the need to appreciate the good.
Arulraja.
From India, Bangalore
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
This speech highlights an important fact that 'appreciating the good' is not part of our culture, yet!
Development of individuals and organizations depends on the amount of attention, appreciation, and affection people give and receive from each other.
The ability to appreciate the good in others is typically a very unique cultural trait of successful people and nations.
Israelites could succeed even in their agriculture, and in spite of living in a desert, they export agri products because they know what to and how to appreciate!
In Tanjore District, Tamil Nadu, in a year when we receive 700+mm rainfall, we cry it is an unprecedented drought year, and that farmers should be fed with free food.
While the best part of Israel receives not more than 300 mm rainfall, experts from Israel were invited by the Government of AP to train farmers: Imagine farmers from Adilabad (AP), where the average annual rainfall is 1000mm taking lessons! Ultimately, what we learn (or are yet to learn) from the Israel experts is how to appreciate every drop of water we have!
Bill Clinton, as the president of the USA, appreciated the food he ate in a hotel in Delhi; he called on the chefs to appreciate them!
Bill Gates told the media he enjoyed the uttapam at Dr. P. Chidambaram's house and parota at Kalaignar Karunanidhi's!
That is the typical trait of winners: appreciate the good... It's a cultural trait.
We have a wonderful Management Theory "Appreciative Inquiry" from Case Western Reserve University, on how we could develop organizations by bringing into awareness all the wonderful things its members are experiencing in it. An excellent OD tool, we are yet to use it!
Our mind has enormous long-term memory (Hard Disk space). But, the ability to pay attention to that which is immediate (RAM Memory) is very limited to plus or minus seven items only. We tend to fill this RAM with 'problem-solving' tasks than admiring the good around us.
As a trainer, I tell my trainees, "Use the word 'wonderful' from your heart, honestly, at least ten times a day, and you will flourish; and you will brighten up the lives of others."
At the same time, I caution them: "If you find someone who has spent hundreds of thousands of rupees to appear beautiful, on ornaments, and attire, and go and tell her 'Madam, you are really looking beautiful,' even if she does not, someone nearby might attack you!"
A foreigner typically will come and tell you this or that looks wonderful. But, for us, we have a long way to go to learn to give or even to receive appreciation!
We cry foul that our culture is destroyed by the 'pisa culture' of the West, even while enjoying pisa; But, we need tourists to come and admire our dosa or parota. Whoever told us not to take our dosa or parota to the US?
Parveen Warsi is an example of how by selling samosa in London, she could build an empire of over a hundred million UK pounds around it and get an award from the Government of the UK for her entrepreneurship.
Typically, we may appreciate our sons and daughters going abroad with an MBA degree to work under entrepreneurs there, like Parween Warsi! But, if the son/daughter wants to go abroad, with or without an MBA to sell dosa, are we ready to appreciate that child?
That shows our cultural inability to appreciate human labor, which is a direct fallout of our caste system that teaches us that manual labor is not respectable; that it is better to 'settle' down in 'secure' jobs than to venture out doing risky business, etc!
In fact, I believe that Dr. Kalam's own success is in his ability to appreciate the contribution of his team members to the space mission he was heading more than anything else! I read somewhere the press statement he gave after the successful first launch of India's missile... He was rattling out names of his engineers and staff who sacrificed so much for the mission... And, he wanted everyone in the organization to be rewarded for the success! A man who rose up by his ability to appreciate!
May his tribe increase! Let us learn to say "Wonderful."
Thanks for waking people up with this wonderful speech of the president of India on the need to appreciate the good.
Arulraja.
From India, Bangalore
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