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2009-12-072009-12-03

Lessons from an Indian trip – English, computer and foreigners! (3)

On my recent trip to India, I met many Indians of different ages, from the cities and the villages and from all walks of life. Though there were so many “types” of Indians, basically I found that I could divide them into two main categories, namely, the “old Indian” and the “new Indian.”

The “old Indian” was basically local in his outlook, traditional in the way he did things and unlikely to make a real difference to his own life or to those around him. The “new Indian” was basically more international in his outlook, more progressive in the way he did things and likely to make a difference to his own life and to the lives of those around him. What were the factors that produced these two types of Indians?

It certainly wasn’t the place where they were born or grew up in because many of the “new Indians” grew up in very remote villages. Neither was it their family background because many “new Indians” came from poor families. Neither was it their caste – because “new Indians” come from all the castes (including the so-called “untouchables’).

I think that 3 major factors made the difference, namely, an English language education, use of computers and exposure to foreigners.

An English-medium school in a small Indian town

I found that most “new Indians” had an English medium education. Indians have a choice of being educated in either English or an Indian language (eg. Tamil, Hindi, Telugu). It usually cost more to send a child to an English medium (EM) school but many parents scrimp and save to do so because they know that there are advantages to do so. The ability to read English opens many doors to the world of science, new ideas, etc.

Secondly, I found that most “new Indians” have access to the internet – through which they have access to the whole wide world. Many of their parents too were fluent with English but lacked the access to the world of ideas that is available on the internet. Therefore, though the older generation of English speaking Indians had the means to read English, they had little access to English language materials.

Thirdly, I found that many of the “new Indians” had contact with foreigners – often through their work (because many of them work in “off-shore” offices of Western corporations). Through their constant contact with foreigners, they learned many new ways of doing things (eg. punctuality, office discipline).

In my course of travel through Asia, I’ve found that these 3 factors (English, computers and foreign friends) are in demand not only in India but in almost every Asian country.

In the past the 3 R’s – reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmatic – made the difference between success and failure.
Today, it’s English, computers and foreign friends that often makes the difference between success and failure!

2009-12-042009-12-03

Lessons from an Indian trip – Prejudice and Potential (2)

Twenty years ago, when I first visited India I encountered Indians that were very similar to my parents in many ways. India and Singapore (and about a quarter of the world’s land surface) were all once part of the British Empire. Of all the colonialists, the British were by far the best (at least in my opinion) but they were nonetheless colonialists. In other words, they were blatant exploiters of others. And probably the most powerful exploitation of all was that that on the human mind.

To maintain their control over the locals, they used military power and more importantly, psychological power. They brainwashed the locals to believe that since they were inferior to the Westerner, they were privileged to be “civilized” by them.

It is interesting to note that most Asian countries that were colonized fought for, and gained, their independence after World War II. As my father (who was a dedicated Anglophile) said: “It was only after we saw how the Japanese thrashed the British, that we realized that the Asian is not inferior to the Westerner!” Sad to say, in spite of this obvious lesson from the Japanese, the people of my father’s generation continued to suffer from an inferiority complex. This is the power of brain-washing and prejudice. Its scars often last till death.

When I first visited India in the mid 80’s, India had already gained its independence from the British for forty years but the scars of a brow-beaten colonial mentality were still evident. The people seemed to accept the fact that things could not change for the better because they were incapable of improving things. It seemed that everything that was of good quality (eg. railway stations, offices) was made by the British and everything that didn’t work was made by them!

On my recent trip to India, I noticed a totally different mind-set in the young educated Indians. Unlike their fathers who were trained to be clerks and workers for their colonial masters, they had received a good education and were confident and hopeful for their future. Many of these bright young Indians that I met were children of dirt poor farmers. I am confident that they will build a better India. And a better India means that 20% of the world will live in a better world.

I write this blog not as one who is anti-colonial, which I am not. In fact, I’m thankful for what the British gave me – especially an English language education. But I write this to highlight two important lessons.

Firstly, that it is wrong to be prejudiced against people just because they are of a different race or religion. It is wrong to think that we are better than someone else because they are of a different race or religion. It is not only a lie but it breeds pride in self and hatred for others. Prejudice hinders us from knowing others and helping others. Too many people will not even visit another country because of the prejudices (aka lies) that they have been “brain-washed” with!

Secondly, there is great untapped potential in every human being – and our hope is that each one will be given the opportunity to fulfil his potential. Education often provides that door of opportunity! It did so for me and my Indian friends!

2009-12-022009-12-03

Lessons from an Indian trip – It’s a small, small world! (1)

I first visited India over 20 years ago. When I first stepped out of the plane in Bombay (now called Mumbai), I had a culture shock. I felt that I’d just come out of a “time-machine” into the past. Everything around me – the airport, the cars, telephones – reminded me of the things that I’d seen in my childhood.

I was born and bred in colonial Singapore. In my childhood, Singapore was a sleepy hollow. The only “industries” that we had were our port and the Naval Base (for the British Navy). After our independence in 1965, Singapore developed at a furious pace to become a modern city-state. When I made my first trip to India in mid 80’s, Singapore was already modernized. In fact, whenever I travelled to most other Asian countries during that time, there were many adjustments to make – there was the need to bring packs of tissue paper, worry about the availability of clean drinking water, forget about having any contact with family for most of the duration of the trip, etc.

A few months ago, when I was invited to visit India I knew that there was absolutely no need to worry about all these things – after all, even in the remotest villages of Cambodia I know that I can get a signal to call home on my auto-roam cell phone, and have a wide selection of chilled bottled-water to buy at bargain prices.

However when I landed in Hyderabad Airport, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only were my expectations met but that they were completely exceeded. Yes, there were still signs of “old” India around but there were also signs that “new” India had all the potential to surpass us.

The airport was new. It was well designed. It was well maintained and run. Frankly, it was better than almost all the airports that I’d been through in the West. A quick look at the prices in the airport, also informed me that one needn’t have to pay and arm and a leg for food or transport. I’ve always marvelled at how people complain of pick-pockets in other countries and forget that the biggest “pick-pockets” that empty our pockets on most trips are not the one-off criminal but the legalized, systematic, over-priced services that we have to pay for in the “developed” countries!

As I entered my host’s Korean car at the airport and took the smooth ride into the city on the longest fly-over (overpass) in Asia into the city of Hyderabad, I realized that the world is indeed small. As I dozed off to sleep in the car, I hardly felt that I’d left home!

I believe that if we leave our prejudices aside, the whole wide world is now really just our backyard. The barriers that we had to cross to visit other countries are now only those that are found in our minds!