Facts About India to Make Every Indian Proud

[KingNothing]

Having some of the richest people doesn't imply a state of wealth. It implies a state of massive economical imbalance.

And where did you get the statistics about doctors and such?

 

[TenaliRaman]

Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it. -- GBS

Let me first clarify one thing, I am an indian living in India and i have no problems whatsoever with anyone expressing their love for their country. But some of the posts made in this thread are disturbing and i think the author of the thread(first post) seems to be asking for it. You like your country, you want to show it off, please do so in newspapers or forums that are meant to be oriented towards such a drive(If you don't know, you can send letters to the editor and if its good enough it will be published). Posting this topic in a general discussion forum (and i stress "general") was a bad idea. General doesn't mean anything , it means discussion on topics that are more relevant from global point of view (global in the sense , kind of people involved here, which means in the case people from all over the world).

I would have more appreciated, if this thread was something like,


WHY SHOULD INDIANS BE PROUD?
<blah>
<blah>

Does anyone has suggestions how we (as students and future citizens of india) can help increase the number of such successes?


This topic would have generated more positive points fromthe people, we could have got to compare the educational model here with the world. (To indians : our educational model isn't as bad as one might think, it can compete well with many countries, its only the way the model is implemented that's bad).

There are many aspects of india, that could have been discussed here and this discussion could have been fruitful for every indian. But unfortunately so far the discussion has been on the lines of "my daddy sucks **** better than yours". (I usually don't prefer to use slangs but can't help it right now).

Please be productive, that's what discussion forums are for.

-- AI

 

[JasonRox]

The best people are in Canada!

Come visit Canada, and people will treat like Kings and Queens. A multicultural country, you can't beat that.

Note: We Canadians apologize and thank people for the smallest things. A Canadian would apologize if he/she almost got in your way. A Canadian would say thanks to the cashier when he/she gives the receipt to the customer.

I have talked to lots of people who came from outside of Canada, and most of say its the nicest place in the world. There's like no bullying compared to what I hear in the US and Europe.

I'm happy to be a Canadian, but I'll be sure to move to Quebec when it separates.

Quebec has tuition fees frozen at $2000! The best health care system in the WORLD, which is why they want to separate (the rest of Canada is jealous and trying to take money out of it). Day care is only $7 a day! They have a mini-Paris in Quebec City. They create the best hockey players and goalies!

What's not to like?

 

[Gokul43201]

I thank the cashier for a receipt. I must be Canadian. HOC-KEY !

 

[spender]

The best people are in Canada!

Come visit Canada, and people will treat like Kings and Queens. A multicultural country, you can't beat that.

Note: We Canadians apologize and thank people for the smallest things. A Canadian would apologize if he/she almost got in your way. A Canadian would say thanks to the cashier when he/she gives the receipt to the customer.

I have talked to lots of people who came from outside of Canada, and most of say its the nicest place in the world. There's like no bullying compared to what I hear in the US and Europe.

I'm happy to be a Canadian, but I'll be sure to move to Quebec when it separates.

Quebec has tuition fees frozen at $2000! The best health care system in the WORLD, which is why they want to separate (the rest of Canada is jealous and trying to take money out of it). Day care is only $7 a day! They have a mini-Paris in Quebec City. They create the best hockey players and goalies!

What's not to like?

I agree with you almost 100% and I'm also moving to Quebec even if they don't separate.
I would add few things more: Canadians are cheap, bit slow on thinking and are very much brain washed like no other people on earth, not even Americans.
sorry,sorry,sorry,sorry,sorry,sorry,sorry.

 

[JasonRox]

I agree with you almost 100% and I'm also moving to Quebec even if they don't separate.
I would add few things more: Canadians are cheap, bit slow on thinking and are very much brain washed like no other people on earth, not even Americans.
sorry,sorry,sorry,sorry,sorry,sorry,sorry.

Yes, Canadians are cheap. I'm not cheap at all though, which is weird. I waste a lot money when I shouldn't.

Canadians don't think too often either, especially when it comes to politics. If Canadians actually used their brains, Stephen Harper wouldn't have won that many seats.

I wouldn't say brainwashed because most Canadians believe evolution where Americans don't. Most Canadians are free of fear unlike Americans. It's true that Canadians don't lock their house door or car door, like in that movie.

I personally think, along with many other Canadians, that Americans are paranoid freaks. Ever since 9/11, everything went downhill. Canadians are trying to loosen up the security level at the border where as Americans are trying to bring them up.

Americans are otherwise pretty good people in my opinion. They seem to help out other countries most of the time. Canadians help out too, but we need the Americans for their equipment,

 

[spender]

Canadians are very cheap (very sorry to say that ) They only designate 0.7 % of their GNP for international help, USA helps more but no country beats European Union,they give like 3 % or more.
Meanwhile I get the impression listening to TV or reading Canadian newspapers that Canada is the most compassonate country on Earth that is brain washing 101 !

PS I did not like S Harper's party but each day I think they would be better for Canada than liberal in name only, extremelly PC, plutocratic traitors with Martin at the helm( that guy should be in jail by the way).

 

[harsh]

Actually history does record the actions of those who live for themselves, for their happiness and fulfillment.

Have you heard about Thomas Edison? Niels Bohr? Paul Dirac?

I never heard them saying that the primary goal of their research was the benefit of others, not their own satisfaction.

And selfishness is not about money. It is first and primarly about one's own happiness. Money is a secondary consideration.

You mention Thomas Edison, Bohr and Dirac, but these people are scientists. As a physicist myself, I can assure you that one of the primary goals for them doing their research was to fulfill their innate curiosity. You are going off on a tangent here, because the thread isn't about scientists.

Sadly, the way our world works today is that almost everyone's happiness depends on money, and with out, one really cannot be happy. Money might not be the only thing that makes you happy, but it is required for almost everything that makes one happy.

- harsh

 

[JasonRox]

Canadians are very cheap (very sorry to say that ) They only designate 0.7 % of their GNP for international help, USA helps more but no country beats European Union,they give like 3 % or more.
Meanwhile I get the impression listening to TV or reading Canadian newspapers that Canada is the most compassonate country on Earth that is brain washing 101 !

PS I did not like S Harper's party but each day I think they would be better for Canada than liberal in name only, extremelly PC, plutocratic traitors with Martin at the helm( that guy should be in jail by the way).

The purpose of the sponsorship was to stop Quebec from separating. A high costs, but Canada can't afford to lose Quebec (they have money). Most people think its Quebec with no money, but they got it wrong, so very wrong.

Stephen Harper said he hated immigrants in 2001; our country is immigrants. Stephen Harper thinks it is a better idea to brin a VISA to the hospital than a Health Card. Stephen Harper says that global warming is a scam produced by environmentalists who want jobs. Stephen Harper says it would be a good idea to spend the money that was used to pay down the debt to buy military weapons/equipment, while admitting that doing so would result in a prime target for terrorists attacks. Why?

You have to remember we are not that cheap because we are willing to pay for health care. I can jump off the roof of a house and break my legs without paying a cent to fix them. That's a lot of money right there. We also welcome immigrants to come to Canada and get free health care, which is the only country in the world who does this. We don't charge people to use our highways, not even Americans who don't pay Canadian taxes.

So, next time you come to Canada and use our roads, thank Canadians for not putting tolls all over the place.

Note: I can break my legs anywhere in the world, and they will cover it.

 

[cepheid]

Steven Harper is an ultra right conservative-reform-alliance nutjob who certainly would not be better for Canada than Paul Martin. S. Harper: we're talking about the guy who wants to ban gay marriage on the grounds that: "it's a slippery slope. If the gov't allows gay marriage, next thing you know, they'll be promoting polygamy!" That statement deserves a big W...T...F! in my opinion. The liberals are by far the lesser of two evils. At least Martin's only flaw is being double-speaking, conniving, mildly corrupt (to the extent of cronyism anyway), and supporter of big business (ie a typical politician).

I agree with most of what Jason said, except for that which was blatant propaganda (come to Canada!) and the "fact" that he wouldn't have to pay a cent for it if he jumped off a roof and broke his legs. He is paying for it right now. We are all paying for it. When he says "they" will cover it, he means "we" will cover it. (Note: Jason, please don't stress our already overburdened health care system further and unnecessarily by jumping off a roof. :p :p :p). That having been said, do I prefer public health care, in principle, as compared to a system in which the quality and speed with which one receives health care is proportional to the size of one's wallet? Most definitely. I support public health care. I'm just saying we have to recognize it has problems. *We've had this discussion before.* I haven't read much of the above posts since yesterday, but it seems that somehow we went from boasting about and/or criticising India to boasting about and/or criticising Canada. EVERY country has its good and bad qualities. Our committment in the past (which, as someone pointed out, we have not been upholding very well lately) to peacekeeping and multilateralism is one thing to be proud of. So is the fact that we are a democracy and the people can effect change if they don't like what they see. But we have flaws too. To deny so would be arrogant. I repeat. EVERY country has its good and bad points. So what is the point of this discussion?

Edit: Huh? Quebec has the best health care system in the world EH? That's a good one! Since when? Ever see the movie: Les Invasions Barbares?

 

[abhishek]

Wow, when I checked this thread yesterday I hoped it'd die out quietly. Now it's up to four pages.

<heresy>
This thread stirred more embarrassment than pride in me. I was really frightened of this kind of groupthink even when I was a kid in school in India.

One of the interesting phenomena that I was exposed to was how iconic figures involved in the independence movement became idolised, almost to the extent of pop stars. The tragedy here is that many of the important values these people stood for are forgotten (there is no warts-and-all approach). For example, (this gets on my nerves a lot) neither the textbooks nor teachers at my very-religious school cared to mention Nehru was an atheist.

Although much of Indian society respects individual autonomy, Indian nationalism tends to take this away from people who are deemed worthy of national pride. I might feel slightly proud if I heard Vinod Khosla, Vinod Dahm, or Rajiv Gupta say something nice about India; I feel no pride if 'Biology' claims them on India's behalf.

When 3.22 million Indians have to move to the US to put themselves to good use, that says nothing nice about India. It is hardly a matter of pride that they feel unable to perform and get deserving returns in India. Now don't pin this solely on politicians -- I'm sure there's a lot more at work here.

I'd better cut myself off right here, before I fan any more flames.
</heresy>

Don't get me wrong, there are many things that can make me proud of India; just like many things that can make me proud of humanity in general, or any given subset thereof. What I dislike is the single-minded nationalistic view -- bordering on inverse racism -- that is prevalent in India. Is it not possible to "work towards the welfare of India" rationally and without all the drama?

 

[heman]

i knew this guy is crazy ...but this post made up to 5 pages that's very surprising...i don't believe that India is not gr8 but it should have been posted in a right manner...

 

[the number 42]

I have great respect for India and Indian people, but blind nationalism is ugly regardless of which nation is being debased by it.

 

[vsage]

My *opinion* of those noteworthy facts listed by the OP are that they're nothing to be proud of. Given the medical system in this country is going down the crapper and distrust for major corporations is very high, why cite that so many of the people involved are Indian? That implies to me they're simply following money around where it's imbalanced. Also, these same Indians in positions of power have a tendency to be so pro-India like the OP that they start operations in India, which hurts the American economy. A vast majority of the great thinkers in history died poor, not on piles of money.

Perhaps the most respected person I ever knew of who came from India isn't even mentioned by you: Srinivasa Ramanujan. He was one of the most important mathematicians of his time - and interesting too. Kaku writes in his book Hyperspace that British mathematician Godfrey Hardy with Ramanujan at the time, while sitting on a bench, pointed at a taxi cab and remarked at the number on the cab, 1729, was boring. Ramanujan promptly replied that it wasn't boring at all: 1729 is the smallest number expressable as the sum of two cubes two different ways. You do know he died because his India-instilled convictions were so strong that he simply couldn't take the meat-eating English society? Think if a mind like that had lived in a more liberal country from the beginning. He could have had decades more of productivity.

That's not to say I'm racist against Indians, I just don't approve of their society's view on money and prestige. They're hard-working - probably more so than the average American - and intelligent, but the cultural differences are a little hard to take as a person with a humble, poor, white family.

 

[chound]

You know I'd love to critisize India. I'm indian. But if anyone else critisizes India I'd love to boil himin hot oil.. Like some french idiots said India can't manage tsunami disaster by its own, I'd love to have personally met them and had a one on one with them!

 

[klusener]

Actually my Indian professor told me that 1729 incident in a different (and I a guess, more correct) way. Ramanujan was in the hospital suffering from an illness and Hardy came to visit him and told him the number of his taxi and Ramanujan, with his amazing quickness, responded by saying that it is the smallest number expressable as the sum of two cubes two different ways. But that is not the point here, your entire post made complete sense, until you came to the part about where you said that if he had been born in a different country he would have been more productive..

Think if a mind like that had lived in a more liberal country from the beginning. He could have had decades more of productivity.

You have got to clarify that statement, because there are certain things in India that made him the man he was. He married a 10 year old girl, if he was in America do you think he would have been able to do that? You would say who gives a damn, but having such a young wife gave him extra amounts of time that otherwise he wouldn't have had to work on his math.. But seriously, it was a very unreasonable comment for you to make, because no one can predict what would have happened if he had been born in America or England.. Also at that time period, white people were extremely racist, Hardy was an exception but if you hear accounts from actual Indian people, they tell you how racist the English were, so you have to take that into account, that might have hindered his work as well, if he had been in England from the start.

You also have to define what you mean by "from the beginning".. Don't feel that I am looking too much into your post, but these are just logical questions..

 

[chound]

The indians are kind of more religious and firm in certain ideas mostly becoz of the caste system which came in later years. And becoz of muslim and christian (I'm not critisizing muslims or christians) rule they didn't allow the majority Hindu population to prosper!

 

[chound]

Also at that time period, white people were extremely racist, Hardy was an exception but if you hear accounts from actual Indian people, they tell you how racist the English were, so you have to take that into account, that might have hindered his work as well, if he had been in England from the start.

You know the english used to post signs outside clubs stating "NO Dogs or Indians allowed". They used to think of us as lower than animals

 

[klusener]

You know I'd love to critisize India. I'm indian. But if anyone else critisizes India I'd love to boil himin hot oil.. Like some french idiots said India can't manage tsunami disaster by its own, I'd love to have personally met them and had a one on one with them!

I love India especially for the tsunami incident, man. Manmohan Singh is awesome to refuse other countries' aid, because even though we are the third-highest hit country on the casualty list, we refused aid so that Sri Lanka and Indonesia can get even more help.. These kinds of things make me happy..

 

[klusener]

The indians are kind of more religious and firm in certain ideas mostly becoz of the caste system which came in later years and becoz of muslim and christian rule!

Well, the caste system was brought in place by the Aryans first. You know the Dravidians (that's me) used to live in India, but the Aryans came from Europe and the Dravidians had to move down south and in the middle of India. The Aryans made the more darker-skinned Dravidians the lower caste and the lighter-skinned (the Brahmins, that's why to this day Brahmins are a lot whiter) the upper caste.

 

[chound]

Not only politicians are responisble for the degradation of India. Most indians are not entreprenuers. They would rather be satisfied with a stable govt job rather than start a good business. This is also becoz of the caste system. Moreover huge pop low resources etc also contrib to it. No educated Indian would want to mix with politics. This mindset should be removed.

 

[chound]

Well, the caste system was brought in place by the Aryans first. You know the Dravidians (that's me) used to live in India, but the Aryans came from Europe and the Dravidians had to move down south and in the middle of India. The Aryans made the more darker-skinned Dravidians the lower caste and the lighter-skinned (the Brahmins, that's why to this day Brahmins are a lot whiter) the upper caste.

I too am a dravidian.

 

[klusener]

That's good. :-)

But what distresses me is the Hindu-Muslim/India-Pakistan fights, because who are Muslims/Pakistanis? They are Hindus who were converted to Islam when the Mughals came, we have no reason to fight, because if you go back a couple of generations, we are nothing but brothers and sisters. But hatred is too deeply entrenched on both sides for this ideology to change.. Even if we can't get back together (become the same country again) we should atleast survive in peace not threaten each other with nuclear weapons..

p.s. where do you live, chound?

 

[sid_galt]

But what distresses me is the Hindu-Muslim/India-Pakistan fights, because who are Muslims/Pakistanis? They are Hindus who were converted to Islam when the Mughals came, we have no reason to fight, because if you go back a couple of generations, we are nothing but brothers and sisters. But hatred is too deeply entrenched on both sides for this ideology to change.. Even if we can't get back together (become the same country again) we should atleast survive in peace not threaten each other with nuclear weapons..

We can't live in peace until Pakistan mends its ways which is never going to happen. Personally if Pak didn't have nukes I would rather that India conquered it to end terrorism.

 

[chound]

I live in Chennai! I read somewhere that you were born in chennai

 

[klusener]

cool machan.. yappadi nee irukka? Yarukume teriyadhu namma yanna pasikitirukum.. gokul tamilian yendru nannaikurain, avan iku matone than puriyum.

anyway, i will see you later... :-)

 

[the number 42]

cool machan.. yappadi nee irukka? Yarukume teriyadhu namma yanna pasikitirukum.. gokul tamilian yendru nannaikurain, avan iku matone than puriyum.

anyway, i will see you later... :-)

PF is a public forum. Didn't anyone ever tell you its rude to whisper in front of others, or talk in a way that they won't understand? If you want privacy, use Private Messages.

 

[chound]

PF is a public forum. Didn't anyone ever tell you its rude to whisper in front of others, or talk in a way that they won't understand? If you want privacy, use Private Messages.

Sorry man. We just were overwhelmed by the feeling of meeting fellow-citizens. Thanks for your advice.

 

[Reshma]

Hey, I'm tamilian too but I live in Mumbai a.k.a. Bombay!

 

[klusener]

PF is a public forum. Didn't anyone ever tell you its rude to whisper in front of others, or talk in a way that they won't understand? If you want privacy, use Private Messages.

sorry..

it is been a long time since i have met a tamilian online, so just got carried away...

tamil and the other dravidian languages are amazingly similar to languages in africa ..if you go down south near Kanyakumari and stuff, people there are still really dark like Africans...

 

[Curious3141]

I'm Singaporean, ethnic Indian with close ties to India. My mom and my wife are Indian by birth.

I'm proud of much of India's accomplishments in the past, but I honestly think the country is a cesspool of corruption and hypocrisy now. And this saddens me no end.

Posting a litany of national "accomplishments" some of which are of dubious merit in a general international forum like this is arrogant and stupid. Even if 100 % of the things on that list are things to be truly and unambiguously proud of, it just isn't right to post it up like that. Remember that Hitler wrote much of the same sort of crap in his promotion of the German master race.

All nations, all ethnicities have something to offer. It's perfectly OK to be proud of your heritage, but what Biology did in his first post is flaunting somebody else's accomplishments in everyone else's faces. I despise this sort of hubris. It embarrasses me as an Indian.

Of course, Spender is just a plain ol' f**king moron troll. 'Nuff said about him.

And Klusener : "Nee enna paysukirai enru ennakku theriyum". (meaning I know what you're saying) I second the other poster who mentioned it's rude to type in another language on a forum like this. But now that you've explained that you got carried away, it's OK.

 

[spender]

Of course, Spender is just a plain ol' f**king moron troll. 'Nuff said about him.

What you want from me MAN ! ?


Everything I wanted to learn about Indian people I learned from watching Apu on "Simpson's".

 

[klusener]

..and everything i wanted to learn about American people I learned from watching Homer... ;-)

 

[spender]

Exactly !

 

[Curious3141]

OK, maybe I read you wrong, spender, you're more a joker than a flamer. You have my apologies.

 

[spender]

No problemo .
By the way, could you tell me Curious3141 what is the official language in Singapore ? I have been kinda wondering for a long time about that.

 

[jcsd]

No problemo .
By the way, could you tell me Curious3141 what is the official language in Singapore ? I have been kinda wondering for a long time about that.

I think it's Mandarin as my Grandafather used to live in Singapore and he could speak fluent Mandarin.

 

[spender]

Singapore is a mixture of different cultures, so I guess using English in offices would be logical.Mandarin must be spoken widely because there are lots of Chinese.
Singapore is sandwiched between Malaysia and Indonesia, it means that also their languages must be spoken.I'm so confused.

 

[mattmns]

I am confused here. Sorry, just a stupid american. Is this supposed to be about Indians, or India? The topic says facts about India. However, most of the thread talks about Indians. Also, I am not sure why you would be proud that so many scientist and engineers left India to come to the US to make money.

One more thing: Where are your sources? Did you make these numbers up, or did you do all the research yourself?

 

[spender]

Biology with his India thread is propably trying on us his April fools jokes.There are still 5 weeks till April 01 so he going to have to think of something else,maybe like this; India's first astronaut landed on Sun.Ha Ha Ha Ha !

 

[Curious3141]

Singapore is a mixture of different cultures, so I guess using English in offices would be logical.Mandarin must be spoken widely because there are lots of Chinese.
Singapore is sandwiched between Malaysia and Indonesia, it means that also their languages must be spoken.I'm so confused.

Singapore is a multiracial society with 3 major ethnic groups and a hodgepodge of minor ones. Major ones : Chinese (around 78 %), Malays (around 7 %), Indians (around 5 %), then "Others" including Amer/Aust/Europeans, etc.

National language is Malay (in deference to our heritage of being part of Malaysia before we gained independence). There are 4 official languages : English, Mandarin (Chinese), Malay, Tamil. The first is the official language of business communications.

I speak English and Tamil well, Malay fairly and Mandarin poorly. I also speak a smattering of other Chinese dialects, and have a very basic knowledge of Hindi.

Curiosity satisfied ?

 

[Curious3141]

India's first astronaut landed on Sun.Ha Ha Ha Ha !

Of course, it's perfectly safe if one goes there at night.

 

[spender]

Of course, it's perfectly safe if one goes there at night.

Or if you go on the other side of sun- the dark side.
I think I confused sun with the moon.

 

[chound]

Also, I am not sure why you would be proud that so many scientist and engineers left India to come to the US to make money.

Well the US recognises the talent in Indians and gives us more jobs than any other minority or majority in the US. It shows that Indians are more preffered and sought after. But actually I'd prefer Chineese more though I'm Indian.

 

[tribdog]

Its amazing how much indians accomplished considering the living conditions on the reservations. yahta he

 

[heman]

Biology with his India thread is propably trying on us his April fools jokes.There are still 5 weeks till April 01 so he going to have to think of something else,maybe like this; India's first astronaut landed on Sun.Ha Ha Ha Ha !

Well dontu think before posting...i realize that Biology did Foolish act...But mind u ,,u are shameless creature...i hate persons like you Sorry to say that...But I am an Indian and i can't tolerate whatever crap u spill out..

 

[Smurf]

13. Chess was invented in India.

I would challenge this, the origins of chess are widely debatable. Sam sloan attributes the original game to xiangqi, in China. Which was invented at a much earlier date and could possibly have developed into Chaturanga. Besides, The indian game chaturanga, which I assume this article is talking about as the original chess game, is so vastly different from the game Chess that's like saying Plato invented stalinism because he outlined a rough plan for a 'communist-style' nation in 'Republic'.

 

[spender]

Biology ..why is India so poor when according to you Indians are geniuses?

 

[Evo]

This thread is not progressing.