India works

I have been thinking about the issues that NRIs have about India and I am beginning to wonder if most of them are even real. Real in the sense that they affect our daily lives.

India today works. Our parents had to stand in line for everything - milk, rations, telephone connection, and even for the privilege of paying your utility bills.

We have far more straight forward life here today. You can register a business in 2 days, get a phone and internet connection in 3-4 days, and you can pay your bills on-line. We buy our air tickets and train tickets and bus tickets on-line. We can book our movie shows on-line and buy our stuff on flipkart and amazon to have it delivered. There is a recent proliferation of localbaniya.coms that will deliver your groceries too.

We crib about corruption; but when was the last time you were personally affected by corruption or have seen it first hand? I haven't experienced it in years. When the traffic cop stops me for a violation, I ask him to make a challan and give me receipt for the fine and he does so readily and more important, politely.

Some years ago, the water supply into our home was disrupted and I visited the local municipal ward office. They visited our home the same morning and replaced the corroded pipe that connected the water main with our house. I gave them a tip but there was no demand for a bribe whatsoever.

One place where corruption is perhaps affecting us first hand is the unreal cost of real estate in this country. Real estate is where the corrupt park their ill-gotten booty, but the current government, specifically Mr. Jaitley seems acutely aware of this fact and I am hopeful that this will be fixed too.

Two complaints about India are valid. One, pollution is getting out of hand; and two, all systems are overloaded. Good schooling in indeed a problem and once again, this is likely to change, for education is one of the couple of industries still in the grip of licence raj in India.

The next time someone tries to crib about India when they visit here for 2 weeks, I am going to try and muster the courage to tell them politely but firmly, that if they don't like it here, they are welcome to leave. The days of old fashioned khatirdari are long gone. No longer is it acceptable to visit your in-laws place to make uncharitable comments about their home or family and expect to be treated with respect and deference.