Category Archives: india
India’s Dichotomy
A couple of weeks ago, two incidents juxtaposed themselves in the oddest ways, showcasing once again the major dichotomies that India the country deals with day after day after day.
Other countries deal with extremes too but somehow India seems to go for the jugular when it comes to dichotomy. Or maybe it’s just my focus on my native country that makes it appear more severe than it is? Nah.
The first instance was the selection of Indian-born executive Satya Nadella as the new CEO of Microsoft, arguably one of the top global technology companies of our lifetimes. He immediately went from one of many relatively unknown executives to one of the most prominent Indians in the US and the global corporate world.
The second instance was the 3 member Indian team that went to the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Stripped of the Indian flag due to a charge of millions of dollars of corruption of an Indian Olympic Association(IOA) official and the subsequent suspension of the entire IOA, their presence was humbling indeed.
While Indian Olympic participation has never been stellar, this resulted in the humiliating experience of the Indian team not being able to represent their country with its flag! [This could have been avoided if they had taken steps to do what IOC required in redrafting its constitution and holding new elections before the games, but no…].
It may seem odd to pluck two totally unrelated items and try to relate them but one happening on the heels of the other, they struck me as especially paradoxical – more so than normal in that yin and yang country where happenings, perceptions and reactions seem to swing between the entire pendulum of extremes all the time. No half measures there!
Dichotomy, did I say? What an understatement.
:
:
Why You Should Read Bill Gates’ 2014 Annual Letter. Yes, You.
Surely you didn’t think I would overlook this?
The day that Bill and Melinda Gates Annual letter arrives is (or should be) a red-letter day. Their 2014 annual letter was published this week.
Why should you care?
This year, the letter, written from the heart, tears up some big myths about global poverty that pervade our societies and cultures, no matter where in the world you live. While it does so with a sense of optimism, being the self-admitted geeky nerd that he is, Mr. Gates backs up his view of the world and its future with numbers, facts and figures.
Don’t agree that it’s worth a read? Then, here’s another reason you should care.
See, the way I look at it is like this – as the Gates’ commit their lives and contribute invaluable resources to save the world, it should hardly be a difficulty for the rest of us to spend a few minutes to understand their mission and its progress. It’s our world too. Right?
Still don’t care? Well in that case, it’s time to say bye now. 😦
:
On the other hand, if you who have made it this far, here is a Cliff Notes version of the letter, single-minded and aimed at whetting your appetite-
:
First of is Bill Gates’ fantastic prediction about the end of poverty in the world by 2035. It should make even the most heartless, disbelieving cynic sit up and take notice.
Is this really possible? Remember, it’s not just anyone who is saying it….Bill Gates puts his money (and life) where his mouth is.
Excerpt: It will be a remarkable achievement. When I was born, most countries in the world were poor. In the next two decades, desperately poor countries will become the exception rather than the rule. Billions of people will have been lifted out of extreme poverty. The idea that this will happen within my lifetime is simply amazing to me.
:
Second is a myth that I for one needed to understand better. The impact of foreign aid is indeed phenomenal – and just in case you doubted it, Mr.Gates blows through the myth that it’s not with impressive facts and figures.
And that’s even with foreign aid being as relatively minuscule as I found out it is. The US is the largest provider, and its aid amounts to just 0.8 percent of the U.S. federal budget (yes, that period is in the right place).
Excerpt: I don’t want to imply that $11 billion a year isn’t a lot of money. But to put it in perspective, it’s about $30 for every American. Imagine that the income tax form asked, “Can we use $30 of the taxes you’re already paying to protect 120 children from measles?” Would you check yes or no?
Excerpt:Also remember that healthy children do more than merely survive. They go to school and eventually work, and over time they make their countries more self-sufficient. This is why I say aid is such a bargain.
Excerpt: The next time someone tells you we can trim the budget by cutting aid, I hope you will ask whether it will come at the cost of more people dying.
Excerpt: Let’s put this achievement in historical perspective. A baby born in 1960 had an 18 percent chance of dying before her fifth birthday. For a child born today, the odds are less than 5 percent. In 2035, they will be 1.6 percent. I can’t think of any other 75-year improvement in human welfare that would even come close.
:
And finally, the third myth that Melinda Gates demolishes is that saving lives will lead to overpopulation.
Excerpt: We make the future sustainable when we invest in the poor, not when we insist on their suffering.
Excerpt: Saving lives doesn’t lead to overpopulation. In fact, it’s quite the opposite…We will build a better future for everyone by giving people the freedom and the power to build a better future for themselves and their families.
:
Enough said. Or perhaps not?
Go read The Gates Letter in its entirety. Don’t be so selfish – do the world that you live in a big favor. 30 minutes or less is all you need – to learn from it, to get inspired and last but not least, to pass it on (another big favor).
:
And in case you haven’t seen this video of Bill Gates promoting this letter in his own unique and corny way on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (of all things), have a look.
The Yin and Yang of Life Anywhere 