In Praise of India

For most Indians there is nothing like getting a pat from a Westerner, it is almost akin to schoolboy's euphoria on being praised by a hard-to-please teacher.

The Telegraph opinion piece by Theodore Darlymple will surely be music to their ears. The author’s name did ring a bell and I wondered if he is anyway connected with the famous historian William Darlymple. But a Wikipedia search revealed that Theodore Darlymple is in fact a pen name for Anthony (A.M.) Daniels, writer and retired doctor.

The columnist's main aim seems to be to run down Britain for being caught in its colonial time wrap and refusing to accept the new 'little England' ground realities.

He begins by attacking Britain's policy of extending aid to foreign countries in general and says it only helps the concerned British officials feather their nests with fat salaries and help corrupt governments in donor countries. Citing his own example as aid project official he said, "I bought my first house with money saved from the generous salary an aid project paid me, when I worked in the South Seas."

Then Darlymple comes to British aid to India says it has more to do with "hangover of a colonial superiority complex" and also decries clubbing all poor nations in one category. He also quotes Pranab Mukherjee as saying British aid was 'peanuts'. He lauds India for the scientific and economic progress made by the country in general – and all that without an authoritarian government. He heaps praise on youth of India and their thirst for knowledge and says the country's condition improved because of hard work by its people and not due to any aid.

Surprisingly Darlymple also finds Indians’ command over English language amazing. He gushes, “The best and most beautiful spoken English in the world is now to be heard in India.” Probably the rise of Indian writers in English fiction made him come to such a conclusion.

However, Darlymple at the same time reminds us that he has not lost track of what ails India. He says the country “remains profoundly corrupt and its government is incapable of passing necessary reforms. Rural poverty is deep and persistent.” Still he says it has come a long way from being perceived as a hopeless case with “perpetual epidemic and recurring famine”.

What I found a bit disconcerting was his justification for India's low tally of medals at the Olympic Games. He says, “Its young people have more important things to do than put the shot or throw the javelin.” Sorry Mr Darlymple, we are a medal starved country and are acutely conscious of it. That is why even bronze medalists here get the kind of reception, which even multiple gold medalists in other countries may not get. One of the main factor for this disquiet is that our neighbour China returns home after every Olympics with a cart load of medals.

I also don’t share his fulsome praise of how things have improved in Calcutta, “they don’t any longer collect dead people from the pavements who have died in the night of starvation.”  Maybe starvation deaths in our cities are no longer happening or not getting recorded, but our metros such as Kolkata or Mumbai are far from presentable. And when I say this I am not even thinking of London or New York, even those who have been to Shanghai or Bangkok rave about their infrastructure, clean streets and polite people. Something sorely lacking in our cities.

Also Read: Bangalore Beat