reservations

Excerpt from the book - Breaking free of Nehru by Sanjeev Sabhlok

"Let India become a place of respect-worthy people and not a land of cowards, each coward begging for a little 'extra marks' from others. If you were to call me backward I would be extremely angry. And yet today, entire groups of people seek to be labelled as backward! This is a clear sign of great people who have lost their way. Let all men and women of India forget their social and economic past, and stand up as Indians - no less, no more. Let each person meet the great challenge of making the greatest possible contribution to society by dint of his or her determination, hard work and merit. Let  the best man or woman win in every field of life in India."

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Powerful. Yet, how many more to be empowered? to be free. How many more to be touched? to be free. How many more to be made responsible? to be free. 

Srik

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passing on the cost

Excerpt from the book - Breaking free of Nehru by Sanjeev Sabhlok

The problem is that we are all guilty, to a lesser or to a greater extent, of such violations of justice. Our collective neglect of the environment has now created a situation where many animal and plant forms are seriously threatened, apart from the damage caused to millions of other human beings. As an example, each time we buy products made from a tree that has not been fully replaced, we pass on at least the following (small) cost to others: 

• the cost of increased flooding and damage to topsoil is passed on to those who live downstream of the forest from which the tree was culled;
• reduced opportunity to make a living by those who make a living off the by-products of the trees;
• slightly less oxygen to breathe for all citizens of the world; and 
• slightly higher temperature and excessive climatic variation consequent to the reduced absorption of Carbon dioxide - faced by all citizens of the world.

In addition, there is a loss to the food chain in the wild, as well as loss of habitat provided by that tree to birds, bees and other animal and plant life. 

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Thinking seriously on the above excerpt, or even if I think of the process itself, we are causing too much of damage to many such things out of absolute ignorance. Since our lives are intricately bound by the continuing success of all other species of life, how can we be so ignorant on such things? Are we a free society yet?

Srik

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1757

Excerpt from the book - Breaking free of Nehru by Sanjeev Sabhlok

"But while Europeans explored new ideas and sent exploratory expeditions to all parts of the world, while they discovered new continents as far away as Australia and America and populated them, India put on blinkers around its eyes and turned inwards to save its soul. Not only was individual freedom not on the agenda of pre-1757 India, there was no ambition even to conquer the world. Great ambition is a great driver of progress but India displayed none; it still perhaps has none. Arrogance without ambition - a combination destined to guarantee mediocrity."

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Sigh! I often think why we remain backwards compared to other western societies; both in terms of thinking and the growth. Wonder whether there were at least some people like now, how there are let-us-google-and-see kind of people existed during the past when it was really required! or whether there were just the frogs in the deep wells and now wondering where was the actual GAP?!

Srik

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