Persons from the feudal countries, who have moved to the English countries, do get impressed by what they see. But many of them can't understand why it is so, or why their own nation cannot be so.
They generally put it on the financial acumen of these nations. Yet, they do not have a correct answer why the English countries are economically well off consistently. A Japan, which appears out of the blue as a fluke, or a German economic bloom that comes and disappears like a thunderbolt further confuses them. And times of economic distress for the English nations also, which come at certain times, all takes them further from the truth.
They talk of the West. They find so many positive things in the West. People are hardworking; there is a high sense of civic discipline etc.
But their very basis and base of summarising is wrong. Look at one article by an Indian who made it good in America: What We Must Learn From The West. The writer's name is Narayana Murthy. He is the Chairman of the Board of Infosys Technologies Limited, one of the leading Indian firms to dominate the software business. Actually, he gave this as a speech.
His observations are, more or less, accurate. But, then what is wrong with it?
First of all, the term West. West, a very vague term. It is generally used to denote the White people. It may then include the vast number of East and West Europeans, including those who took a very antagonistic attitude to the learning of English, and everything English. If the term includes the U.S.A, then it could also include the countries of South America. But I do not think that the author meant any of them. What he has experienced and liked is the attributes of the English speaking race, both White and Black, possibly Yellow and Brown, also.
It is an historical fact that the term White and Westerner has been misquoted to malign the British, when the deeds done by the Europeans are vile, and to venerate the Europeans, when the deeds done by the British are good. Actually, it is a major mistake of the British to associate themselves with all the terms like Europeans, Whites, Westerners etc. Their attributes are best described by the term British. Historically and in every attribute, they stand apart from the general European.
The contents of Narayana Murthy's article are good. I may quote the headings of some of the paragraphs which may be self explaining: Respect for the public good; Acknowledging the accomplishments of others; Accountability; Dignity of labour; Professionalism; Intellectual independence; Honouring contracts; etc.
Yet, he misses the reason why the Indians are not being like the English (for I do think that the apt title for the article would be What We Must Learn From The English). For example, under the heading Dignity of Labour, he says: For anything to be run successfully, everyone-from the CEO to the person who serves tea, must discharge his or her duties in a responsible manner. We, therefore, need a mindset that reveres everyone who puts in honest work, no matter what work it is.
Actually, this dialogue does contain an amount of concealment of facts. Does he not know that in Indian languages, there is a definite difference in the indicant words used for the CEO to that used to a Tea server?
Then how is it possible to revere both of them in the same manner? If the answer is that both can have dignity in their own levels of functioning, then it is again back to square one. It is easy to preach to others to be dutiful, courteous, and industrious. Yet, in the absence of a virus free communication program, it is all just futile ambitions and meaningless moralising.
