India vs Hong Kong: Out of the mouth of babes

Travelling with my grandson, who is naughty to the core, is always an epic adventure. This summer holiday, we went to Hong Kong. Its infrastructure, financial credibility, ease of doing business, port connectivity, etc, are impressive. The grandson, too, was awe stuck and asked: "Why cannot we be like this?”

As a proud Army veteran, I immediately replied that we, too, are a great nation. Hong Kong is a small country as compared to India and should not be compared on these accounts.

I told him that we are one of the fastest growing economies; our outer space achievements are noteworthy; being a nuclear state we are heading for clean energy and can defend ourselves against nuclear blackmail. To inculcate a sense of pride in my grandson about our country, I elaborated upon India’s vast human resources, self-sufficiency in food grains, our wide industrial base and education network.

But the little boy immediately counter-questioned. “If we are a great nation then why do people throw garbage in public places; why do they jump traffic lights and blow horns; why do cattle and stray dogs roam on the roads; why is the tap water not safe for drinking; do all our villages get supply of potable water; why don't we provide sports infrastructure in all schools?”

He also asked that why India had beggars but we could not see any in Hong Kong or about India’s potholed roads, nonfunctional street and traffic lights. There were more queries — why poor were sleeping on the roadside in India or why people were in queues everywhere in Hong Kong but not in India. He also said we did not see police anywhere in Hong Kong, yet people were disciplined; while in India there were cops everywhere and yet we could not follow rules.

I still tried to put across that we were a developing country and were on path of progress. He replied, "My teacher says that to be a developed nation you have to have a national character, discipline and good education with value system.”

Brig I J Singh (Retd), Chandigarh