Opportunities for and Responsibilities of
Non-Resident Indians in India
24th January, 2000, New Delhi
Abraham M. George
Shri Pant, Shri Khurana, Shri Patil, Dr. Singh, Mr. Harbajan Singh,
Officers of the NRI Welfare Society of India, Ladies and Gentlemen
I am very honoured to speak before this distinguished gathering, especially
in the presence of such a diverse group of individuals who have brought
along with them the cultures and experiences of many nations, and yet
remain very Indian. I too take pride in being of Indian origin, and
as we share this common bond, our strength derives from our diversity
and clarity of purpose. As NRIs, we frequently return to India because
she draws us to her in a mysterious way, and we care passionately about
her and want to make a difference. I believe that this forum is precisely
for that reason - that is, we are here not just because we want to benefit
from India, but mainly because we want to give something back. As President
Kennedy once said, "ask not what the country can do for you, but what
you can do for the country." I believe that is what we ask of ourselves
today.
At this dawn of the new millennium, the question that we need to ask
each other and ourselves is this: What kind of a nation do we want India
to be? Are we going to achieve prosperity for a good majority of our
peoples within our lifetime, or will we drift along as we have done
in the past since our independence? Are we going to create an economic
system that would reward entrepreneurship, innovation and hard work,
or will it continue to favor those with special privileges and access
to centers of power? Will we be a nation of just laws and equal opportunity
for all, or will corruption, bribery, special favors, and misappropriation
of public funds drag us down? Are we going to be a pluralistic secular
society or will we tear ourselves apart by intolerance, hypocrisy, and
hatred? Will we learn to respect nature and the environment, and act
accordingly, or will we cause our own destruction by the failure to
act responsibly? These are the critical issues of the day-for India's
elected leaders and public servants who have the responsibility to lead
the nation, and for the rest of us as citizens and NRIs.
India is witnessing, just as in many of the industrialized nations,
the revolution in computer and information technology. It has opened
up new opportunities for NRIs to participate vigorously, and shall I
say, with some escape from the choking constraints of bureaucracy and
regulations. Net is a ready-made marketplace of several trillion dollars
worth of network connections, computers, and limitless databases full
of information. And it is available largely free to anyone with a phone
line and a personal computer. Anywhere in the world. In short, Net offers
an entry point to all comers in every market and industry. Business
opportunities are no longer restricted to the few privileged in India.
This wrenching revelation is forcing a fundamental rethinking of what
a company does. Increasingly, savvy companies avoid building expensive,
time-consuming in-house capabilities. Instead they form partnerships
with their suppliers, and outsource much of the manufacturing, assembling
and even distribution. Consumers are given direct access to the manufacturers
to customize what they exactly want, bypassing the traditional channels
of order taking. Business has never been about avoiding tough choices.
What is different this time is that experience may be the worst teacher
of all. I don't think that we have seen the biggest changes at all.
Those adrenal glands we developed eons ago could come in very handy.
I am convinced that the Internet is the future of our democracy. Soon,
the government will not be able to manipulate public opinion with false
information. Secret practices that are in self-interest instead of public
interest will be uncovered. People will soon gain the upper hand over
their rulers - the government -, and the government will be the servant
of the people, as it was always supposed to be.
India has little choice about globalization. India needs to export
$3-4 billion worth of goods additionally each year to service $15-20
billion of foreign investment it needs to improve infrastructure and
introduce modern technologies. India's cultural reaction to imperialism
and Nehru's socialistic philosophy of distributive justice has caused
a misguided profound mistrust of global economic forces. Economic self-
reliance as opposed to economic interdependence had become an axiomatic
corollary of independence itself. I hope the current thinking has changed.
As we seek new investment opportunities in India, it is for us as NRIs
to illustrate the virtue of assimilating new ideas, innovation, and
change.
Even with these new opportunities, I must express a few words of caution
and responsibility for all of us as NRIs. We have now discovered that
unlimited progress cannot occur within the limited resources of our
planet; nature needs to be supported rather than conquered. We have
also discovered that the endless accumulation of possessions will not
bring fulfillment either. As our spiritual development becomes stagnant,
and often deteriorates, the whirlpool of selfish pleasures fails to
bring satisfaction. No, all hope cannot be pinned on science, technology
and economic growth. While such progress could enrich us, it could also
enslave us. All is a struggle for material things, but an inner voice
tells us that we have lost something pure, elevated and fragile. We
have ceased to see the purpose. For example, the environmental ruin
in India is proceeding at rapid pace. And the population explosion.
Drowning in poverty and misery, more mouths to feed will only make demands
on the environment and the rich. The growing ecological crisis may alter
the climatic zones, leading to shortages of fresh water and suitable
land in places where they were once plentiful. Simultaneously, the demands
on the rich for economic and social justice will lead to unprecedented
social unrest. We have to soon find a way to restrain ourselves where
we must, care for the nature, and share our plentiful gifts with those
who are less fortunate. Otherwise, tranquility does not promise to descend
upon this country.
World Bank now talks about "sustainable development" and incorporates
ecological concerns into their sponsorship of economic development.
I recall reading Homer's warning of the doom of Nemesis in the Greek
epics. Driven by pleonexia, or radical greed, Prometheus transgressed
the boundaries of the human condition. In measureless presumption, he
brought fire from the heavens and thereby brings doom onto himself.
He was chained to a rock, an eagle preyed on his liver, and heartlessly
healing gods kept him alive by regrafting the liver each night. The
encounter of Prometheus with Nemesis is an immortal reminder of inescapable
cosmic retribution for the ecological damage being caused in the name
of eliminating suffering. Every man has become Prometheus, and Nemesis
has become endemic; it is the backlash of progress. We are hostages
to a lifestyle that provokes doom. In the words of the Chilean poet
Vincente Huidorbo, insight into the alternatives not chosen, and opportunities
missed can be found by remembering "those hours which have lost their
clock."
Similarly, can we learn to treat with dignity the people with whom
we share this earth? The value of service to others, the value of caring
for others, the value of attempting to keep aware of social misery,
inadequate housing, lack of proper healthcare, deprivation of food,
and so on - these are not issues on which religion has a monopoly. The
quest for truth, the quest for good, the quest for beautiful, all require
us to let suffering speak, let victims be visible, and let social misery
be put on the agenda of those with power. The life of a thinking man,
one with feelings and a soul, is inextricably associated with the struggle
of those who have been dehumanized on the margins of society. No justifications,
philosophical or religious, can excuse the conscience and the soul of
the more fortunate if he fails to act in compassion.
As NRIs, we need to talk about what can improve the lives of our peoples
- the ideas that shape, sustain, and challenge us; ideas we constantly
test against experience and refine through the trials and errors of
a true democracy. When we offer messages of hope and possibility, we
must be conscious of the potential for evil. We must not be blinded
by our few successes. Yes, we are excelling ourselves in computer science,
engineering, and technology in general. But where is the heart?
Most of us have found prosperity in the countries we have adopted.
We are prepared to consider investment in India if the rewards are commensurate
with the risks. But we also owe something greater than our self-interest
to the country of origin. I respectfully ask of all of us to do just
that.
Thank you.
