The Hindu : President's speech becomes the toast of Net

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 14, 2003

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Other States - New Delhi

President's speech becomes the toast of Net

By K. Kannan

NEW DELHI JULY 13. A unique e-mail is being circulated by concerned citizens across the country after an unusual request from none other than the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The speech that he delivered in Hyderabad recently is being marked "a must read for every Indian'' and is being e-mailed by Indians across borders.

Interestingly, it was Dr. Kalam himself who requested people while delivering the speech to forward it to "each Indian for a change instead of sending junk or e-mails''. The speech calls upon people to wake up and do what India needs from them and not wait for a Mr. Clean to come along and work miracles with a majestic sweep of the hand.

Wondering why the Indian media was obsessed with negative news, the President called upon citizens not to bemoan the fact that the Government was inefficient. "You say our laws are too old. You say the municipality does not pick up the garbage. You say the phones do not work, the railways are a joke, the airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination, you say the country has been fed to the dogs. You say, say and say. What do you do about it'' is the question the President wants to ask each citizen.

Again, he points out that the same Indian would not dare to eat in the public during Ramadan in Dubai, not go without his head covered in Jeddah, not spit paan on the streets of Tokyo, not use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston and not chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia an New Zealand. But, in India, citizens sit back wanting to be pampered.

``We expect the Government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the Railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms,'' Dr. Kalam says. "When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? It is the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my son's right to a dowry.''

So, who is going to change the system?. "Very conveniently for us, it consists of neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the Government. But definitely not me and you. When it comes to us actually make a positive contribution to the system, we lock ourselves along with our families in a safe cocoon and look into the distant countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along and work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of the hand or we leave the country and run away.''

Stating that everyone was out to abuse and rape the country, their conscience is mortgaged to money and nobody thinks of feeding the system, the president, echoing J.F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans says : "Ask what we can do for India and what has to be done to make India what America and other western countries are today.''

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