Developed

India has been one of those countries that has been developing and industrializing at a rapid rate. Being at Indian living in America, I can’t help but marvel over how much my origin country has changed over the course of the last 10 years alone. Cities look completely different, the attitude of the people has become a bit more western but they still keep their roots, the number of cars on the road has exponentially multiplied. When I go back everything around me intimidates me, and things seem so foreign. I realize I’m a tourist in my origin country.

Despite how the great the development aspects have been, there’s always bad news around the corner, both literally and figuratively. There are several corporations taking land away from the natives of the states of India to build factories, nuclear power plants and so on. When the natives resist with peaceful protest, its countered with violence and brutality, forcing the natives to bear arms. And when they bear arms to defend their land, farms and homes, they are called anti-government or Maoist or terrorist. Some of you might even be thinking, “Maoist, aren’t those guys supposed Chinese? Krish, have the Communist Political Parties also outsourced their agendas to India?” According to the media, sure why not.

This is very similar to when my sister and I finally got our own separate rooms and we were doing our own thing, growing up. But then I would notice that she had a new CD Player (this back in those days), and now I have to have it! Initially it begins with (what I think is) clever manipulation, which fails. Then moving on sneaking up and trying to take it out of her room, which also fails. Then it comes down to just going in and taking it, prompting a retaliation from her, which leads to tears from me, and telling my mother I was abused and she was terrorizing me. My mother didn’t see that I was one trying to take what wasn’t mine, but just the act of violence from my sister. Corporations in this case seem like a 13-year-old going after what they can’t have, instead of looking for an alternative way to achieve their goals.

India has suddenly turned into the “cool kid” on the block. The “It” kid, and most of the surrounding countries don’t know “it” is, but they know India’s got “It”! The “it” could be vast resources, way more people than India knows what to do with and of course just a sprinkle of corruption. Currently, Westinghouse wants to build a new Nuclear Power Plant in a large farming section of India. Of course the farmers don’t want to give up their farms, since that’s what the live by. That’s coming up to someone who’s been happily married for years and saying “Hey guy, I know you got this smokin’ hot wife and great kids, but check out this Alcoholic, Smoking, Gambling Addict with great hair! Tradeies?”

Now this is just a thought, and most likely a crazy one at that! If there’s a large portion of India that is all farmland, perhaps utilizing that as a source of financial prospects would be a better solution than bringing in a huge dangerous Nuclear Power Plant! Perhaps then the delicious and exotic produce of India can spread throughout the world through the magic of Globalization, and we can all eat healthier and live longer. But that is just a pipe dream, since Nuclear power is the future and Agriculture never really got us anywhere. Right?

Inspired by Priyanka Bopujari.