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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GST who wrote (159868)	3/31/2005 11:19:13 AM
From: Sam Citron	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Look GST, I'm not going to try to convince you that Dalits in India have an easy time. There is some mobility, just not enough. There is plenty of entrepreneurship in the slums of Bombay. It's just that these businesses, e.g. shoe repair, don't earn much money. Indian business has traditionally been run like an old boy's club. You needed to have the right caste and connections to get in. Slowly things are changing however. IT and outsourcing is a continuation of an old trend started by the East Indian Company that employed legions of babus (clerks) to do the accounting. As India rubs shoulders with the outside world and its elite become educated at Harvard and other places, western ideas and ideals gradually spread - including the ideal of equality, meritocracy, etc. India is an ancient culture and very resilient. One of its strengths is its openness to foreign influences and western values. Since the reform efforts of Ram Mohan Roy in the early 19th century to those of Mohandas Gandhi in the 20th century courageous Indians have done much to bring important social changes for the oppressed. Yes. There is still greater mobility in the USA. But to imply that mobility is not valued in India is to deny the legitimate aspirations and hard work of billions of people. there is certain to be far more to know about India than either you or eye will ever know On that point, we are in total agreement. Sam