wide angle mein soch

No wonder I am enjoying the book ‘imagining India’ by Nandan Nilekani. He is currently talking about a few ideas that have helped India and how they were looked upon as issues to be resolved in the past. To take forward my last blog entry, much younger I had a lot of hot head ideas.
I opposed people wanting to go abroad after they did their technical education in India. I supported population control measures a la Sanjay Gandhi’s forced Nasbandi program. I thought population was a nightmare. I thought migrants to the cities must be stopped etc etc.
To give me credit, at least I had a point of view. Most peers did not have a point, leave alone a view. I knew a bit because I eavesdropped, overheard conversations. Typically the most forceful of them would have impact as opposed to the milder ones with erudite backings. I too believed that Gandhi was wrong and Nehru was a moron. Too much sway very little wisdom. While my views on the former are already known (previous blogs), I see Nehruvian economics and politics in better perspective. When one does criticize someone in hindsight, one must be knowledgably to give due respect to the situation that the decisions were made in. One thing is to find fault with the decision, the other is to see what the consequences would have been instead, the third is to figure if the person made an honest error or made one in arrogance or contempt.
History also teaches us to be smarter in analyzing the current situation. Thinking changes over a period of time. What was wrong in one era would be right in another. To give an example we chided our parents for going gogogaga over Rajesh Khanna’s looks and Dev Anand’s antics. What is our explanation for having Shah Rukh Khan as our superstar?
I am making two points: one – don’t criticize without balance. Two – hold your views in perspective and have them in moderation.
Thanks Nandan for this book. I don’t know if I got the point you were making but I sure got something that I hold very valuable. I think I could empathize with this book as my generation has seen pre 91 era of ‘depravation’ and then the uncorked Genie of consumption post that. Whenever I have a conversation on how bad we had it, I will save my breath and give them your book. Its easier, better references, researched and hell it’s written by a man as intelligent as you. It can’t get better.
Also on books, reading this book I realized it is pretty useful to listen to the author and then read his book. This way you get a better perspective and can put a face, voice and most importantly tone to the book. That’s why book readings and road shows are organized I guess. In this one I was fortunate enough to organize it and be close to the author. It definitely adds a color to the reading. Good color.