Yes Bharat!

Do we value knowledge and learning? Do we accept charity with grace? Do we have our priorities straight?
These questions flashed in my mind when at a party in Washington DC, an NRI who is a reputed medical practitioner told me this story.
He happened to meet the Indian ambassador in the US some years ago in the presence of a top minister from India. The good doctor told them of his plans to donate medical books, instruments, cash to any medical college and hospital in India. He said that all he wanted was a request from a hospital in India and he would immediately respond.

Ten or more years later and he is still waiting.

Trying to help others in India is almost impossible he sighed.

I recall that about four years ago I contacted several organizations including charities, orphanages and lepers’ homes and suggested that they send someone over to collect used clothes, vessels, books etc which I wanted to donate. These Mumbai based institutions had one standard answer – it is up to the donor to send the articles because they cannot collect them!

Even a Christian missionary organization from which I expected a better response, rebuffed me in the same manner.

I recently read in a book by a French author who he happened to meet economist, Amiya Bagchi at his modest flat for an interview. At the end, the author, impressed by Bagchi’s excellent collection of books, asked him what he intended to do with the books. He was thinking about the economist’s advancing age and the lack of space in the modest flat.

Bagchi’s response stunned me.
‘University libraries are being devoured by mice. I keep them at home so that I can preserve the culture of India.”

Let me tell you a secret. I spend three days a week at one of the large bookshops in the Washington DC area reading the latest, finest books in my areas of interest. I am writing two books on the basis of what I have learned in these stores. I spend about 7 hours sitting in the coffee house inside the book store paying $6 for two cups of coffee. I have read over a thousand books each costing over 40 dollars apiece.. The staff are courteous and help me locate books, even ringing up other branches to acquire the book I want to read – knowing that I have no intention of purchasing any book.

Readers may recall that Sachin Tendulkar once received the rare gift of a Ferrari car from an F1 champion. The cricket whiz was asked to pay Rs 80 lacs as customs duty. What did presumably India’s richest sporting star do? He did some influence peddling, the good old Indian way. Tendulkar used the good offices of late Pramod Mahajan to influence the NDA government to waive the customs duty. This was granted.

A day later I read a letter in the media from a man who ran an orphanage. He was disappointed to report that he had received an offer of toys from donors in the US for the benefit of the orphans. He was slapped with a hefty customs duty which he obviously could not afford. His appeal was turned down by the government with a curt letter citing the reason for declining his request -a shortage of revenue.

Come on Bharat, you are a great country, ranked as one of the most promising emerging nations in the world. With a little more effort and concern, many of these age-old red tape hurdles can be overcome to facilitate a quicker and more equitable distribution of available resources in the interest of every Indian citizen.