Whether we like it or not, whether we accept it or not, whether we hate it or love it, one thing remains – we, Indians, love to keep a close eye on the developments in the US of A. The extensive media coverage that the current India visit of US Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, is being given is a testimony to our affinity for anything related to the US.
A record number of Indians watched the swearing in ceremony of President Barack Obama in January 2009. The TV channels recorded very impressive TRPs. What made it so special for us? It was a historic event in the history of US politics but, so was the swearing in ceremony of our very own first woman President of India, Smt Pratibha Patil. How many of us watched it?
We also tend to get very inspired from the Americans. The term, 26/11, owes its origins to 9/11. Bollywood, Tollywood etc come from Hollywood. Indian Idol comes from American Idol. This list is definitely not exhaustive. But, the point is that if we follow somebody so closely then we should learn something from them as well.
Two recent developments in the US merit mention here. First, the recent confession of Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley for his involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks. We are very happy that we have found somebody to blame. Headley is responsible. Now, it is the responsibility of the US to punish him. We are demanding extradition. We depend on the US. So far so good. Flashback to 9/11. The US did not sit back and wait for somebody else to act for them. They took charge of the situation firmly and sent out a very strong message to the world at large that if you mess with us, we won’t spare you. The results are for all to see.
The other development is the passage of the Healthcare Bill. Here is a bill that promises to provide health coverage to about 32 million uninsured Americans. Also, it proposes to fix anomalies in the insurance practices in the country like barring insurance companies from dropping people from coverage when they get sick and barring exclusion of children with pre-existing conditions. It also aims to make available tax credit for small companies to provide insurance to its workers, bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons, free annual wellness visits, personalized prevention plan services and so on… The icing on the cake is that there are a section of people opposing this?
In our country, people stand in long queues just to get one free lunch. They are even ready to risk their lives for this. The recent death of hundreds of women and their children in a stampede outside a temple in Uttar Pradesh is a befitting example. According to a recent study, over 5,000 children die in our country daily and that too due to preventable causes like diarrhoea, pneumonia and neo-natal problems. Health insurance penetration in India is under two percent, which is an absolute contrast to the US that is fighting over providing coverage to at least 94 percent of its people.
There is nothing wrong to copy, excuse me, get inspired from the US but, it is things like the two mentioned above that should inspire us. We can learn lessons from them. Rather than waiting for the US to protect us, we should protect ourselves first. Rather than fighting over Women’s Reservation Bill or, reservation for Muslims within that Bill, we should look at the bigger issues first. There are still many people who cannot afford two meals a day, leave alone education. It is okay to rejoice over our recent Oscar wins but, the real Oscar shall be when we are able to debate over Healthcare Bill like that of the US. It is only then that our fascination with the US be worth the TRPs.
Dear Shobhika,
What hell are you talking? I don’t like to support US development policies. How many Indians watched the swearing in ceremony of President Barack Obama? Do you know most of Indian villages are not electrified? Our peoples are looking for food and good education. US could not protect us. They would be used us(eg: Nuc laibility bill).
Are you inferring that if we had better health insurance coverage, over 5,000 children WILL NOT “die in our country daily and that too due to preventable causes like diarrhoea, pneumonia and neo-natal problems”!!! Now, thats naive.
India has been lucky so far that we have reasonably cheap medical services. In fact, US citizens fly to india for services like chemo and bypass. As the health insurance penetration grows, Indians without insurance will probably no longer be able to afford medical services in India either.
Anyway, it is good that the US bill inspired you but please dont jump to conclusions on what is right for India.
I am in no way saying that the Healthcare Bill is the solution to our problems. All I am trying to point out is the stark contrast between the kind of issues being focussed upon by our respective governments. To quote from the article, “we should look at the bigger issues first”. In no way am I trying to imply that we should copy their Bill. Just that we have still not been able to reach a stage where we can debate over issues like these.
I do agree that the big picture is missing in Indian policy and there are no debates whatsover. Luckily we have a prime minster who can still appreciate the big picture.
Anyway, the US is hardly a role model, UK may be a better one.
And the health care bill is hardly an example, in fact, it is probably one of the worst. The national debates on the bill mainly confined to “death panels” and coverage for abortions, inspite of the best communication efforts by the government. And, though it does sound like a noble bill to most people around the world, you should note that it was, in the end, imposed on the nation.. Brushing aside all opposition (40%+ against) and debate.
In my opinion I don’t like to suport US development policies. One side US supporting Pakistan by wealth & arms, other side Pakistan openly sending terroist to Bharat. US could not protect us, they are using us through our great leaders & making fool. Only true leaders can develop our country i.e. Bharat not India. Please send your artical in Hindi on my email ramgopalakshar@gmail.com.
I precisely desired to say thanks again. I’m not certain the things I could possibly have achieved in the absence of the basics contributed by you about my area of interest. Completely was a challenging circumstance for me, but being able to view a expert approach you dealt with it forced me to cry for contentment. Extremely grateful for the advice and believe you are aware of a powerful job that you’re accomplishing educating many people all through a site. I’m certain you’ve never come across all of us. https://abilifyaripiprazoles.com/