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From: raven@ihlpl.UUCP (S. R. Venkatramanan)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.india
Subject: Re: Mountbatten's role in India
Message-ID: <630@ihlpl.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 22-Feb-86 18:27:37 EST
Article-I.D.: ihlpl.630
Posted: Sat Feb 22 18:27:37 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Feb-86 08:34:04 EST
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Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
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> 	Not a bad picture! Except for the imaginary scenes of farmers driving
					  ^^^^^^^^^
> in four-wheel-drive trucks it just might be true. Except for the fact that

It looks like that either you have not been to india recently or you also
prefered to (selectively) travel the tiniest vilages as do the westerners.
Transporting agricultural produces is MOSTly by trucks (lories as they
cal in indaia)  I have seen both bulokS drawn carts when I was litle
as wel as those having been replaced by lories now - both for long hauls
and to the markets or wharehouses from the mudy fields.  I don't mean to
say that you can't se a cart at al in india.  There is no 100% replacement.
It is only the necesity that makes the decision.  If acess to paved roads is
not far, then, lories are used. else, carts are used to reach such acess roads.

Speaking of bulok(s) drawn carts, if you are not aware, there
is a program in Indian Institute of Scince, Bangalore for adapting
science and technology to rural india  and it is caled ASTRA.  During
late 70's there was a project for designing more EFICIENT bulock carts
apart from the projects like cobar gas plants etc.  One of the aspects of
such carts was to ease the load on bulocks.

In my opinion, to avoid sterotyping by people who have NEVER been to
india, those who have been there should try to paint a TRUE picture if
not only the rosy parts of it.

> many of the indian politicians. I could tell you about the similar scenarios
> except for two things : one, I would be replacing all the four-wheel-drive
> trucks with bullock-carts and the ferrari with a bullock-cart...get this
> a BULLOCK-CART, with my uncle and me in it and also those would be true
> scenarios and not the imaginary like the ones you have been paintng. 

read above.

> 	No doubt, India is still a poor country and a "thirld-world" country.
> However, it is just that many of us, seem to be contended to be just that, be
> a "thirld-world" country! It just does not seem to be important enough for
> those people to have a vision for future. India has the potential to be a
> major power in the world and be an important influence in today's world.
> It is just that many people seem to happy with keeping India what it is and
> just that.

i think it includes you more than anybody else.


S. R. Venkatramanan	ihnp4!ihtnt!raven