amit August 21st, 2006
I was astonished to find out women’s suffrage is a fairly recent development. Can you believe women were not allowed to vote in most of the western world until the late 19th century. Women’s suffrage has a checkered history, but for practical purposes it became reality in the US with the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920 and with the passage of the universal suffrage act in the UK in 1928. (check wikipedia for details)
With that background it should not come as a surprise that US hasn’t had a woman head of the state yet. I think the US needs to outsource this goal and I would like to pitch the credentials of nations from my part of the world.
India: Of course India leads in anything that even rhymes with outsourcing so let’s look at India’s record. Mrs. Indira Gandhi served as the Prime Minister of India from 1966-1977 and then from 1980-1984. A total of 16 years in a country with an independent history of just about 60 years. Moreover an Italian born and brought up woman Edvige Antonia Albina Maino came close to be sworn as the Prime Minister of India in May 2004, she chose not to take that position (I am going to give her the benefit of doubt) to avoid a costly schism based on ideology. That did not stop Forbes to name her as the most powerful woman in the world in 2004.
Sri-Lanka: If an example of a war-ravaged nation being led by a woman is sought, Chandrika Kumaratunga Bandaranaike, President of Sri-Lanka comes to mind. She led Sri-Lanka from 1994-2005 and led the nation’s fight against the LTTE.
Pakistan: Even Pakistan which has been struggling to have a working democracy has fared better. Benazir Bhutto was the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1998-1990 and again from 1993-1996. Be reminded, if corruption is a requirement, Benazir probably (can’t say for sure since no concrete evidence was presented) fared just as well as her male counterparts. She was ousted on charges of corruption.
Bangladesh: Think twice before you ridicule the supposedly draconian societies found in some of the Islamic nations. Bangladesh might not be able to match the US in GDP but on this front they win hands down; Sheikh Hasina Wajed was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1996-2001.
So there you have it take your pick, and learn your lesson. Considering the best America has been able to do with more than 200yrs of independence (Hillary Clinton); in my opinion the only way forward is to have a special provision (like the recent nuclear deal) for India, there by allowing an Indian woman to be the President of USA. Case in point, Indra Nooyi CEO Pepsi Co.
Tags: america, india, politics
amit August 20th, 2006
First time I heard it, I wondered - what about the rest, seemed brazen, arrogant, and typically American. Until I recalled words of wisdom from a fellow commuter on a train journey in India “That India works, proves that there is God”. Now, when they say India can help you discover yourself or find the meaning of life, traveling in overcrowded trains and buses is definitely part of the prescription. But, let me not digress, God’s blessings for America is all the Almighty can afford, cause sure as hell - he is working full time India.
A population of 1 billion people; belonging to a civilization that has roots going back to 3300 BC; who speak one or more of the 15 official languages; who practice multitude of religions; governed by a bureaucratic democratic political system, part capitalistic, part socialistic and guess what - part communist - needs a little divine intervention. And so far it has worked remarkably well, I am not saying we haven’t had our share of problems, on the contrary we seem to be besieged with ever-recurring themes but our resilience is bar none.
| Hindu-Muslim riots: Most of the time we get along, it’s just that every so often we like to kill each other. |
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| Bihar: It’s a nice neat little package of trouble, one state has it all caste violence, illiteracy, yearly floods killing hundreds every year, and perpetual poverty. Solve Bihar and India goes up a few notch. |
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| Floods and Droughts: Hundreds still die every year of floods in Bhiar, Orissa and droughts in Andhra. |
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| Terrorism: Much before the phrase “War on Terror”, was invented; India has been fighting Islamic terrorism for more than 2 decades now. |
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| Casteism: Even the great Mahatma couldn’t wipe off the scourge of caste discrimination. |
| Corruption: Sadly corruption has become part of Inidan life in some circles at least. |
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| Illiteracy: Many in India still cant read and write. |
| Disease: Some of the latest statistics reveal that India will soon have the most AIDS HIV positive people in a single country. |
In spite of all these and much like the word we invented the Indian juggernaut rolls on; none but the crazy would give us an outside chance of existence let alone success, but miraculously we flourish. We continue to make progress on all fronts; I am hopeful and proud to be an Indian, and even though I am not very religious I can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe God does exist. So here are my prayers for the 60th year of Indian independence.
Thank you God, keep up the good work, continue to bless America, work for India and answer my prayers. Oh! almost forgot, I think we can do with a fewer natural disasters. We do appreciate the devastating hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts and floods, but I think we are good for now, so please hold them.
Tags: america, india
