The ‘DESTINY Instinct’, and WHY naysayers are wrong about India.

“ India can never match China. Our culture is different. We are destined to be backward”

 ” Our chaotic democracy will never allow us to progress rapidly”

” India a RICH Country! That day will never come. Our population is a curse”

I hear above and similar statements from Indians from all sections of society and am struck by one similarity: Belief that India is somehow DESTINED to be the way it is today, while Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, etc. to our East, and Europe & America to our West have been blessed with good Destiny.

The ‘Destiny Instinct‘ is the belief that innate characteristics determine the destinies of people & countries…and these cannot be changed!

A senior bureaucrat, Mr. X was bemoaning the condition of the country with cynical pessimism. I asked (on a lighter note):

GS: “Are our gods weaker than Korean or Chinese gods”

Mr. X: “No. There are no separate gods of different countries.”

GS: ” Has God cursed 100 Crore Indians to live in semi-hell and given a boon to South Koreans & Germans to live in a semi-heaven”

Mr. X: ” That is not possible. How can He curse 100 Crore people as a WHOLE”

GS: “So you agree that the wellbeing of a country depends on what they do and what they do not do”

Mr. X: ” Yes”

POPULAR MYTHS ABOUT REASONS FOR INDIA’S POVERTY that are WRONG.

The myths are that because of large Population, a Democracy and an ‘inward looking’ Culture, India cannot have fast growth and become rich.  These myths are based on the ‘Destiny Instinct‘ i.e. any condition or situation is un-changeable.

These myths are wrong as can be seen below.

 POPULATION MYTH:

• Population Density of South Korea & Japan is equal to India & total population of China is higher than India and yet these countries have become prosperous.
• India’s young population (median age 28 years) will give it an edge in a world that is growing old. We can become one of the leading ‘factories of the world’ and the leading ‘service provider’

DEMOCRACY MYTH:

• With the exception of China, all prosperous countries in the world are democracies.
• The future will be driven by Smart Technologies & Innovative Services. Birth & development of both needs a free environment conducive to free thinking. China’s action against Jack Ma (the most innovative Chinese Entrepreneur) has shattered the myth that Dictatorship & Entrepreneurship can co-exist.

CULTURE MYTH:

• The Japanese had a closed culture with an ‘inward looking’ mindset. When American warships sailed into Tokyo Harbour in 1853 to force  Japan to open its ports to trade, the Japanese ‘woke up’, learnt from the West and became better than their ‘teachers’.

After the Japanese set up Automotive companies in India in mid 1980s, there has been a transformation of work culture in the entire automotive ecosystem.

CONCLUSION: “India is destined to be backward & poor” is a flawed argument, both Philosophically & Logically.

We can leverage our Population, unleash the creative power of our Democracy, and improve our work Culture to rise to our RIGHTFUL place in the world.

JAI HIND.