Last week I visited Beijing and Shanghai cities in Peoples' Republic of China.
I started taking pictures of the sky scraper buildings, each one of them is a marvel in itself.
Then the thought struck me. What kind of planning must have gone into such buildings, how well they were implemented.
Wait...to construct these buildings, highways, where is China getting most of the iron (ore)?
Do you know the answer?
Yes, you are right, from India. The rare ore that we should be using to improve our infrastructure, we are exporting world over, especially to China.
In a back-of-the-envelope calculation, I would guess the amount of Iron Ore exports from India should be not less than Rs. 10,000 crores.
Now you, like me, must be asking - whether this amount has come back into India (natural expectation right?) if not where are the inward remittances going? Geneva? Why are we still short of funds to to build our national highways and go begging to each and every developed nation?
When countries like China are importing precious raw material from us and are becoming economic behemoths in the world, why can't we preserve this rare gift from nature for our own good?
Unanswered questions, unending investigations, unending dramas in trying to locate the money flow trails...but life goes on and my ranting goes and my blogging goes on...
I started taking pictures of the sky scraper buildings, each one of them is a marvel in itself.
Then the thought struck me. What kind of planning must have gone into such buildings, how well they were implemented.
Wait...to construct these buildings, highways, where is China getting most of the iron (ore)?
Do you know the answer?
Yes, you are right, from India. The rare ore that we should be using to improve our infrastructure, we are exporting world over, especially to China.
In a back-of-the-envelope calculation, I would guess the amount of Iron Ore exports from India should be not less than Rs. 10,000 crores.
Now you, like me, must be asking - whether this amount has come back into India (natural expectation right?) if not where are the inward remittances going? Geneva? Why are we still short of funds to to build our national highways and go begging to each and every developed nation?
When countries like China are importing precious raw material from us and are becoming economic behemoths in the world, why can't we preserve this rare gift from nature for our own good?
Unanswered questions, unending investigations, unending dramas in trying to locate the money flow trails...but life goes on and my ranting goes and my blogging goes on...
you raised some good questions......
ReplyDeleteThanks Satdeep for your feedback..
ReplyDeleteThe worst of it is most of it was probably exported as iron ore..not even processed here:)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Suresh for the comment. That precisely is the problem. If it had been processed, then it would have to be accounted for. Now all of it is unaccounted for
DeleteOur neighbour China, is growing leaps and bounds on all fronts, economically, and politically. It is fascinating for us to watch them grow, at any cost, and we are helpless.
ReplyDeleteWe do not want to follow their practices, human right violations, and bending over backward for various facilities.
So , we will continue to watch and feel whatever we want,envy, admiration, or scorn.
Precisely, Vetrimagal. China's development started at least a decade ago, when the Forex reserves of both India and China were almost on par. Today, China's is ten times of India's? There lies the answer. China pursues their development activites with passion. True there could be scams in China. But that is besides the point.
DeleteThe answer very much in the political system and political will.
ReplyDeletewww.rajnishonline.blogspot.com
Spot on Rajnish. For taking the country to the next level you need political will. With our kind too much of democracy, not sure how many more years or decades we have to wait to come near a developed nation. Lets patiently, positively wait.
DeleteYes Mr.Ravi...You have nailed the right questions. Which many of us think when we visit other countries. If we are so rich then where does these wealth go hidden??
ReplyDeleteThanks Speak Ur Mind for your comments. Still whenever I visit these countries, even those which are less developed than India, I keep my composure and be positive that something will happen. Some one will do...hmmm lets see..
DeleteChina's increasing influence in every field of activity is a cause of concern not just for India but for the world itself. Its major ambition of tilting the balance of power towards itself will not be in the general interest of world development because of its ideologies. The latest development of China pressing for BRICS bank can pretty much result in the country becoming the bank's paymaster and consequently dominating other developing economies.
ReplyDeleteDear Rohu, Couldn't have been said better. It was a treat to read your comments.
DeleteWhile I agree that China is getting more and more influential in pockets like N.Korea, Italy etc., my concern is more at home. Why can't we have our acts together.
Hmmmm! Nice to know :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jen for stopping by.
DeleteAnother marvel in China is the way people cross the roads at junctions. Zebra crossing, which we learnt in childhood days, is practically followed there ! India can catchup China and other such countries with respect to Infrastructure in a decade or so; but, how do we get civic sense into the PEOPLE ? Are we taught about this at any stage in our formal education? Is government taking any steps in inculcating such civic sense in people?
ReplyDeleteIndia is mostly in auto-pilot mode - check how people people cross a four road junction without a signal and it reflects our mindset (efficient self-governing :-)
Thanks, Vijaybhaskar for your additional information on China. Really appreciate it.
DeleteI think the level of identification that politicians and businessmen in India have with their motherland plays a role here. For most of the powerful and wealthy classes in India, educating their children is done abroad, excess wealth is stashed abroad. Judging by the recent scams, one wonders if these people have any morals at all. I am sure corruption exists in China too. The answer to your question lies in the fact that the difference between the corrupt in India and in China is that the corrupt is China have some shame and some sense of patriotism.
ReplyDeleteSubhorup, Agree with you on the sense of patriotism that we can observe not just in China even in all the South East Asian countries.
DeleteThanks again for a excellent written comments. Treat to read. Keep it going. Regards,