What is the Cause

What is the Cause

195:7

1994 10 October 10 What is the Cause (252)

The Olympics held in Barcelona (Spain) in July-August 1992 had the participation of 171 countries, out of which 64 countries won medals for their outstanding performance.

Despite the fact that India has a population of 86 crores, it could not win a single medal, neither gold, nor sliver, nor bronze. Even in archery, an ancient Indian sport, others superseded India.

Of the list of 64 winner countries, the first ten were: CIS, USSR, Germany, China, Spain, Hungary, South Korea, Cuba, France and Australia.

For India, this is not an isolated event. Those who travel abroad or who keep an eye on the global situation know quite well that India does not exist at the international level. For instance, India simply does not figure in the list of industrial countries. In modern scientific research, India is not considered worthy of mention and its educational institutions, by modern standards, are looked upon as inferior.

What is the reason for this backwardness? It is traceable to a factor pointed out by a certain commentator:

“Men’s minds are lost in trivialities, and not attuned to the challenging issues of the time.”

Be it the case of the individual or the group, the reason for great success in this world is only one and that is to avoid trivialities and devote all one’s attention to whatever plays an effective part in making or marring the future. As Indians are unable to make this distinction, they cannot make any worthwhile progress, even after fifty years of clamorous struggle.