This received exciting coverage on just about every channel, and received lot of attention around the world (just do a google news search for PSVL-C9). Not surprisingly, the least coverage was in the US media. Maybe if it was something more “Indian-like” (like call-centers :-)) it would have received more coverage?

Here are some more videos:

• PSLV-C9 Launch
• Doordarshan
• ANI
• TimesNow
• Students

Out of principle, I refrained from watching/reading the coverage (until a few weeks after the mania died down). I don’t know which was sadder, a kid gone crazy, or NDTV’s feeding frenzy. If the same incident had happened in my local town (or anywhere in rural Tamil Nadu) the only coverage would be a small column in the newspaper. Well and good.

A child raised in a farm learns about the land, the seasons, the behaviour of animals and birds in relation to human life. A doctor’s child plays with spoons and a string in place of a stethoscope. “Say aaah …show me your tongue!”; and tries to give everyone “injections”. Every school-going youngster wants to play “teacher” at some point or other. Children are natural imitators and the law of Nature is that…

“Learning to kill for fun”, The Hindu

While I’m at it, I’ll like to mention a Tamil station called Makkal TV (மக்கள்). It’s the only channel I’ve found that talks about peoples issues and topics like organic farming, alternative energy, and alternative medicine — all at a level that engages the masses. Not to mention they don’t air any commercial movies nor dance clips – thumbs up to them for that!

In the USA, the only channel still relatively untainted is PBS. Even NPR’s news coverage, has been swept into the rat race, their quality has really gone down (with their most balanced coverage playing only in the wee hours of the night).

But how much more cruel is it than skinning animals alive for their fur, or butchering them while half-alive for meat, or torturing them in animal testing in the cosmetic and pharma industry, which happens on a much more massive scale – as in the millions (and done by the more “modernized” people)…

Or for that matter the horrific photos of civilians being gunned down, tortured, maimed by repressive regimes and cultures around the world.

I hope at least these chickens went down as martyrs to remind us of our cruelty (and greed), and that we may change. Just another harsh reminder (India is full of harsh contrasts like this). If only everyone that is well off takes up at least just one cause to the society, things can change.

See these videos (warning: very graphic and upsetting):

• Meat Industry
• Fur industry: China – fur farms
• Fur industry: Canada – baby seals
• The Final Solution – Godhra
• Honor Killings
• Bhopal Gas Tregedy
• Beena’s Story

Why are the jobs going to India?

1. The much higher standard of education. For example, the calculus that is taught in final year of undergraduate in the USA, is done by the average Indian kid in 10th grade. The Indian education system is by no means perfect, but one thing it does, is that it builds a solid amount of mental stamina, diligence, and discipline. Thus, with very little training or ramp-up time people are full swing into it, with a very high productivity rate.
2. Indians also have a very strong command of the English language compared with most other non-native English speaking countries.
3. India is second to the USA in terms of the amount of intellectual capital, churning out sheer numbers of electrical and computer engineers, doctors, scientists, journalists, and business graduates each year. If the number of patents is any measure: of the 5,401 patents in the year 2004: 2,375 were from Asia, out of which over 1,000 were from India alone, and 1,524 from Eastern Europe (speaking of which Eastern Europe is another rising star that is starving to take over American jobs; the world is changing fast).
4. Finally, add to that the cost of labor and cost of living is much lower.

Who moved my cheese?

For those who complain about their jobs being taken, my philosophy is that, it’s not that somebody’s taken your jobs – it’s just that the jobs have moved elsewhere (India, China). It’s like in that book “Who moved my cheese”. The cheese has moved – go where the cheese is. Go to India, China, and other South-Asian countries. And hot on the heals is Eastern Europe followed by South American countries (Brazil in particular to start with). For decades the whole world has been coming to the USA. Globalization and the internet has made the world flat, and people don’t find the need to immigrate to the USA. People will tend to remain in their native countries. Now it’s time for Americans to immigrate to other countries. It may even help everyone in the world to understand each other better as well. Globalization is a two-way street.

I’d like to add one more point to that: moving outside the USA to where the jobs have gone or blaming out-sourcing is not the solution. We need to a) improve the educational standards dramatically, and b) we need peer pressure – which can start by removing all the distractions kids in the USA face. Compared with any country the amount of distractions kids face here is beyond pale. Ranging from video games, internet, dating, gossip, television, cell phone culture, pop-star role models, etc., and c) we need to inculcate a culture which has more respect for teachers, the learned, and the wise (than for rock stars, movie stars, and sports stars) — as a respect for knowledge is where a lot of aspiration to learn comes from. My vote will go to anyone who promises that rather than blaming outsourcing (the later will continue to happen as long as the source of the problem is not addressed).

It’s not right to solely blame the entertainment industry and rampant consumer culture either. Parents need to insulate their kids from mass market culture as well.

See Also:

• “Several decades ago, my parents told us to eat because the children in China and India are starving.  Today, I tell my children to learn because the children in China and India are starving for their jobs.”
  - Thomas Friedman (author of NYT bestseller, “The World is Flat”), see video: The other side of outsourcing
• “…if you want liberalization, you have to appreciate that liberalization is a two-way traffic. It cannot be a one-way traffic. If you want access to markets, you have to give us access to your markets.”
  - Azim Premji (founder of Wipro, and India’s richest person), see video Charlie Rose Show interview with Azim Premji and Nandan Nilekani (founder of Infosys).
• European workers fill call centers in India.

It’s a no brainer. Indian companies will be buying US, UK or German companies. We have to just go with them.”

- Morten Lund (founder of Skype, and nearly 50 other companies)

India has in 50 short years since its Independence risen (from the ravaged and impoverished state that it was left in by 300 years of European onslaught) into the worlds 4th largest GDP, and is the most self-sufficient country today. The country mass produces its own cars, buses, trains, ships, satellites, televisions,… right down to every paper and pencil. With the amount of revenue surplus India is generating, Indian companies have entered the next phase of reconstruction: buying foreign companies.

“Just into the second month of the year, India’s M&A (merger and acquisition) volumes are touching $50 billion. That’s quite close to the full-year 2006 volumes – $61.2 billion (inbound, outbound, and domestic). M&A experts reckon that before the year is out, India will easily hit the $100-billion mark.”

- BusinessWorld, 26-Feb-2007

Still, this deep source of low-cost, high-IQ, English-speaking brainpower may soon have a more far-reaching impact on the U.S. than China. Manufacturing — China’s strength — accounts for just 14% of U.S. output and 11% of jobs. India’s forte is services — which make up 60% of the U.S. economy and employ two-thirds of its workers. And Indian knowledge workers are making their way up the New Economy food chain, mastering tasks requiring analysis, marketing acumen, and creativity.

This means India is penetrating America’s economic core. The 900 engineers at Texas Instruments Inc.’s (TXN ) Bangalore chip-design operation boast 225 patents…. Venture capitalists say anywhere from one-third to three-quarters of the software, chip, and e-commerce startups they now back have Indian R&D teams from the get-go.

- BusinessWeek Online (The Rise of India)

Another notable news: India raised over $3.5 billion from NRI’s to offset the effect of economic sanctions imposed because of its nuclear tests back in 1999. This was done by scheme known as the India Resurgent Bond (launched by State Bank of India). Over 70,000 Indians invested in it. See full article.

Some Economic Facts

What is important to note here, in the list below, is that a large majority of these (especially the non-technical ones) are the result of traditional micro-economics, employing millions of individuals in hundreds of thousands of small individually owned businesses and not to mention over 21 million retailers (and this is not counting those that are not even licensed or incorporated).

This is why there is a legitimate opposition to the WalMart model of the Western retail industry from coming into India. It will not only destroy thousands of small businesses, but concentrates wealth in the hands of a few instead of distribution of wealth. As the father of economics  Chaanakya stated, it is the distribution of wealth that makes a nation strong, as it promotes the growth and productivity of the people (and no, we’re not talking about socialism, but capitalism done right). Which in itself is possible owing to India’s vibrant democracy with numerous political parties representing just about every interest group imaginable. It has its shortcomings, but it works. See for yourself:

1. The #4 largest GDP (purchasing power parity) (USA, China, Japan, India, Germany UK, Russia). India’s GDP is $2.966 trillion (2007 estimate).
2. The #1 largest tea producer (India, China).
3. The #1 largest mango producer (1.6 million hectares; versus 0.433 hectares of China).
4. The #1 largest banana producer (16.8 million metric tons; versus 6.7 metric tons of Brazil).
5. The #1 largest peanut producer (India, China; together they produce 70% of the worlds peanuts).
6. The #1 largest milk producer (India, USA, New Zealand).
7. The #1 largest ginger producer (India, China, Indonesia).
8. The #2 largest rice producer (129 million metric tons; China, India, Indonesia).
9. The #2 largest onion producer (China, India, USA).
10. The #2 largest potato producer (China, India, Germany).
11. The #2 largest silk producer (China, India).
12. The #3 largest cotton producer (China, USA, India).
13. The #3 largest sugar producer.
14. The #3 largest steel producer (Japan, South Korea, India).
15. The #1 largest railway network.
16. The #1 largest producer of buses.
17. The #2 largest producer of bicycles (China, India).
18. The #1 largest producer of movies (India, USA).
19. The #1 largest cell phone growth market (growing at a blazing rate of 6 million new cell phone users every month, 2006-07), expected to reach 500 million subscribers by 2010.
20. The #6 largest petroleum consumer (USA, China, Japan, Russia, Germany, India).
21. The top 4 Indian oil companies are on Fortune’s top 30.
22. Indian oil companies have been on a buying spree – acquiring oil contracts all across the globe.
23. India is the #1 oil contractor in Russia.
24. 34 Indian companies are listed on the Forbes 2000 list.
25. 9 major national passenger airlines that are world class in quality/services.
26. 4 major Indian car companies: Hindustan Motors, Mahendra & Mahendra, Maruti Udyog, Tata Motors.
27. The leading Indian car manufacture Maruti Udyog alone exports 30,000 cars and domestically sells 500,000 cars annually. Known for their exceptional fuel efficiency and durability in rugged terrains/roads and driving conditions.
28. There are 30 automobile companies with their manufacturing plants in India, including BMW, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Suzuki, and Toyota.
29. India has entered the competitive aero-space industry by launching satellites for a number of countries (see PSLV-C9).
30. India is the third nation to successfully send a rocket to the moon (after USA, Russia) (see PSLV-C11, PSLV-C11).

(updated November 2008)

See Also

• Outsourcing

A good book I recommend is “Understanding Power” by Noam Chomsky. Though it’s mainly about US foreign policy, it gives you a general idea of the politics of power, as it applies to different walks of life. Disclaimer: I’m in no way a Chomsky “fan” nor “left”. I’d hold my own grounds which doesn’t fall into any binary classification of left vs right. Which is why I like Indian democracy, there are a mind-boggling number of political parties (especially at the state and local level) which represent all sort of causes, such that nothing is as simple as left/right or republican/democrat. In a country that is so diverse binary systems just won’t work, it will not fairly represent every ones interest  (this is being increasingly felt in the USA as well).

Here’s a list of the countries that the U.S. has bombed since the end of World War II, in the name of establishing “democracy” or “freedom”, as compiled by historian William Blum:

China 1945-46
Korea 1950-53
China 1950-53
Guatemala 1954
Indonesia 1958
Cuba 1959-60
Guatemala 1960
Congo 1964
Peru 1965
Laos 1964-73
Vietnam 1961-73
Cambodia 1969-70
Guatemala 1967-69
Grenada 1983
Libya 1986
El Salvador 1980s
Nicaragua 1980s
Panama 1989
Iraq 1991-99
Sudan 1998
Afghanistan 1998
Yugoslavia 1999
Afghanistan 2001-
Iraq 2003-

And now for the test: in how many of these instances did a democratic government, respectful of human rights, occur as a direct result?

Source: http://www.peacefulaction.org

Also, check out: http://www.newamericancentury.org

Excellent, loaded article. The following is a question addressed to MIT professor Noam Chomsky following a lecture he delivered at the University of Illinois at Chicago on October 17, 1994.

Noam Chomsky on India, GATT and Pharmaceutal Patents, and 3rd World
Q. Could you comment on the current policies of GATT, the whole notion of intellectual property rights, and the effect of these policies on food production in the Third World?

A. That’s a really important topic and in fact it was one I had hoped to talk about but didn’t have time for. GATT is called a free trade agreement, just as NAFTA was, but that’s nonsense. These things are not about free trade and they’re certainly not agreements. In fact most of the people in the world are opposed to them. What you mentioned is an extreme case of that. Intellectual property rights have to do with protectionism. The U.S., and in fact the rich countries generally, have led the insistence that the GATT agreement, like NAFTA, include strong intellectual property rights. That’s protectionism. That means increasing the power of patents. Patents are protectionist devices. They are designed to insure that the technology of the future is in the hands of transnational corporations, most of which, incidentally, you guys pay for. Remember they don’t believe in a free market. They want to be publicly subsidized in research and development and controlled markets and so on. The strength of intellectual property rights means longer patents.Take India for instance. India has a big pharmaceutical industry. They can produce drugs at a fraction of the cost of what Merck wants to sell them for. In fact drug prices are way lower in India than in Pakistan next door because India happened to develop its own pharmaceutical industry. The American corporations don’t like that. They want more children to die in India. It’s not whether they care whether children die. They want more profit, which means more children die in India. They want to make sure India doesn’t produce drugs at less than the cost of American drugs. Now this is done in two ways under GATT. One way is to increase the length of patents. The other is to change their character from process patents to product patents. That’s very crucial. In the past patents were process patents. Like if Merck, thanks to your taxes, designed a way to produce a certain drug, and then say some smart guy in India figured out a cheaper way to produce that drug, that was allowed. We don’t want that. We want to cut down technological innovation, cut back economic process, economic progress, and economic efficiency and increase profit. So now they are product patents. If Merck figures out a certain way to produce a drug they can hold that for twenty years because it’s a product, and they can hold the process for another twenty years. They get forty years of holding on to that drug. By that time everybody’s forgotten about it. There’s some history about this. The developed countries like us never accepted anything like that. Even weak patents on technological development weren’t accepted by the rich countries until just a few years ago. There was one time that I know of that product patents were actually tried, namely in France in the early part of the century that had such patents. That destroyed the French chemical industry. It moved to Switzerland. So Switzerland has a big chemical industry and not France. It’s not a big secret. This is straight history and the people who are planning GATT understand it. They want to make sure that they destroy the Indian or Argentinean pharmaceutical industries the same way that France’s dumb choices destroyed the French chemical industry. The New York Times a couple of weeks ago had a tiny ten line item stating that India (with a gun pointed at its head) agreed finally to liberalize their pharmaceutical industry, meaning sell it to western corporations. So drug prices will shoot sky high in India and children will die but there will be more profits. Now this has nothing to do with free trade. This is a high level of protectionism. In fact it is specifically designed even to be contrary to the narrow definitions of efficiency that they teach at the University of Chicago Economics Department. So it’s going to cut down on technological innovations, efficiency and so on, but it will happen to increase profits by accident. Well, that’s intellectual property rights. I gave one example but there are plenty of others like it. If you look over the whole GATT Agreement this is sort of a complicated array of protectionist and liberalizing devices very carefully geared to the interests of transnationals.

As far as agriculture is concerned, the way of measuring the efficiency of agricultural production, which like most of these measures are just tax-based ideology that don’t have anything to do with science, is to look at certain inputs and outputs and you do some calculations to figure out what the efficiency is. Some things are left out. If you do the calculations their way the cost of environmental pollution doesn’t count. That’s called an externality, which means they worry about it in some other department. There’s another one you don’t count.

It usually turns out to be the case that heavily subsidized western agri- business tend to produce corn more efficiently than, say, Mexican peasants. If you do a narrow measure of the highly ideological type that they teach you about in economics departments it will turn out to be more efficient for the world if American agri-business produces corn with big petroleum inputs than if Mexican peasants do it, but there’s a few things left out of that calculation. One thing that’s left out is that ten to fifteen million Mexican peasants will be driven off the land. They’re going to be driven into cities where they’re going to starve. There’s a lot of costs associated with that. Put aside the human cost which nobody cares about. Just take the straight economic costs like taking care of them somehow. Well, that’s somebody else’s department. We don’t count that one in.

Put all this stuff together and you get particular choices. This is a game of class warfare masked in big words so it sounds like science and mathematical formulas. If you ask common sense questions you see all kinds of things are left out. If you’re sending corn to Mexico you’ve got to put it in trucks. What about transit costs? The purpose of these agreements is to ensure that agricultural production is monopolized by transnationals and that the third world gets nothing. If you read the Indian press you may have noticed that Indian customs officials stopped some alleged German scientists at the border who were leaving India with some funny stuff in their bags, namely a couple hundred thousand bugs. They didn’t know what the hell they’re doing with these things but we know. That’s the gene pool that western pharmaceutical companies are trying to steal from the south. Those are their resources but we get them for free. For thousands of years people in the south have been developing crops. They don’t own them. They don’t get any rights from that. We just go in and steal them. So they have the rich gene pool and the thousands of years of experience in creating hybrids and figuring out what herb works. Then western corporations go in and take it for nothing, just check if they’ve got a piece of paper anywhere that says they own it, stamped by the authorities. Therefore we steal it from them and it appears in some biology lab. We minimally modify it and sell it to them. We patent it. It’s a scam designed to rob the poor and enrich the rich, like most social policy. That shouldn’t surprise you. After all, who made social policy? This was a truism of Adam Smith. The people who make social policy make it in their interest. They wouldn’t be in a position to make social policy if they weren’t rich and privileged. People suffer.

How much coverage do we get on critical pending issues such as the pathetic state of our education, economy, crime, health care, alternate energy, environmental actions, peace actions, and the dangerous chemicals being pumped into our food? Instead, you hear in the news about anthrax, weapons of mass destruction, some cat rescued from a tree, some cat stuck in a well,… What else to expect when the media is owned by corporations and entertainment industries?

When a terrorist strikes (as in 9/11) the propaganda machine was in full gear. Almost felt like Mr. Rogers handing out little flags to his puppets saying “c’mon wave the little flags, you don’t worry about a thing, Uncle Sam [the big corporations] will take care of you”. And whenever people do start worrying and questioning the government, then once again the little flags are handed out at the street corner. “What do I do with it?”, he asks. “You see, you just take it, and wave it – and say you believe in freedom”, he says. And so goes another one waving his little flag. You’ve become part of the “bewildered herd”. Silenced and kept under control, by corporations, and peer pressure of other bewildered herd.

“In what is nowadays called a totalitarian state, or a military state, it’s easy. You just hold a bludgeon over their heads, and if they get out of line you smash them over the head. But as society has become more free and democratic, you lose that capacity. Therefore you have to turn to the techniques of propaganda. The logic is clear. Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state. That’s wise and good because, again, the common interests elude the bewildered herd. They can’t figure them out.”

from “Media Control – The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda”, Noam Chomsky

“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum – even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there’s free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate.”

- Noam Chomsky

Reading Material

• Profit Over People, Noam Chomsky
• Media Control – The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda, Noam Chomsky
• Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, Richard Hofstadter