Comments on: The Keystone Cops of Connaught Place

By: K S Rao

K S Rao — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 18:42:15 +0000

This is not a comment on this piece. But I would like to know about the slide show Adershir Cowasjee is talking about in Dawn dated Aug 28,2005 There is an interesting slide show doing the internet e-mail rounds, all about India, its Â‘Truths and TriumphsÂ’. Our large neighbour, with its population of 1.3 billion who speak 325 different languages have available to them 5,600 daily newspapers, 15,000 weeklies and 20,000 periodicals written in 21 languages with a combined circulation of 142 million. Not content with the usual run of the mill models of Hondas, Toyotas, Hyundais, Suzukis and so on which flood the Pakistani market and are unique to it, MG Rover is marketing in India 100,000 Indica cars made by Tata in Europe, and Aston Martin has contracted the prototype of its latest luxury sports car, AM V8 Vantage, to an Indian-based designer and is about to produce the cheapest Aston Martin ever sold.

According to this startling slide show, statistics show that in the US the 1.5 million resident Indians make up 38 per cent of its doctors, 12 per cent of its scientists, 36 per cent of NASA scientists, 34 per cent of Microsoft employees, and 28 per cent of IBM employees. The largest number of foreign students in the US are Indians. Of the US H1-B visas issued 44 per cent go to India, nine per cent to China, five per cent to Britain, and two per cent to Pakistan.

Quite naturally, one slide is dedicated to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and to his quotes. Questioned on what his thoughts were on western civilization, his response was that Â‘I think it would be a good idea.Â’ Another : Â‘An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.Â’ And one of his greatest quotes, to which this country hardly subscribes : Â‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.Â’

I do not know about the various statistics quoted, but 38 pc of doctors in the US being Indians is off the mark by at atleast a factor of 10.

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 16:46:49 +0000

For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, I highly reccomend the "high-speed" autorickshaw chase in Ong Bak: Thai Warrior (it's out on DVD now!!!)

By: uncleji

uncleji — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 09:44:25 +0000

not to mention the Bond Film that had a Sardarji as a baddie.

Was it a rickshaw or autorickshaw ?

By: DesiDudeInAustin

DesiDudeInAustin — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 05:03:29 +0000

Random fact: I like the word Â“meleeÂ”.

I do too. Melees ensue. You cannot get that with a mere 'hullaballoo'.

Autorickshaws travel at about the same speed as a regualar cab in the city. And in Delhi, they run on environment-friendly Compressed Natural Gas instead of the usual petrol/diesel.

By: catcharun

catcharun — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 04:56:27 +0000

i’m not sure if speed of an autorickshaw is dependent on the city but i can vouch that they aint so slow in chennai fka madras..and according to this link the japanese know about them too :

http://www.osaka-rajni.net/b-song1.html

By: Sandeep A.

Sandeep A. — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 03:54:11 +0000

lol This brings back fond memories of funny Tamil movies.

By: anangbhai

anangbhai — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 03:22:52 +0000

I don’t care how slow autorickshaws are, they made for THE chase scene of the year in that Thai film, Ong Bak. Excelsior!