India VS USA - survival of the fittest

If survival of the fittest is the way the world sustains life, Indians stand to survive a lot.

The storm Sandy swept ashore the eastern coast of the United States of America – wonder when it is going to be “the India”. That discussion for another time.

Along with a few human lives, cars and trees Sandy also took away power supply to a lot of places.  And the woes it brought about – no sales in shops because credit card machines didn’t work. Hotels shutting down and food wasted since raw materials are brought in bulk cheaply and stored. Shops all dark because light from electrically powered lamps was taken for granted as the primary source of illumination.

Now cut the scene to India. We are a community where credit -cards though present, are still not the primary mode of payment. So sales happened as usual, shops built for power cuts and so no light problems. Raw materials for restaurants always bought in right quantities dues to unpredictable power.

We are the fittest it seems. If tomorrow the world plunges into darkness from lack of power the third world countries would function like it’s just another power cut and light a candle and make rotis and rice on a firewood stove.

While the poor Americans strive to recharge their mobile phones through electricity generated by other means, we will have mobile chargers that work on the static generated by walking or by pedaling cycles without wheels with a dynamo attached (all rural inventions if you are wondering what these are).

As the business in the USA struggle without computers to do business our Mr Banya would be busy writing down sales transaction entries in his 5^th ledger for the month. He is planning on buying thicker ledgers to accommodate more business entries.

While our Caucasin brothers sit idle not knowing how to spend time without Television and computers and remote operated games, our men would be busy playing gilli danda, and cards and cricket and women snakes and ladders.

Our men would be drinking warm beer with relish as done all their lives while our American brethren would sit with warm beers and dream of chiller days with sourness on their tongues and minds. As the Americans wonder when the air conditioners would come on, we would lay our cots in the middle of the street, on the terrace, under trees, between trees as hammocks and sleep a deep peaceful slumber.

Being a little under developed than the “developed” nations is after all not so bad. We are fitter and are going to survive!