Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Should we improve?

I was amazed to read the article "Shall we ever improve?" (Open Page, Nov. 12). It argues that we may never reach the pinnacles of human behaviour found elsewhere. No nation or race can boast of reaching pinnacles of behaviour.

A few months ago, the Reader's Digest said based on a survey that Mumbai was one of the rudest cities in the world. But how many cities can boast of people like Mumbaikars who are resilient and spirited in the face of all odds?

On the other hand, the behaviour of Australian cricket players during the ICC Championship was there for all to see. Indifference, rudeness and racist comments are things we encounter frequently in the West. But does it mean all Westerners are bad? No. They have their own strengths.

While one can learn professionalism, discipline, etc., from the West, being unnecessarily critical of one's own countrymen is a sign of negative approach. We have some traits that make us successful as a nation. We should work on enhancing them. We cannot apply social norms of the West in the Indian context.

Nitin Gupta,

Indore, M.P.

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