Welcoming guests.. the Indian way!

I met this doctor a couple of days ago! She was working at a reputed hospital in Delhi. Researching cost effective and innovative strategy to heal little kids of serious illnesses like Leukemia, lymphoma. She would stop at every bed side, smile, offer a little something to the child, try to speak in broken hindi, turn around, encourage or counsel the parents and then move on to the next bed.

She would say hi to each sick child she saw in the lobby. What made this extra special was that here was a PHD doctor, still yearning to do more, and yet spending her efforts in a foreign country, loving the people here and trying to improve their lives further. U guessed it right … She was a foreign national, from france really… who came back to make this country her home, and share her best with us. Ironically, we see the reverse with our skilled and competent workforce, who looks for the first opportunity to get out.

It hurt me to see her being treated rashly… All kinds of folks (read rickshaw walas, cab drivers, and even the tea vendor) trying to get an extra buck… exaggerating costs, cracking jokes behind her back (not knowing that she spoke excellent hindi) She seemed to have gotten used to this. She said she had been "inducted" :)

Its not an uncommon site to see this happen in and around Delhi. We are going to play host to the next common wealth games.. are we ready for this? I think in terms of infrastructure we are getting there. But what about us as people? Are we going to be lousy hosts, and bad company? And this was a country of “Athithi devo bhaava..” (Guest is God) … May be time that we pick our threads, and weave out our best behaviour.

May be realize the "Incredible India” campaign.