2)Sewa (The self – Employed Women`s Association) : Founded by Lawyer turned leader from Ahmadabad, Ela Bhatt in 1975, its still a labour union. It safeguards impoverished self employed women, 2 lacs no. in 7 states. It has set up 71 co-operatives of various trades to share expertise, each having 1,000 members. It has a microfinance bank since 1974 that has now 70,000 accounts with 96% repayment rate on its loans! “Self help works”!
3)Yoga : By practicing ‘the kechri mudra’, Devraha Baba, the sage of Vrindavan, is claimed to have lived f
or 700 years! This 5,000 yr holistic science was noticed in Indus Valley seal of a yogi & later codified by Patanjal in 2nd century B.C.4)The Indian Cricketers : For Indians, cricket is a religion. Every cricketer who plays for India receives a cap with a number on it, indicating his place in the list of Test Players. Parthieve Patel is No. 244
5)The Indian Joint Family : It is the basic unit of Indian society, it lumbers on unworried, unhurried, taking you with it, sometimes inspite of you.
6)The Indian Railway : It has a network of 1 lakh and 9,000 kms (2nd in world); 7,000 stations; runs 13,000 trains daily, ferries 1 million passengers a day; has the longest tunnel, the highest stations, has 1.2 lac bridges on railways, is the largest railway in the world and is nation`s largest employer – 1.65 million employes. What transports India? Resilence & railways.
7)Mumbai`s Shivaji Park : This 1 sq. km land is home to 8 cricket clubs, 30 playing strips & has minimum 60 daily nets. Since 1925 it has 2 tennis courts, a mini-park for children & a Ganesh Temple which Sachin Tendulkar still vists regularly past midnight. Its metaphor for Indian cricket itself.
8)Indian Handicrafts : Be it tribal or Gujarat, it is taken with gurantee. That is it`s tribute.
9)The Indian Beauty : India has won 2 Miss Universe & 3 Miss World titles since 1984. This has permanently changed the perception of women in urban India.
10)The Indian Novel : The new lot : Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Amita Gosh, U. Chatterjee made in Indian Novel in English saleable & Brooker worthy.
11)Indian Post : Consider : it is the largest in the world, with 1.5 lakh post offices (even in centre of Thar desert); with 1 > million money orders a month; with postal banking system effectively the biggest small savings institution in the country; with over 25 lakhs postal life insurance policies but with the festival ‘baksheesh’ included.
12)Nehru Jacket : Sean Connery, the original Bond was in it in Dr. No & comedian Mike Myers sported it in Austin Powers. Even Nelson Mandela & Tony Blair are fond of it.
13)Tirumala Devasthanam : India`s richest Hindu temple with income of nearly Rs. 500 crore a year, attracting an average 45,000 devotees on a learn day & nearly 2 lakhs on New Yearly Day also symbolizes superb management & crowd control.
14)Darjeeling tea : ‘India`s Champagne’ started 150 years ago by a British Civil Surgeon, Dr. Archibald Campbell in his garden at Beechwood, Darjeeling, 7000ft above sea. Today, there are 86 gardens over 19,000 hectores with 15,000 employees & 11 million kg a year production. A kilo of this tea from Castleton Estate fetched highest price of Rs. 15,000 at Kolkatta auctions in 1989. Now, the Darjeeling Planter`s Association gurads it by marking premium tea with special logo.
15)Unity in Diversity : 18 major languages; 29 major festivals; 6,400 castes & subcastes; 7 union territories; 28 states; 6 major religions; 1,600 minor languages & dialects; 52 major tribes; 6 major ethnic group – 1 country.
for further details : www.citehr.com/36039-55-things-make-india-proud.html
