Chalta Hai India Chalta Hai INDIA WHEN ‘IT’S OK!’ IS NOT OK Alpesh Patel The book Chalta Hai India is a very compelling and essential reading. A well- researched book that is imperative for India. The author, Alpesh, makes every reader think for bringing in an attitudinal change for a better India. —Dr Kiran Bedi Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry This is a very well-written book that makes you think. As citizens, we take things for granted—the business-as-usual scenario, what Alpesh Patel calls the Chalta Hai (CH) attitude. There are several examples he uses to illustrate the CH syndrome. You do not have to agree with every word he writes, as long as it makes you think. India cannot afford to remain a CH nation and citizens have to be instrumental in bringing about change. This is precisely what the Prime Minister has in mind. —Bibek Debroy Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, and Member, NITI Aayog Alpesh has written an important and original book requiring excellent analytical skills and courage. We need to start a movement to shake our youth out of this comfort with mediocrity. —Rajiv Malhotra Eminent author and public intellectual In this readable treatise, Alpesh succinctly brings out the unpleasant fact that inadequacy is often tolerated and accepted in India. Deeply researched and rich in thought-provoking arguments, this book is a must-read for all those who want to see India in a better shape. Sure to inspire a nationwide debate on ‘Chalta Hai in India’. —GN Bajpai Former Chairman, SEBI and LIC Alpesh’s book holds up the mirror to the unique Indian quirk of ‘Chalta Hai’. He employs different styles—that of a psychologist deciphering drivers of human behaviour, of an engineer probing a phenomenon, and of a storyteller throwing interesting anecdotes—and makes us pause and think. An eminently readable book. —Sudhir Pai CEO, Magicbricks BLOOMSBURY INDIA Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd Second Floor, LSC Building No. 4, DDA Complex, Pocket C – 6 & 7, Vasant Kunj New Delhi 110070 BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY INDIA and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in India 2018 This edition published 2018 Copyright © Alpesh Patel, 2018 Alpesh Patel has asserted his right under the Indian Copyright Act to be identified as Author of this work All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes ISBN: TPB: 978-9-3880-3866-9; eBook: 978-9-3880-3868-3 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 Created by Manipal Digital Systems Printed and bound in India Bloomsbury Publishing Plc makes every effort to ensure that the papers used in the manufacture of our books are natural, recyclable products made from wood grown in well-managed forests. Our manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com and sign up for our newsletters To my loving parents, for their genes, guidance, and inspiration CONTENTS Foreword by Shri Subhash Chandra Preface Acknowledgements PART ONE—Exploring the ‘It’s Okay’ Life 1. Defining and Measuring CH PART TWO—Measuring the ‘Let It Be’ Menace 2. Road Transport: Seeking Pleasant Trips 3. Films and Music: The Art We Love 4. Sports: Are We Winning Enough? 5. Education: Development of All? 6. So How Big is CH in India? 7. The Nature of CH 8. De-magnifying CH PART THREE—Why This ‘Take It Easy’ Policy? The Big Five Reasons 9. Poor Quality and Weak Processes 10. Low Risks and Minimal Innovation 11. Paltry Perseverance 12. Grounded Aspirations, Modest Awareness 13. The CH Exchange PART FOUR—The Root Causes and Resolution of CH 14. The Origins of Our CH 15. The Way Ahead Endnotes About the Author FOREWORD At the time when Britishers came to India, our contribution to the international trade was around 23 to 25 per cent. They came with a motive and fulfilled it. But what happened since independence in the past seven decades is our own making, and we cannot hold them responsible for the same. Nor is it our politicians’ fault alone; it’s ours too and of our ‘Chalta Hai’ attitude. In every walk of life, whenever we find something wrong somewhere, we almost always think ‘Mujhe kya?’; someone else will fix it. And we forget that we are also a part of the overall society. When we expect governments to do everything for us, the cost is too high. It’s time we pause and ask ourselves, ‘Why would we want an expensive solution?’ Along with the Chalta Hai syndrome, another syndrome that must bother the nation is ‘Mujhe kya?’ Today, many cases of deaths in road accidents happen because the patient does not get immediate medication as often bystanders don’t bother calling the helpline on time. Why is that? Because often we think, ‘Mujhe kya!’ But, we were not always like this; we were a nation which had always worked for others. Not just in the fields of infrastructure, sports, education, films, and manufacturing, but in almost all sectors we haven’t reached where we should’ve, and the prime reason for that is our Chalta Hai attitude. You’ll find detailed examples proving this point in the first few chapters of this book. Alpesh has cited various examples from 1500 BC till date to explain that we didn’t always have a Chalta Hai attitude. In our long civilisational history spanning thousands of years, we’ve developed this attitude only in the recent history of a few hundred years. In the latter part of the book, Alpesh has referred