Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 11966919)

Bipat, those 'inventions' are pretty laughable aren't they?

India gave the world numbers? Maybe. But why wouldn't they use normal numbering themselves? Why use words and incorrect separators between large numbers?

In fact - that kind of sums up India in my opinion...potentially great, potentially a world leader, potentially so fantastic and potentially dominant. Yet, supported by, administered by and dominated by a complete lack and that 'je ne sais quoi'...I'm not sure what you call it, intelligence? Seems a bit harsh, common sense? Maybe...India is just missing something.

Anyway, you, of all people will be pleased to know I'm flying to India this afternoon for a few days with work.

I shall report back. I'm quite excited actually.

Originally Posted by iggle (Post 11966940)

The funny thing with British Indians, is that they are renown as hard workers, can do attitude. Trying to be Doctors, lawyers and owners of shops. Maybe the heat is the problem?

Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 11966919)

Bipat, those 'inventions' are pretty laughable aren't they?

India gave the world numbers? Maybe. But why wouldn't they use normal numbering themselves? Why use words and incorrect separators between large numbers?

In fact - that kind of sums up India in my opinion...potentially great, potentially a world leader, potentially so fantastic and potentially dominant. Yet, supported by, administered by and dominated by a complete lack and that 'je ne sais quoi'...I'm not sure what you call it, intelligence? Seems a bit harsh, common sense? Maybe...India is just missing something.

Anyway, you, of all people will be pleased to know I'm flying to India this afternoon for a few days with work.

I shall report back. I'm quite excited actually.

Originally Posted by Bipat (Post 11966972)

Actually yes, it was a peculiar link (I was multi-tasking at the time).
We were discussing civilisation --and India was civilised when British were still in caves!!

(After 69 years of freedom from oppression (passivity, not lack of intelligence) now the fastest growing economy in the world.

Which of the 29 States are you going to? a little like saying you are going to Europe!

Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 11966919)

...

Anyway, you, of all people will be pleased to know I'm flying to India this afternoon for a few days with work.

I shall report back. I'm quite excited actually.

Originally Posted by Bipat (Post 11966965)

Why funny? Trying to be ? approaching a quarter of NHS doctors are Indian origin.
So quite useful when you need brain surgery!!

(Along with Chinese origin children, Indian origin children are at the top of GCSE results)

Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 11966983)

I'm sure there are better examples of India's contribution than that link, so don't worry. But the commas in numbers annoys me. Fortunately I know what a lakh is.

I'm going to Gurgaon, just SW of Delhi. I'm only there for a few days so hardly an in depth Indian experience but **** it, never been before so quite excited.

Was India civilised when the Brits were in caves? You do come out with some interesting stuff but your pro-India bias does wear really thin sometimes.

Also, if India was such a booming economy and a real modern, burgeoning power, the currency wouldn't be in such dire straits. A 35% reduction in value of the currency doesn't strike me as boom time.

Originally Posted by iggle (Post 11966995)

I am not trying to be funny (it's an English saying which means "what I am about to say is really strange"), i am saying that British Indians are completely different to Indians. The work ethos is there, what i can see this is from a massive push and drive from the parents.

What i noticed with British Indians is that the parents emphasised education (maybe to the point to the child's determent, as the child would rebel at Uni).

Originally Posted by Bipat (Post 11966999)

...

Civilisation ---look up --Indus Valley Civilisation. (In what is now Pakistan--so relevant to this thread as new Mayor originates from there.)

Originally Posted by Bipat (Post 11967009)

You haven't spent much time in India then!!! Education is the actual 'God'. (Sorry Redshark!). When young, our children at school in UK constantly complained at the educational superiority of their cousins in India.

Originally Posted by Bipat (Post 11966999)

Hope you enjoy it, be careful if you go to tourist areas of New Delhi, street crime awful. (I dislike Delhi --(generalising!).

Fastest growing economy --a fact.

Civilisation ---look up --Indus Valley Civilisation. (In what is now Pakistan--so relevant to this thread as new Mayor originates from there.)

Originally Posted by Bahtatboy (Post 11967010)

So what? That happened 3-5,000 years ago, and there appears to be nothing in modern-day Indian society which reflects that one part of Pakistan was once advanced. Egypt was once great, and look at the shit that's its been in recent times. The point being made about the west is that its current state is founded upon effort, imagination, industry, enterprise, philanthropy and a wide vision (yeah, and some not-so-good stuff) which still influence and drive the institutions that exist today. England has Stonehenge -- that was probably advanced at the time, but so what?

Originally Posted by Bipat (Post 11967009)

You haven't spent much time in India then!!! Education is the actual 'God'. (Sorry Redshark!). When young, our children at school in UK constantly complained at the educational superiority of their cousins in India.

Originally Posted by iggle (Post 11967011)

So why are the Indians in UAE thick as ... :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Edit

And for the record my Russian / Lithuanian partner says the same about English education. Yet she believes that people are born Ginger because the parents are related in some way. I wish i wasn't joking.

Originally Posted by Bipat (Post 11967025)

You are forgetting that European wealth, industry etc. was partly founded on the exploitation of other countries, because of their superiority with guns.

You assume incorrectly. Guns are only part of the equation: there is a huge number of countries round the world armed to the teeth, but which couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.

Yes there is much that is good about British civilisation that is admired by Indian people, it is reciprocated by those who know India well.

Strange that we never hear from them.