An elderly American reading what a young American had written was surprised. He asked where he had learnt to write so well. The answer surprised him even more. "I learnt it in India." One may wonder how someone whose mother tongue is English can learn writing English from another person whose mother tongue is not English. The standard pronunciation dictionary in English was written by a Danish linguist. When Tamil scholars came from Czechoslovakia to deliver lectures in Tamil Nadu on Silapadigaram, the audience was struck by their chaste pronunciation. The Right Honourable Sastri made the Englishman feel shy by his precise pronunciation. JRD Tata in 1975 felt the same type of surprise when a young American proposed to him that his buses could be sold to the USA. After a prolonged discussion, Tata was convinced. Life took a different turn. Tata received continuous export orders from the Gulf countries and there ended our proposal. We know man does not know his weaknesses. I would say, "Man does not know his strength."
My perennial theme is India has a treasure in knowledge, subtlety, insight, intuition, philosophy, and SPIRITUALITY. They are the treasures found nowhere else in the world, but they are not here in a usable form. They are found here as ingots of gold. Unless they are made into jewels, one cannot use them. Indians are unaware of their strength, greatness or value. If the buried Indian talents are brought to the surface, the Indian manufactured goods will have an edge over the products of any other country. American parents who visit India marvel at the affectionate atmosphere in our families. One American husband after a few hours in an Indian house found that the lady of the house never came out to participate in the discussion. On knowing more about the feminine fairness of India, he declared, "This is great. I am unable to conceive of such an atmosphere."
Every good thing has its other side. The voluntary submissive affectionate lady can either be enjoyed as an emotional treasure or taken advantage of for the purposes of masculine domination. Asia is an emotional continent. It is said that some American youth visit Thailand so that they may marry a handsome, affectionate Thai girl to whom divorce or insubordination is inconceivable. The day India realises her inner strength will be a great day for us.