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Saturday, September 1, 2007

To be Successful in India you must know Janus

To the outside world we pretend to be the world's largest democracy but truth be told we still retain the old paternalistic socialist philosophy of Nehru. The first rule of thumb in India is live life conservatively in public, then express oneself as sinfully as you can in private so long as no one finds out.

When I visit the US, I meet CEO's dressed in shorts and polo shorts or t-shirts and jeans and for the females something straight out of Baywatch. Yet in India, that taboo could get you scorned by the media and public. Casual wear is worn at home and not outside. Why? Because Indian's mistake a decent wardrobe for success and polish for smarts.

The second rule of thumb is don't be too visible. Mostly due to the tax pricks and grist seekers, but also because some jealous types take it upon themselves to become your personal battering ram. There are literally millions of people out there with nothing to do but to seek ways of destroying your good name. Am I right? Let's say I am right then.

Some feel there is a conspiracy of privilege in India (and they'd be right too just look at our social privilege system for the wealthy). In fact, if you're part of the lucky sperm club and end up pushed into the world of the higher castes, you can expect far greater opportunity then the so called untouchable castes . It's a shame too because the so-called untouchable castes make up 70% of India's population. That means just 30% enjoy a head start in life while the rest have to work overtime just put food on the table.

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