(Part 4) Top products from r/IndiaSpeaks

I didn't "shift" to anything. My commentary didn't take sides. I'm not "celebrating" anything either. I was agreeing with those claiming that India is dying. Read carefully.

I'm a patient man, but i'm not an educator. What i can do, is give you a few resources. If you want to learn about western foreign policy, feel free to read through the following books.

1. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0099448394/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
   
   
2. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Untold-History-United-States/dp/0091949319/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Untold+History+of+the+United+States&qid=1558296787&s=books&sr=1-1
   
   
3. https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Rulers-World-John-Pilger/dp/1784782114/ref=sr_1_1?crid=210IY0X9YH7V5&keywords=the+new+rulers+of+the+world&qid=1558296932&s=books&sprefix=the+new+rulers+of+%2Cstripbooks%2C376&sr=1-1
   
   
4. https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Thieves-Secrets-Shaping-Modern/dp/1846275857/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=The+History+Thieves%3A+Secrets%2C+Lies+and+the+Shaping+of+a+Modern+Nation&qid=1558297078&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmrnull
   
   They present a different perspective on western governments. I don't completely agree with their moral orientation, but they gave me a more balanced view of the world.
   
   Lastly, let me give you some advice. I'm only saying this because I like you. I like seeing young people getting involved in politics and holding strong opinions. I prefer a population of opinionated youth than politically apathetic youth. You're setting a good example. I actually like the Aam Aadmi Party.
   
   On the other hand, if you want to move further in the world of political debate - and i'm sure you will - you have to learn a few basic rules along the way. When you're talking to adults - in real life - you can't block them, you can't ban them, and you definitely can't label them as '< >' and then act like you won the argument. You have to convince them why you're right. And in order to convince others, you have to understand their point of view, instead of instinctively dismissing it.
   
   The strength of one's ideas isn't known until they're confronted with disagreement. You have to learn how to see the other side. You also have to learn how to disagree. If you don't learn this, you'll fail. All the seniors at NDTV, Ravish Kumar, Prannoy Roy, etc. are good at their jobs because they know what's being said on the other side of the fence. I'm sure they'll give you the same advice. I'm sure you don't wanna read scripts off a prompter for your entire career.
   
   BTW, i'm open to any debate. If you'd like to debate the question of whether democracy and secularism is most conducive to Indian prosperity, feel free to get me on skype, we can work something out. My only rule is that we speak English. Let me know if you're interested.

You underestimate what a bunch of motivated nerds with support from their friends and family can do. Science never has low hanging fruits, what's obvious to us now was the toughest thing for a person to imagine centuries ago. Further reading: Where Good Ideas Come From

SpaceX's first CTO used to design rocket engines as a teen. ISRO was started when India was way poorer than it is now. NASA had a motivated bunch of amateur hobbyists as the founding fathers of modern rocketry. As I said, general populace's interest leads to success and funding for innovation won't come until you capture the imagination of the people.

I'm sorry but China just copies, Japan has been forward looking for centuries and USA was founded by people who believed in doing things themselves and it still has that advantage today. Go back to history, they still had this deeply embedded in their respective societies before they were such behemoths.

As for R&D becomes valuable once a country has reached its peak, that's my point. The peak is only reachable once a lot of unsung heroes are given the freedom and helping hand by the society to work on making the country successful.

Anyone who wants to learn more, please read Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh.

The introduction to the book reads-

I have a truly marvellous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain.’

It was with these words, written in the 1630s, that Pierre de Fermat intrigued and infuriated the mathematics community. For over 350 years, proving Fermat’s Last Theorem was the most notorious unsolved mathematical problem, a puzzle whose basics most children could grasp but whose solution eluded the greatest minds in the world. In 1993, after years of secret toil, Englishman Andrew Wiles announced to an astounded audience that he had cracked Fermat’s Last Theorem. He had no idea of the nightmare that lay ahead.In ‘Fermat’s Last Theorem’ Simon Singh has crafted a remarkable tale of intellectual endeavour spanning three centuries, and a moving testament to the obsession, sacrifice and extraordinary determination of Andrew Wiles: one man against all the odds.

This or any other book by Ruskin Bond will be great for children.

Sudha Murthy writes for children as well.

The Little Prince is also good for children.

The Shadow of the Great Game: The Untold Story of Indias Partition
by Narendra Singh Sarila

Also makes a case for this and provides evidence in greater detail.

Sharing the link once again, read it. Quite insightful.

http://www.amazon.in/Why-Nations-Fail-Origins-Prosperity/dp/1846684307

Just to make clear that this is not a "theory" I made up based on my analysis or perspective of things.

Get the Mahabharata by C. Rajagopalachari.

Best option for people wanting to read Mahabharata in simple English.

Same for Ramayana.

Check this out: Mystic's Musings Wisdom Tree Press https://smile.amazon.com/dp/8186685596/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_vap6ybYGF8Q52

> Urban Naxals

If anyone is interested https://www.amazon.in/Urban-Naxals-Making-Buddha-Traffic/dp/1942426054/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=urban+naxals&qid=1565073927&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Please buy this

https://www.amazon.in/Principal-Upanishads-Shree-Purohit-Swami/dp/8129100746/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527785472&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX118_SY170_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=the+principal+upanishads

https://www.amazon.in/Rapidex-English-Speaking-Course-Editorial/dp/8122300200

Here you go

https://www.amazon.com/Being-Different-Challenge-Western-Universalism/dp/9351160505#mediaMatrix_secondary_view_div_1491961778242

I suggest the readers get a firm and clearer idea of Hinduism is different by reading Rajiv Malhotra's 'Being Different'.

> Russia helped out india against America in 71

I have come to different conclusion based on reading different things over the years. I am going to present my thoughts and any contradictions are welcome.

I believe India was just an honourable slave of Russia.

During the cold war Russia was exporting revolution to lot of countries, and it succeeded a bit in South America and some parts of Southern Africa. It was close to succeeding in India.
I got this from a tamil blogpost[2] reviewing this book [1], the author of the book was the custodian of Jayaprakash Narayan when he was in jail during the Emergency for 2 years. and he writes about his interactions with Jayaprakash Narayan in this book. Initially when Jayaprakash Narayan was put in Jail, he had no idea why it happened, he was thinking that it would be just a short term arrest, then later seeing big leaders like Morarji Desai being arrested, and also seeing that the KGB funded Indian Communist Party being in full support of the Emergency, he comes to the conclusion that Russia was trying to install a puppet government with Indira at its head.

[1] http://www.amazon.in/JP-Jail-M-G-Devasahayam/dp/8174364293
[2] http://www.jeyamohan.in/6347

Few months back when the Emergency topic was doing its rounds in the MSM, I read another article in a tamil print magazine (sorry can't link). It was an interview with Advani during the Emergency period, in which the interviewer asks Advani, "why did National Herald (Indira congress's official mouth piece), a month back had articles saying Democracy is not good for India, and the next month their articles were praising Democracy, what made them change their tone within a month". Advani's answer was that Sheik Mujibur Rahman was killed in that month. Advani didn't say anything else. The writer of that tamil article gave an explanation that CIA had planned a coup in Bangladesh and assassinated Mujibur Rahman. and Indira was afraid that she would be the next. and the writer concluded that if we should praise anyone for ending the Emergency, it should be US. Indira feared for her life and brought an end to Emergency. There was not much internal pressure within India for her to end the Emergency. Even in the above book it says Jayaprakash Narayan was angry at the people for accepting Emergency so easily. Also read recently that the JRD Tata was also not against the Emergency because government offices were working punctually without bribes, and there were no strikes. so it was only US pressure that made her end the Emergency.

This video from a Russian spy working in India during this period, also adds some credibility to what I am saying https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDwibIy-3QM

You might think this all happened in 1975s, but Russia sent a submarine to help India in the war of 1971. Now this may go into Conspiracy theory realm, but I believe this is what could have happened from reading different theories. During the 1965 Pakistan war, India was initially not well prepared, and Lal Bahadur Shastri coming up from humble beginnings, was successful in rising Indian common man and Military (Jai Jawan Jai Kisan was his slogan) against Pakistan, and India was having an upper hand, and it wanted to take back the PoK. At this time he was called to Taskent (Russia) for discussion, and later Russia told that he had signed the agreement to stop at the current LoC, and he died in the night because of heart attack. In India the Congress syndicate headed by Kamaraj [4], selected Indira as the next PM, hoping that she would be under the control of the syndicate. but that went exactly opposite, Kamaraj and other senior Congress leaders, later tried to bring Indira down by splitting congress. Kamaraj even went and made coalition with his rival Rajaji [3], but Indira won the elections, and later she brought Emergency, and Kamaraj died during the Emergency period. So when Russia brought submarines to help India, it was bringing submarines to help its honourable slave nation headed by Indira. If you suspect, why would Russia want to kill Lal Bahadur Shastri, I haven't read any theories giving a reason, most conspiracy theories I read suggest that CIA killed Shastri. My guess is if India had taken PoK back, it would be very close to Tajikistan, part of Soviet Russia, and Russia didn't wish to a have potential rival very close to its border. Russian defence strategy has always been having a large land area as buffer between it and it's potential rivals. It did the same with China too, present day Mongolia was a part of ROC, Russia negotiated with PRC to leave Mongolia as an independent nation. May be PRC leaders were wise enough to know that it had to accept to what Russia demands, which Shastri didn't realize and got killed.

This 3 part series on India-Israel ties also goes into how India under Russia couldn't have it's own foreign policy to it's own detriment.
http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-india-israel-alliance-part-1-the-arab-world/

[3] http://swarajyamag.com/politics/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-swatantra-party

[4] Kamaraj, this is a person I am most sympathetic about, me being from TN could also be a reason. He spent most of his life for the freedom struggle, hiding away from British, rarely being in home. He was one of the major leader of TN Congress, the other being Rajaji of Swantantra party [3]. Kamaraj was truly a selfless person, and well respected leader. Never married, didn't save anything for himself. There are anecdotes about how he used to rebuke his Mother when she used to ask for small favours because of his CM post. Later Nehru made him the leader of All India Congress syndicate because of his plan to resign his CM post which led to many Congress leaders following suit and resigning their posts. and when he was the syndicate leader, he initially chose Shastri, which turned out to be a wise decision, after Shastri's death, he passed over many senior Congress leaders like Morarji Desai and chose Indira as PM. If what I infer above is true, then he must have been in his death bed, thinking about spending his whole life to free India from British, but later handing it over to Russia because of a bad decision :( Sadly he didn't live long enough to see Indira remove Emergency, and lose in the next election to Jayaprakash Narayan.