The two most populous countries of the world have 2 different rather extreme forms of governance. While India is the largest democratic nation, China is the largest communist ruled country. Thomas Friedman in yesterday's op-ed column of NY Times titled Bangalore: Hot and Hotter gives an interesting comparison and a totally different perspective of the two countries as an outsider sees it :
Every time I visit India, Indians always ask me to compare India with China. Lately, I have responded like this: If India and China were both highways, the Chinese highway would be a six-lane, perfectly paved road, but with a huge speed bump off in the distance labeled "Political reform: how in the world do we get from Communism to a more open society?" When 1.3 billion people going 80 miles an hour hit a speed bump, one of two things happens: Either the car flies into the air and slams down, and all the parts hold together and it keeps on moving - or the car flies into the air, slams down and all the wheels fall off. Which it will be with China, I don't know. India, by contrast, is like a highway full of potholes, with no sidewalks and half the streetlamps broken. But off in the distance, the road seems to smooth out, and if it does, this country will be a dynamo. The question is: Is that smoother road in the distance a mirage or the real thing?
At first blush, coming back to Bangalore, India's Silicon Valley, that smoother road seems like a mirage. The infrastructure here is still a total mess.
Tom is absolutely right. If you haven't visited Bangalore recently (for that matter even in the last 6 months), you will find a stark difference. And not good difference. Infrastructure is a total mess. The government elected last year has done nothing but sat on its b* for the past 1 year and eaten the public's money. Every morning you read in the newspapers of the Chief Minister hailing the efforts of his ministry to make Bangalore what it is today. Yea sure. I doubt whether these officials even live in Bangalore. For once step out of your cosy palace to see what a mess it is. Believe it or not, the city comes to a grining halt when it rains. We had such a tough time finding a cab to goto the bus stand a couple of weeks back. It can take you hours to get to your destination in Bangalore's traffic. This is one of the best examples of Direct Democracy. We elected this government. So who is to blame now? If things don't work in China they can blame the kind of rule they are forced to live in. Even if this government is ousted, there is no guarantee the next one would be good either.
Democracy with corruption is a deadly combination. By the time China builds 20 airports, Bangalore would barely have the new one. I want to visit Shanghai!