“Social Service” is linked with working in some NGO. I look at it as an escape from reality, of trying to work on the symptoms rather than the root causes.

“Social Service” is endeavored to derive some satisfaction for the soul, mind and self, before life passes by without undertaking “good deeds” – to wash away the guilt. Some easiest and fastest ways to attain this satisfaction are getting involved with the “downtrodden”, not-so-privileged - giving alms, going to a school to teach, giving vocational training, paying a child’s fee, etc.

But do these help, or in fact have these helped India get better? Every year an exponential number of people add weight to the ‘bottom of the pyramid’. It is only in a freak dream which would say that this mode of making a difference by doing Social Service is sustainable.

(It’s a different story that money is being spent by big corporates, targetting this bottom – spinning out visions like – Connecting the Next Billion, Connecting the un-connected, Rural India is the next Market, including the un-banked, etc)

5 yrs back at the JNU-IIT Delhi T-point [at the Outer Ring Road] there used to be 2 girls whom I gave clothes, asked them to learn counting to get something. Today those girls are gone - instead there 10 children aged 7 months to 5 yrs  running and begging. Where do I get clothes for all of them!!

Nation Building is a more focused and professional approach to get to the Root Cause (or in India, “Rot” Cause). Take one issue and get after resolving it – plan for 15 yrs, if something happens in five, it’s a bonus.

The issues mentioned in a previous post are challenging - need adequate research, knowledge, planning and importantly patience.

Can the Global Indian Professional dealing with complex issues and projects in the world, traveling across time zones or the Students exposed to the developed world, not fix this?

It’s about time we shed the Jhola-Kurta-Daadi NGO look and don the Shades-Jeans-Gel look and get on with Nation Building!