hi everyone this is first post here , I read some very valid arguments and some foolish comments in this thread. I would like to make some points about this whole aid debate. I don't agree with most points mentioned here.
To UK Nationals
1: It was very wrong to expect economic benefit in return for aid. The whole aid debate started when the fighter deal went to France. I am believe that when you give some one aid you should look at the people who are benefiting from you help and not at benefits you will get in return. I am sure this issue will never be in public domain if the deal was in your favor.
2: secondly in many debates I watched in TV, I have seen most of the people from your country afraid that their money is wasted due to corruption in India. I am sure that your govt is doing everything to ensure that funds are reaching the intended people and not hand of corrupt Indian officials.
3: another point which I like to make is that no govt can concentrate on poverty alone. Govts to perform multiple function. you cannot say lets remove poverty completely from India then try to educate every Indians, then try to remove corruptions, Then try to build Roads, then try to generate power, then try to go to mars. I would like to say to our UK friends that our government has given more importance to poverty then mars program. All the people from south Indian states ( I don't know about north India) gets food grains for 1rs ( 1kg = 1Rs ( 1 rs = 53$)).. poverty is our major concern and we have given more importance to it then space race.
4: we also give aid to many poor nations, in fact we give more then we receive . Aids should be given on humanitarian grounds. and you cannot say that lets remove all the poverty from our country and then help other nations. it does not work like that. we will not be able to remove the poverty from the amount we give to other countries as aid. Removing poverty is a long process, just by flooding money into hands of people will not remove poverty. in fact this will increase inflation as a result more poverty. removing poverty is a long process and we are trying our best.
5: space program.. I heard many UK nationals saying if India can afford space program they can look after their people. this wrong was to see our space program. why do countries ( including UK) invest in space program? it is because they see economic future in those expenditure. nobody want to spend huge amount just a land few people in moon anymore. we do benefit economically from space program when we launch other nations satellite using our rockets. this is an investment for future of Indian people.
6: do not forget the 10 billion dollar we gave to EU bail out fund. why did we do that, we could have used this fund to provide work to our citizen. we did this because world is getting smaller and we need each other to survive. an economic slow down in EU will effect us , the same way if our stock market crash it will effect you country too, we have to remove poverty and unemployment from the whole world not just from our nations.
7: giving aid is such a noble this, we thank you for that... please do not start such arguments and devalue the great noble work your country is doing ..
To Indians
1: Grow up. I am an Indian too, just because we are growing at a fast rate does not mean we dont need others.
2: It is very wrong to call any aid we receive peanuts. how dare we..... we should accept aid with both hands... may be people like you and me who can afford laptops and internet do not need aid. but there are people in India who has not had dinner today because they cannot afford it
3: forget the past, do not think that in future India will be great and we will not need anyone else. I know Britishers has taken so much to us, they have looted us, taken our wealth.. but we need to know they have also give us something. they introduced us to democracy, they gave us railway, they gave us our first army, they introduced our product to western world.
I agree they might have taken more then what they gave us. but it does not mean we have to go for revenge. our future lies together. Let us learn to forgive and forget our past and work for better future.
Guys grow up.. giving aid to poor is noble act.................. do not forget that