³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

This from Shem in Kenya is the first text message in to the programme:
I am bored by the India subject. it does not make sense to me.

Shem, hopefullly the next hour will change your mind...

Andy in San Diego emailed:
I traveled to India in 2004 with a group of American law students. We learned that the legal system is a mess. I saw nothing but poverty. Garbage littered the streets and flowed through the rivers. The air was black with smoke from dung fires. The country may have many graduates, but they all leave India. They have little sense of national pride and responsibility. Every Indian student we met was looking for a way out. India will continue to get worse until Indian graduates deicide that they have a duty to stay in India and make it a better place. Currently, environmental protection is not even part of the national consciouness.

Kunal in India
The main problem of India is population explosion. If we make a step forward in the path of progress but rising population makes it go two steps backward.

Anon from Yemen
In the name of holiness how long do we have to undergo this hammering of Indian English?

Lubna in Iraq.
Human Anatomy by B.D.Chaurasia, an Indian professor was my guide to anatomy during my first two years in college of medicine. My Indian friends, I strongly would like to talk you but I don't know what's wrong with my cell phone, wish me luck in my mid year exams.

Mathew, USA
To wait until 2050 to enjoy the economic boom is too long. India and U.S. should be very close friends.

Lap, London
India should develop a space programme and aim to leave this polluted world.

Shahid khan from Pakistan
India has to be best friend with its neighbour like China and Pakistan first by being nonviolent and peaceful.

Kumar Shaurya Shankar
India HAS to be friends with the US??? I dont agree!!! I guess it should be the other way...

Steve in Utah
How do the audience members in Delhi feel about how the United States has given their country help and favored status in relation to nuclear technology? Do you think that India needs this technology? A shout out to Anu. It is great to have her back on the program.

Najeeb in Pakistan
Indians are worthy to be respected, but the questions arise here about their tolerance and nonaggressive posture, what is going on in India-held Kashmir, where the Indian army has killed more than 70,000 people, and have snatched there liberty solely by force.

Andy
What does India plan on contributing to the world other than cheap labour? It appears to me that India services other counries' ideas, but contributes little of its own. I keep hearing "Superpower", but based on what?

Ken in Cleveland
As a progressive, I hope the US and India could forge a stronger bond for the future. I greatly admire your culture and think you could teach the west quite a lot.

Richard
For India to achieve superpower status they first need to acknowledge how much they have used without regard to international patent laws. This allows exploitation of the Indian people by cheapening their work. What will happen when China takes over their role. There needs to be recognition of ownership and accountability for making the future. Just as I am ashamed of president Bush keeping the United States out of the Kyoto accord, I am afraid that the US China and India will cause devastating damage to our planet.

Anon from Gambia
If india wil be bully like the United States then let may God almighty protect us.

Dorbor Akoi in Liberia
India can take a lead in the world by enlarging its diplomatic sphere. Make friends and extend your technology to developing nations. What is India doing about that today?

Adnan from Pakistan
I have a question - How is possible for you indians to move forward without adressing the regional political disputes which is a permanent threat to regional as well as to the world peace.

Gabriel - Kaduna, Nigeria
Talkng about India playng on the world stage in keepng peace, I apreaciate India giving Africa the first all women peace keepng force.

Ivy, Kenya
I am interested to know how many in your enthusiastic and proudly Indian audience are Moslems. Are they as much part of the progress as other communities in India?

Lap, London
India should develop a space programme and aim to leave this multi-polluted world.

Irfan
I am an Indian residing in the US for the past ten years. In my previous two visits to India, I have been asked to pay off the officials at the immigration and customs just to enter the country. I think the corruption level is still too high in our country and needs to be addressed. This I think is mainly due to the disparity in the wages of the employees of the public and private sector and the bridge between the poor and the rich needs to be narrowed.

Jacques from Boston
Where would be India 50 years from today? Nowhere if they do not abolish the so called "cast system"

Suman from Utah US
Hey guys and gals in Delhi University, it's nice to see you all at this time of the night. I left India 23 years ago. I am thrilled to see India is flourshing. India will become superpower, but it is very slow. Unfortunately, difference between rich and poor widens, that's the sad part. But, the major obstacle is the politics. We want more youngsters in politics. The fire we are hearing in the Delhi University, we want some of you in politics to help bridge the gaps between rich and poor.

Akin,Nigeria.
Attain social justice in India before yapping on about super-power status.I suspect at bottom there is an inferiority complex.

Micahel in Malawi
India has faced bad times as to the asassination of its former leaders. It's time to watch before it can called the great.

Jane in Portland, Oregon writes:
How can India be an example of tolerance when they have the "caste" system and "untouchables"?

Fatima in Kuwait
I am proud to say I am an Indian. But I want to ask where have the principles of Gandhi gone? Today in india only corruption works. So how do we stop it?

Pius in Cameroon
I like the way Indians speak the English language. Your women are beautiful. All this makes india a force to reckon with.

Anon from Pakistan
How can the Indians say that they are nonviolent? Don't they remember the attacks on Pakistan?

Chijioke in Nigeria
What role does black magic play in Indian society. People tend to see india as the world capital in juju (black magic).

Anon
We need to rectify ourselves before asking other countries to learn from us.

Leland from Bloomington, Indiana
I believe that India will become a Superpower within the next 20 years. I am very happy for it as a country, but I doubt that the country will evolve into a progressive compassionate country, since I do not believe being a Superpower promotes this. If India becomes a Superpower with a "Golden Heart," a "Responsible Power," I will be extremely surprised. Indians are human, and humans are prone to become, or destined to become, corrupt, prejudice, selfish and power hungry.

Haresh from Clearwater, Florida
In India strikes/bandh are all too common and can shut an entire city down for days, how can we lead the world when basic infrastructure can be so disrupted?

Anon
India can not be a supper power bcoz its copying democracy from the west. india is not originol, but china is. - anon

Phillip in Nigeria
With the endemic poverty that pervades India & it's terrible caste system, it's not only laughable but impossible for India to become a so called super power in the forseeable future.

Laura writes:
I am married to an Indian man and we travel there frequently with our family. India is a beautiful country and culture but it's number of people in desperate poverty is a tragedy. Indians speak of non-violence, but to me the "middle class" blinders that people wear everyday, ignoring those in need is a form of violence. Street urchins are treated as things, not people and no one seems to address this problem of poverty. Nearly 250 million people live with less than $1 a day in India. Children are not required to have educations. Corrupt politicians must be erradicated and motivated youths must take part to make a change.

Franz from Los Angeles
One question: Let us talk about India as a super power in sports: Unlike China, India's presence is international sports is very very small. Will soccer become more popular in India, besides in Goa? Question for the audience: When will India make it to the World Cup or even the U-20 World Cup.

Alex from Portland, Oregon
I was in India 4 weeks ago. I talked with several young student during my visits in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi. My question was .. can you as "young power" not make difference at local levels ? You have horrible city roads, garbage being thrown everywhere and total lack of discipline." Have you ever thought .. how can you make that happen?

Javed in Kashmir, India
My question to the students is: Dont you thnk that the IT boom in our country is affecting the research aptitude by alluring you to comparativley lucrative jobs?

Shraddha
Spirituality and economic progress has to go hand in hand. It need not be one at the cost of the other. It is here that India can lead the world with rich spiritual wealth and now the emerging economy

Joe from New York
The current economic and diplomatic relations between the Indian and American governments are strong and friendly, however the students seem to believe that the US is India's adversary. Why is this? Does the Indian government not properly represent your interests in international relations or do you not understand the difficulties of representing a India's interests on the world stage?

Wilson in Kenya
Asian employers are mean and oppresive and do not intergrate with general society. Why shouldn't we be scared of India rising.

Chinthuli in Malwai
I am an African Malawian, any chance for an Indian wife in there or beyond?

Teerna from Cambridge, UK
Just a message to the students at Delhi University - all of us know much 'good' indian governments and the bureaucracy

Timmothy, Jamaica
We are all humans. what is it about india that is essentially different from America? Are the people american not as smart as the indians?

Kayode in Nigeria
The caste system in India will always be a hindrance to India's greatness. You the future leaders must do something about that'.

Ssonko in Uganda
Hearing those young peoples debates, I do realise a superpower in India is long overdue.

Kayode in Nigeria
I still think India has a long way to go it needs to keep up her hard work

Saddam in Freetown
In as much as superpower status is changeable, it is not just about military or economic might but also the language barrier. Until India adopts English as an official language which is the world's most popular dialect, they will never achieve their goal.

Paula from Berlin, Germany
I am a Canadian citizen who lived in Canada and the U.S. I have been following this week's program India Rising with much interest. I would like to see the caste system in India abolished. It hinders modern progress and equality for India. I am appalled that such a system would still exist today. I come from younger countries- Canada and the U.S. While they may be known for their capitalism and materialism, at least they treat people with equality and have laws to enforce this.

Godwyn in Nigeria
When i was growing up in the 80's,we've a lot of indian teachers in our schools.we know them to be hardworking and highly inteligent people.

Mohan in India
Hi Delhi from a small town in west of Kenya. Recently we have noticed Chinese neo-colonialism in Africa. What do young Indians think of this. We are third generation Indian immigrants in Kenya. We have yet to see Indian government ensuring the welfare of its people.

Anon from Ghana
Fantastic prospects from students of Delhi University, where will be the position of Africa in the golden heart of India when she become a Responsible power?

Chris
Non-violence is only in theory. There's plenty of domestic and separatist violence in India. Casteists, separatists, armed forces kill the innocent.

Ella in Nairobi, Kenya
If India were to become a super power there'd be a nuclear war that would wipe all of us off the face of the earth.

Philip in Nigeria
With the endemic poverty that pervades India and its terrible caste system, it's not only laughable but impossible for india two become a so called superpower in the forseeable future.