Some right and a lot wrong. I feel that such articles are meant for consumption in the west and written with that audience in mind. But, what do I know, I am a “Practical” Indian.

Uncompromising Practicality Could Be India's Downfall

The difference between a road and a lane in India is that the lane is hypothetical, like the equator. So Indians change lanes at will, usually without using a turn signal. Running a traffic light is not a serious event either. In the middle of all this, pedestrians run across the road with glee.

India is a commotion. In Mumbai, people dangle from the doors of the local trains for a more ventilated ride, they travel on the roof, they risk death by crossing the tracks just to save themselves the trouble of taking the footbridges. Life goes on this way.

At the heart of this condition is an important Indian character — the uncompromising practicality of the individual, an untamed form of great personal freedom and informality. Every person, irrespective of his level of education or social background, will do what is most convenient to him in the short term. All rules and systems are subordinate to the sheer force of practicality.