Indians’ work ethic inherited
THE article “Rich Indians are not privileged” (Sunday Tribune Herald, August 14) refers.
Everything we have achieved in life as Indian South Africans is through hard work and perseverance.
We place great emphasis on religion, education, tradition and the family fulcrum.
This dedication is revealed in a binary article in the same edition where the Rajbally couple, propelled by private cavalry and a huge appetite for self-indulgence, splashed R500 000 on their daughter’s 16th birthday bash.
We do things big and are not afraid to flaunt our wealth. We have never ceased to throw ourselves outside our narrow boundaries, to taste the hidden dimension.
We are avant-garde in all aspects of life. Pravin Gordhan, a fiscal legerdemain, holds the lifeblood portfolio of Finance Minister. Such is his acumen that he was recalled to the job.
Even our president relies on Indians to fund his lifestyle. We resort to ruthless riposte when knocked down. We do not dwell on self-pity.
For every success story, there are hundreds who have failed and thousands waiting to compete. Our winning formula is a mix of much more: the ability to anticipate opportunity, resilience, flexibility, a canniness to judge human needs and a talent to make circumstances for the need.
Our resilience is the one quality that stands out. We have a desire to excel in all our endeavours. No one can handle adversity like we do.
Perhaps it is an attribute passed on to us from our forefathers who came from India, for this fighting spirit is still evident in India.
Many families living in the Mumbai slums live in one room. They have a threshold for tolerating inconvenience – life must go on. This is the epitome of love, laughter, hope, fixed deposits and stunning space management.
I have personally seen, on my visits to India, how they live. It is not unusual to find a washing machine, fridge, TV, music system and several statues of deities crammed into the dwelling.
Those with a fan think of buying an air-conditioner and those with a bicycle dream of a scooter. And those who have not done so well live to make their children do better. The same blood runs in our veins.
What we have today did not just fall from the sky. We were also prejudiced, exploited, disadvantaged and oppressed.
We tend to pursue profit tenaciously, perhaps an inherited gene. We are shrewd traders and merchants with our feet firmly on the ground and our eyes fixed on the balance sheet. KEVIN GOVENDER
Shallcross