Welcome to India

After traveling to Argentina and Canada, I landed in India- much excited and much more tired.

In addition to the usual customs inspection, I went through the mandatory H1N1 screening this time around. (I was a potential threat since I traveled to both South and North America before landing in Chennai. In fact, I submitted the details of my travel in the inquiry form. The doctor who was working at the screening center granted me permission to enter the India without conducting any further investigation!!! Just a week later, 2 persons got themselves admitted to a hospital in Coimbatore fearing H1N1 infection. Both of them just returned from the United States. If proper screening was done in the airport, I don't think such incidents would occur again. But the problem is that people complain that they are being harassed at the airport. I don't understand how the same people could agree to the screenings when they travel to US, Europe and more importantly Australia and New Zealand. It is always a vicious cycle. People complaining against the officials and officials in turn complaining again the people!!!)

India did change a lot in the last 5 years. I have heard this statement from everyone visiting India after spending some time abroad. India is a truly developing country indeed and one can witness changes every day.

The first thing that caught my attention was the well- developed highways. 5 years ago, it would take 7-8 hours for me to travel from Chennai to Dharmapuri, my native place. It took less than 5 hours this time around. Exits, emergency vehicles, patrol cars, toll-booths- reminded me of I-70!!!.

A good network of roads is vital for the country's development and with these newly developed roadways, India could aim for a much higher growth (8-9% according to Dr. Manmohan Singh) than the current 7%.

(Picture taken at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru)