Fr Dionysius Mintoff

Namaste is a beautiful word of greeting. It is spoken sincerely with hands folded together and head bowed. Hospitality, and the smell of fragrant flowers and spicy foods are unforgettable. As much as are indescribable the mystery and beauty of India.

For many years I have wished to visit India because only by visiting the country can the truth be experienced. Thanks to the government of India my dream has been translated into reality.

Every experience in India is new and different. Different races, old aged cultures, fascinating languages. Sacred cows amble sleepily through towns and villages, intermingling with the traffic. Camels carry heavy loads.

Explore the deeply spiritual religions of India: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Sikhism, and Judaism. There is ample opportunity to find the answer here in the many mystical places of worship throughout India.

Tolerance and respect for other religions have always been the hallmarks of Indian culture. Nothing serves as better example than the dignity with which Jews have been treated here over the centuries. Persecuted and hounded all over the world, they were welcomed in India with open arms. In India they could not only protect their cultural identity and religious beliefs but thrive and prosper as well. In turn they have made a significant contribution in enriching Indian heritage. The synagogue of Cochin is an affirmation of this contribution.

After months of reading, planning and increasing curiosity, suddenly find yourself in Delhi. Somewhere special. It is here that the deep love of one man for one woman created the Taj Mahal, where the King of Kings ruled, where the Sacred Ganges flows past holy cities, where 5000 years of culture offer history and civilisation. Where the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid (largest Mosque in India), and the Qutab Minar with its gigantic tower, offer glimpses of mysteries.

Even though India had its share of tragedies from the Bhopal gas disaster and the constant terrorist threat in Punjab, tourists from Europe, United States and Far East still choose India and find it safe.

An Indian city used to be broadly divided into two major sectors – the so-called citadel meant for the elite, and the lower town for the common man. This latter half contained sectors for specialist crafts, for shops and for the suk where one can still savour the bustle of colourful Indian market streets, of the rich taste of tropical fruits, colourful ready made clothes, intricately carved statues, handmade carpets, silverware, paintings on silk, and more.

Roaming in these places one can notice that global markets and supply sources affect even the smallest business sector, and the intellectual content of work is changing dramatically. These changing demands pose a challenge not only to contemporary business managers but also to management education institutes. As one approaches the modern campus of the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, the IIMB, he is attracted by a group of students avidly preparing for their convocation – the environment that they are stepping into is more dynamic than that faced by their predecessors.

Founded in 1973 by the government of India as a centre for excellence, its mission is “education to augment managerial sources and skills needed to plan and sustain economic development in India, particularly in industry and commerce”. The curriculum motivates students to design for themselves an individualised educational programme rather than being straight-jacketed into traditional specialisation.

The curriculum undergoes a complete transformation every three years, and, in addition, is adapted significantly every year to keep it in tune with the current business environment. The programme is housed in a sprawling 100-acre green campus. Its buildings are an architectural marvel with open walkways and landscaped gardens.

Then there is the IIT. Three letters, which in the rest of the world do not even formulate a word, in India convey more than most words can. Indian Institute of Technology – a phrase which again would merely be the name of a university anywhere else, but here possesses the potency of infallible mantra.

And for this title after their degrees, students slave, parents push and pray. Because as every candidate’s parents know, admission into one of the five Indian Institutes of Technology assures the students of more than education – it guarantees them good jobs, comfortable incomes, security for a lifetime.

But the Indian Institutes of Technology were planned for reasons more ambitious than merely to provide their graduates with a safe career, and were established as more than just institutes of science and technology. The IITs were the crest of a dream: Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision of an industrialised and self-reliant India. They were visualised as centres of excellence which would provide India’s technological development with both its manpower and direction. The IITs were an investment in the future of Indian science and research.

“The establishment of great institutes of technical training and knowledge,” Nehru said about IITs, “is perhaps most important, not only for the present, but more so for the future.” Research is conducted with an eye on individual journeys. Its quest for excellence dictates that admission is based on ability. The path to success is more clearly defined. If you top the university in English literature, it may perhaps lead to nothing. But if you do well in an IIT, immediately there are a jobs and careers opening up. If you stick with the system in IIT you get concrete results. In India intelligence is in direct correlation to a degree from an IIT.

Part 2 will be

carried on Monday