Quit India
Bugbear of the brain drain has resurfaced, but its causes need questioning
A social media post has again raised the bogey of the brain drain, the outflow of the highly educated from our state-subsidised IITs and IIMs to foreign shores, there to enrich other countries at the expense of the Indian taxpayer.
The post highlights what amounts to asset-stripping of the Indian economy to benefit the adoptive countries of the highly qualified migrants.
The reason the writer adduces for this post-Independence 'Quit India' movement is monetary gain: The paycheque of an entry-level technocrat in say, US, is some 15 times that of a counterpart in India.
The post decries this outward tide as putting pecuniary gain over patriotism, placing personal advancement over the national interest.
The writer likens this transfer of value to a form of neo-colonialism in which the colonising powers, the so-called First World, plunder developing countries like India not of material resources, as former colonists did, but of the incalculably more valuable fund of intellectual capital.
However, while former colonists took their loot by force of arms, today's expropriators do so with the more than willing consent of migrants. Is the keen edge of greed the only, or even the major, motivation that induces the migrant to cut loose the main-stay anchor of home and chance the terra incognita of foreign shores?
Could there be, apart from the pull factor of financial benefit, also a push impetus that impels those who quit India?
The greater part of the Great Indian Diaspora is composed of low-skilled labour drawn by the prospect of monetary gain. But the highly-educated, who turn their backs on their home country, might have other reasons for doing so.
Could these include a desperation to forsake a climate in which, increasingly, the innovative and the unconventional are stifled by sectarian ideology, and a once shared inclusive identity is fragmented with exclusionary fissures of creed, caste and language?
Love for one's country is laudable, as is the reciprocal love the country must bear for all those who call it home, and not just for those who constitute a brute majority.
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author's own.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
18 minutes ago
- The Hindu
India, China review border situation, prepare for Special Representatives dialogue
India and China on Wednesday (July 23, 2025) reviewed the overall situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and prepared the ground for the next edition of the Special Representatives' dialogue on the boundary question. The two sides discussed the issues at a meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) that took place in Delhi. They expressed "satisfaction with the "general prevalence of peace and tranquillity in the border areas, leading to gradual normalisation of bilateral relations", the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It said India and China also prepared for the next round of the Special Representatives' (SR) talks to be held in India later this year. While India's Special Representative for the dialogue is National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, the Chinese side is headed by Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Wang is expected to visit India for the upcoming SR talks. The last episode of the SR dialogue was held in Beijing in December last year. On the WMCC talks, the MEA said the two sides reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas. They "agreed to maintain regular exchanges and contacts on issues related to the boundary affairs at the diplomatic and military levels through established mechanisms", it said in a statement. "With a view to advancing effective border management and sustaining peace and tranquillity, the two sides deliberated on various measures as explored during the previous 23rd round of SR talks," the MEA said. The Indian delegation at the WMCC talks was led by Gourangalal Das, the joint secretary (East Asia division) in the MEA. The Chinese side was headed by Hong Liang, the director general of the boundary and oceanic affairs department of the Chinese foreign ministry. Mr. Hong also called on Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Normalising relatoins Over the last nine months, India and China have been engaged in normalising their relations after ending the military face-off along the LAC in October last year. Though the two sides have disengaged troops from the friction points, they are yet to de-escalate the situation by pulling back the frontline forces from the border. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the eastern Ladakh region. The WMCC talks took place days after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited China to attend a conclave of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The military standoff in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020 and a deadly clash in the Galwan valley in June that year resulted in a severe strain in ties between the two neighbours. The face-off effectively ended following the completion of the disengagement process from the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement finalised on October 21 last year. The decision to revive various dialogue mechanisms was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Russian city of Kazan in October last year. The Modi-Xi meeting came two days after India and China firmed up the disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok.
Indian Express
18 minutes ago
- Indian Express
PM Modi arrives in London ahead of key India-UK free trade agreement signing
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the London early Thursday, ahead of the formal signing of a long-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom, marking what both countries have described as a turning point in bilateral relations. 'This visit will go a long way in advancing the economic partnership between our nations,' PM Modi said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. 'The focus will be on furthering prosperity, growth and boosting job creation for our people. A strong India-UK friendship is essential for global progress.' PM Modi was greeted by members of the Indian diaspora upon his arrival. Sharing photographs of the welcome on social media, he wrote: 'Touched by the warm welcome from the Indian community in the UK Their affection and passion towards India's progress is truly heartening.' The signing of the trade deal with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to be the centerpiece of PM Modi's visit. Though the agreement was announced on May 6, the final text was pending legal scrubbing. It comes after three years of political upheaval in Britain and follows a sweeping Labour Party victory in the recent general elections. Starmer described the FTA as a 'landmark' achievement and a 'major win for Britain.' He said the agreement would 'create thousands of British jobs across the UK, unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in every corner of the country, delivering on our Plan for Change.' 'We're putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits and helping families with the cost of living,' Starmer added. 'We're determined to go further and faster to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK.' The pact is India's first major trade agreement with a Western nation since it withdrew from talks on the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2019. The deal ensures broad market access for goods and services, and addresses key issues such as innovation, government procurement and intellectual property rights. It also includes a Double Contribution Convention Agreement — a social security pact between the two countries. For India, the agreement is expected to boost exports of textiles and leather products, while easing British access to the Indian market for high-end automobiles and whisky. According to India's Commerce and Industry Ministry, the FTA offers tariff elimination on approximately 99 per cent of tariff lines, covering nearly 100 per cent of trade value. According to the UK's Department for Business and Trade, India's average tariff on British goods will fall from 15 per cent to 3 per cent once the FTA is in effect. British companies will benefit from greater access to the Indian market for goods ranging from soft drinks and cosmetics to cars and medical devices. Whisky producers will see tariffs halved immediately, dropping from 150 per cent to 75 per cent, and then gradually reduced to 40 per cent over a decade. British officials also announced that nearly 6 billion pounds in new investment and export agreements had been secured. Twenty-six British companies, including Airbus and Rolls-Royce, are poised to expand in India. Airbus aircraft deliveries to India — more than half powered by Rolls-Royce engines — are set to begin soon.
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
PM Modi receives rousing welcome from Indian diaspora in London
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome from the Indian diaspora upon his arrival in London, with crowds gathering to express their support and admiration.
