Every Indian would be deeply disturbed to know how India’s impoverishment over three decades after independence made it beg for food from the US. The US, which responded to the entreat of India in the early 1950s, shipped a large quantity of contaminated wheat that eventually destroyed millions of hectares of farmland, destroying the livelihood of farmers and forest resources, besides rendering disastrous health and environmental hazards. The US wheat contained the seeds of parthenium weed, a highly toxic and aggressively invasive plant species of American origin. While its toxicity destroyed all other plants as it invaded their space, it unleashed serious respiratory diseases for generations.
No doubt, the wheat fields of America would not have had parthenium growing around. That was no less than a deliberate attempt, though the US administration refuted the allegation many years later. The Indian researchers, who traced its origin, were never wrong. The US media also had seen the Franken-species in the US gift. In some ways, it destroyed some economies in Africa and Asia if they refused to make themselves subservient to the US, which did not want to call its hate a hate, but the cold war impact. The parthenium shipment had nothing to do with the Cold War. It is a good example of how contemptuously the US once treated India while hunting for Indian talent to work in its research and development (R&D) centres. Donald Trump tried to be the ghost reincarnation by putting on the shoes of his predecessors, who thought India could be easily intimidated. Today, the dead past US perception can be more disastrous than the US-originated parthenium weed for the US itself.
India has ample food resources, producing more than twice as much wheat as the United States. The situation has shifted, and the era of following US terms is over. Some estimates indicate that around two-thirds of the top 300 publicly traded multinationals have either Indian origin C-suite executives or board directors.
India is now viewed with pride and optimism by many. There is a significant shift in the attitudes of US multinationals, which once sought to undermine Indian businesses in their quest to dominate the world’s largest market. Indian entrepreneurs and technocrats have a proven track record of outperforming US companies by implementing the best systems and adhering to ethical practices. On the other side, our farmers are committed to nourishing the population. The government is resolute in its mission to ensure that India remains a powerful nation, resilient against any foreign disruptions. The time has changed, and the new India will no longer see the shipment of parthenium.
Blurb
The US humiliation of India seemingly stems from its arrogance and misguided belief in its own dominance. The representation of the Indian diaspora in C-suite positions, particularly among those with a native education background, is on the rise. The US companies need Indians and the Indian market more than India needs them.
