tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7064675412765881037.post319722178532237548..comments2024-03-28T13:06:02.375+05:30Comments on Earth Letters : Naturally Resourceful Nation SINGAPOREPadmaja Parulkarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02168546694376959611noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7064675412765881037.post-41168958173387809722013-01-30T14:24:40.353+05:302013-01-30T14:24:40.353+05:30Such a small country yet so rich! It is indeed a t...Such a small country yet so rich! It is indeed a truly blessed country with hard -working people Padmaja, reading in-between the lines I do understand your view point and I do agree with it, however the beauty about this place was that every corner of the city, one will have nothing to say but admire how clean and green everything is. It's the kind of environment I’ll love to have, a perfect amalgamation of urbanity and nature if I may saysujatanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7064675412765881037.post-16615483061124983832013-01-30T10:43:57.420+05:302013-01-30T10:43:57.420+05:30Simon, thanks for reading my blogs and taking time...Simon, thanks for reading my blogs and taking time to respond to them. Really appreciate. Your comment/opinion is well-taken and I cannot agree with you more. If you or anyone reads carefully between the lines it is clear that I am no fan of Singapore, and in fact, feel sorry for its lack of natural resources. And yes, Singapore is a little nondescript dot on the geographical map but what is commendable is that despite that it makes its presence felt in the world arena in many respects. In this blog the focus is Singapore; I am not making a case that we need to emulate it in any way or that it is better or not better than someone else or the other. Without trying to be too judgmental, I've tried to table the black-n-whites and the greys. <br /><br />Give me Kenya or India anytime!<br /><br />But thanks again for providing your perspective.<br />Padmaja Parulkarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02168546694376959611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7064675412765881037.post-66402526144543494882013-01-29T23:18:10.456+05:302013-01-29T23:18:10.456+05:30That was indeed profound and made very interesting...That was indeed profound and made very interesting reading both for the eloquence and the thought provoking content. Though not as part of the Foreign Country Tour, I have visited Singapore a few times earlier. There is no doubt that their resourcefulness is something to be really admired and their administration to be held in awe. But I would just like to make an attempt to put a few things in perspective. The country is just 23 kms x 48 kms in length and breadth. That makes it half the size of Delhi. Singapore has a population of 5 million compared to 22 million of the NCR and 18+ million of Mumbai. As for the propensity of the nation to turn wasteland to green belts, Delhi's green cover has increased from under 2% to over 20% in the last 15 years, making it one of the worlds greenest cosmopolitan cities. Wonder how many know and are appreciative of the effort. In essence, there are a hundred plus Singapores in isolated pockets of our great country, existing unnoticed, in fact just lost in the vastness. To me, though the quality of life appeared very good in Singapore, everything seemed very mechanical and regimented. It purely lacked soul. I quite longed to see a Rio (a place we should have been visiting but for the austerity) or closer home a Morjim or a Candolim in that infrastructural maze. So my view, the good things about Singapore we must surely absorb. The flora and fauna artificially created and being maintained is also well taken. But then in the authors own words, nothing can quite replicate the natural habitat for them. So it may still take a morning round of the INS Mandovi periphery route or better still a nature trip to the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats to see the magnificence of these rare species in their natural grandeur. So while we sing paeans about Singapore, lets in the same breath also raise a toast to 'Incredible India' or maybe say 'Mera Bharat Mahaan' in the words of the right wingers. SIMONhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01801809624242650743noreply@blogger.com