NotProudToBeIndian: Why this craving for money for an Indian? We could not help our soil and climate. could we? Because things could be grown easily and plentifully in India and because the weather did not impose continuous hardships, the mass of the people exerted themselves but little. However, there wiser folk, and these, by dint of toil, succeeded in accumulating wealth. Naturally, in times of famine and bad days they came to be looked upon as fortunate beings. Gradually, those who had savings, earned or inherited, came to dominate the imagination of the multitudes as people inherently great by virtue of the cash they possessed. Ultimately, the man who had money began to symbolize everything desirable. Indeed, he wa a favourite of the gods.
That this was known to our ancestors is beyond doubt. A poet of the sixth century, Bhavabhuti, had put the matter in a nutshell: "all qualities cling gold". A man with money is handsome, wise, young an what not. Many an Indian father or mother, even today, marries off a pretty daughter to an ugly toothless man because he is rich. Wealth in India covers a multitude of sins. (will continue in next). Regards. Sunder T.
