Indians lack soft skills. Whenever some well meaning leaders talk of India’s skills deficit they almost always refer to ‘ hard skills’ –skills of a carpenter , mason, accountant, electrician etc.

I am afraid sufficient attention has not been paid to soft skills where even many educated Indians are deficient. My attention was drawn to this weakness by a series of incidents some of which are hilarious and some painful.

A delegation of MP’s from India recently visited the capital of a western country no doubt on a study tour [at tax payers’ expense] that usually is more about touring, shopping and sightseeing than about studying. At a banquet hosted by a senior official of the host country some Honourable Members of our Parliament wiped their food- soiled hands on the curtains ! It was curtains for India’s reputation.

As if that was not bad enough one MP from this delegation had a bath in a 5 star hotel in a big city in that country. After bath he came out of the bathroom in the bath robe provided by the hotel , put on the bath chappals also provided by the hotel and walked into the street in full view of the public in broad daylight. He probably thought that the bathrobe was a fine dress for a day out in a downtown entertainment district.

Recently I was at the Grand Canyon when I saw an elderly Indian man peering at the admittedly cute kid in a pram pushed by a white American. The Indian could not resist walking up to the baby and fondling it, pecking at the cheeks—this is just not done here in the USA.

The white man was aghast but held his emotions in check. I blame not the old man but his son –probably a computer guy perhaps having computer skills but lacking in soft skills himself. On another occasion I saw another Indian following his son in a mall in Virginia. The father was dressed in the dirtiest of lungis I have seen in years with an equally dirty towel[thundu] casually strung on his shoulders. It was obvious that the man hailed from a totally rural background and had not been initiated into the graces of western society where it may not matter what you wear but your dress has to be neat.His son who accompanied the elderly man appeared nonchalant even as I was deeply embarrassed.What is happening in Australia these days may be another manifestation of our poor soft skills.

Here is my take on the events there based on what I have heard from my relatives in that country and also on my observations n the U.S.

The boys and girls who go overseas these days are often from rural backgrounds, of humble means, with little or no social graces due to the limitations of their upbringing. They tend to display in the foreign lands the kind of behaviour that is not objected to in India—loud talk in public transport, showing of expensive mobile phones,sniggering at girls, passing lewd comments, roaming around late nights in seedy areas etc. This is asking for trouble anywhere in the world. There is little point in alleging racism when our youngsters have not been initiated to soft skills How is it that .

Other Indians living in Australia have not ever been treated this way ? These Indian immigrants live in safe localities, conduct themselves respectably and indeed are welcome immigrants and model citizens.

There is a dire and urgent need for imparting soft skills right from school. Those traveling abroad – executives. politicians, administrators, students. tourists need such training on the eve of their departure to foreign lands.

I recall an incident when the then External Affairs Minister of India was traveling by Air India to an international conference with a large entourage . Once the pilot announced that the seat belt sign had been switched off the Minister proceeded to sit on the floor of the plane surrounded by his entourage of netas and babus no doubt discussing how india must take its due place in the comity of nations, in the high tables of the international community.

I believe we are not yet ready for the high tables .Once our netas sit on the high table they will probably put one foot on the table and the other in their mouth.

K.R.RAVI