Surat Notebook: People, People Everywhere — What I Saw in India

Dr Sajad Hussein Kamarally

I have just returned from Surat, India. I was there for some time, just watching, just observing Indian life. As a journalist for 50 years, old habits die hard. I observe.

If I have to sum up India in one line, I would say this: It is survival of the fittest. If you are meek, you will be trampled. If you are tough, you will survive. In fact, they are made of steel.

Let me share what I saw.

1.       The Traffic — A Mighty MareThe traffic in Surat was a mighty mare.The trishaw had to manoeuvre through narrow lanes. Both sides parked with motorcycles. What made it worse were the potholes, piles of uncollected rubbish, stray dogs and of course, the people. It was people, people everywhere. If you can drive in India, you can drive anywhere in the world. If I were driving, I would have knocked into several cyclists or pedestrians. In the first place, I dared not attempt to drive.

2.       Children half-dressed were playing cricket on busy roads. Amazing! They are fearless from young. This survival streak is in them..

3.       The People Are Resilient and Resourceful The people are resilient. They have to be.In the houses I visited, it was cramped. Two or three families staying in a small flat is normal. I also saw families living under overhead bridges and roads. Life is hard, but they carry on. Everyone in the household earns — from young boys to adults. Many children are independent as they earn their own keep. This is something Malaysians can emulate. We pamper our children too much.

4.       They are also very innovative..My handbag zip was broken. I could not fix it in Malaysia. In Surat, I got it done for Rs 100, about RM5.They do not throw away. They repair. They are resourceful. This is something Malaysians should learn — not to throw away so easily.

5.        If You Are Meek, You Can Be Taken For A Ride If you are meek, sorry for you.One trishaw chap charged me Rs 400 for a ride which ordinarily costs only Rs 50. Almost 8 times. Especially if they know you are a foreigner, they will try.You must be firm. You must bargain. If you are not, you will be taken for a ride.

6.        They Are Notorious For Not Keeping Time They are notorious for not keeping appointments. They tell you 10am, and until 12 noon, no sign. Then they profusely apologise and try to fix another appointment. This is one thing Malaysia should  not emulate. We must keep time.

7.        But They Are Very Friendly and Helpful Generally, people are very friendly and many go out of their way to help you.For example, I had gone out by myself to town and did not know how to come back to the flat I was staying. I hired a trishaw and we made no less than 10 stops asking people for direction. Many were enthusiastic to help, even though they too did not know the address. It was a long ride. Normally the trip is about 10 minutes, but that day it took me almost one and a half hours. Thank God, I managed to reach safely.That helpful spirit is beautiful.

8.        What Malaysia Can Learn — Language and Technology One observation: Children are bilingual and some are trilingual. They speak their mother tongue, Gujrati,  Hindi, and English. Many schools are in English medium. They speak Queen’s English. They are also competent in science and maths. I understand this is emphasised in schools.This is what we should aim for in Malaysia.As for technology, it is high. I noticed both young and old could easily use handheld tablets and desktop computers. The mobile phone is their lifeline — like in Malaysia. The Indians are also absorbed in their mobile at all times — in buses, trains, on the road, in shops, walking.

9.       So, what is my takeaway? India has taught me that resilience, hard work, innovation, multilingualism and a strong emphasis on science and maths are strengths we in Malaysia can learn from. But we must keep our discipline on time, our cleanliness, and our order .If you can survive in India, you can survive anywhere. That is my Surat notebook.

 

The Gentleman in the Corner: Who Is Thinking of Our Elderly?

By Dr Sajad Hussein Kamarally

This morning, I saw something that stayed with me.

An old gentleman was sitting alone in the corner of an almost empty restaurant, staring quietly at his mobile phone.I wondered what he was thinking.Was he waiting for someone to join him for coffee?Was he simply passing the time? Or perhaps he had nowhere else to go.I don't know.

But there was something about his face that caught my attention. He looked a little lost. And it made me think about something many of us don't like to talk about. What happens to us when we grow old?

There comes a time when the world seems to move faster, while we move more slowly. Friends disappear. Children become busy with their own families. The workplace that once gave us purpose is behind us. Sometimes, without realising it, we find ourselves sitting alone in corners. Not necessarily because nobody loves us,but because nobody has thought to ask:"How are you today?"

So who is responsible?

Society

I believe society has a role to play.We need more places and activities where older people can meet, talk and feel useful.

Community centres. Kelab Warga Emas. Morning walking groups. Classes. Gotong-royong. Volunteer activities. Even something as simple as having coffee together.

The objective is not to keep elderly people "occupied".It is to give them a reason to participate.A reason to get dressed in the morning.A reason to meet someone.A reason to feel that they still matter,because growing older does not mean becoming irrelevant.

The Family

But the first line of support must always be the family.Children and grandchildren need to make time.It doesn't have to be hours.A ten-minute telephone call.A cup of coffee.A visit on Sunday.Or simply asking:"Dad, what do you think?"

Sometimes that question can mean more than we realise.Our elderly have spent decades making decisions for us. Perhaps now we should occasionally ask for their advice.We must never forget one simple truth:We cannot outsource love.

The Government

Government also has an important role.More day-care centres for seniors, community programmes, volunteer networks and support for families caring for elderly parents at home could make a real difference.

Perhaps there could even be greater incentives for families who choose to care for their elderly parents at home.This is not simply an economic issue.It is about the kind of society we want to become.In our Asian culture, we were traditionally taught to hormat our elders—to respect them, care for them and listen to them. Many families,fortunately including mine still live by these values.

But times are changing.Malaysia is moving towards becoming an negara warga emas, an ageing nation, and the demand for elderly care facilities is increasing.

Near my own home, I have noticed four old folks' homes opening within just a few years.That tells us something.Perhaps the question is not whether we need elderly care.We clearly do.

The bigger question is whether we are creating a society in which our elderly can age with dignity, companionship and purpose.

There is nothing wrong with an old folks' home when it provides good care, dignity and companionship. But we should be careful that institutional care does not become a substitute for family connection.

Where Do We Begin?

I have always believed that if we want to change society, we should begin with our children.Start in kindergarten.Teach children that grandparents are not simply old people who need looking after.They are people who have lived, worked, struggled, sacrificed and accumulated decades of experience.

Teach children to greet them.Listen to them.Help them.Sit with them.And most importantly, value them.

We also need a strong moral and religious foundation.

Across Malaysia's diverse religious traditions, respect for parents and elders is a deeply valued principle. If children grow up understanding that caring for those who came before them is a responsibility—not merely an obligation—they are more likely to carry that value into adulthood.

Because values taught early often stay with us for life.

That gentleman in the corner,I don't know who that gentleman was.I don't know his story.Perhaps he was perfectly happy sitting there,perhaps someone was coming to meet him,or he was simply enjoying his coffee and his phone.I may never know.

But his presence made me stop and think.We spend so much time talking about giving our children a better future.May be  we should also spend a little more time asking:What kind of present are we giving our elderly?

Growing old is inevitable.Being forgotten is not.That is a choice.Let us choose not to forget,because one day, sooner than we think, that corner could be ours.

 

From 15 Sen to Today: Learning to Live in Challenging Times

A Personal Reflection

By Dr Sajad Hussein Kamarally

I’ve just come back from buying groceries.When I looked at the receipt, I could almost feel my wallet getting lighter. Somehow, it took me back to my school days in the early 1950s.Back then, my father would give me just 15 sen.

With that 15 sen, I could buy a plate of meehoon with vegetables and egg. And I would still have enough left for a big glass of cold syrup. For a schoolboy in those days, that was considered a proper meal.

More than 70 years have passed.Today, 15 sen probably wouldn’t even buy a plastic bag.The world has changed. Prices have risen. Our needs have increased. The way we spend has changed too. Inflation is part of life, and we cannot turn the clock back. We have to adapt.

But to me, adapting does not mean simply staying silent and accepting everything. We also need to ask: What can we do?

1. Government needs to continue playing its role

The government has already introduced various forms of assistance for B40 families, senior citizens and retirees. In times when the cost of living is becoming increasingly challenging, such support needs to continue and, where necessary, be strengthened.

At the same time, enforcement against irresponsible traders must remain a priority.

Hoarding, profiteering and deliberately creating artificial shortages ultimately hurt the consumer. And as always, when prices rise, ordinary people feel the impact most.

2. Communities need to rediscover the spirit of gotong-royong

Perhaps it is time to look again at something our communities once had in abundance neighbours helping neighbours.Why not have several families in a neighbourhood join together to buy essential goods in bulk? With larger purchases, perhaps we can obtain better prices.

We could go a step further and establish community cooperatives.Buy in bulk. Distribute fairly. If there is a surplus, share the benefits among the members.Our forefathers practised forms of cooperation like this.

They may not have had the technology we have today, but they possessed something equally valuable a sense of community.That is the true spirit of gotong-royong.

3. Foreign worker policies need to be managed more systematically

Our policies concerning foreign workers also need to be looked at holistically and managed carefully.We need foreign workers in certain sectors, but at the same time, proper management is important to ensure that the labour market, operating costs and supply of goods remain stable.

Clear and consistent policies are good not only for employers and workers, but can also contribute to a more balanced economy.

4. Teach our children how to face life

Perhaps this is the most important thing we can do.     At home and in school, we need to teach our children about thrift, appreciating the value of money, reducing waste, and knowing the difference between what we need and what we simply want.These values may sound like advice from another era.But actually, they are life skills. And we should not forget to teach them gratitude.

A child who learns to appreciate what he or she has may not constantly feel the need to chase what they do not have.I am not asking us to return to the days of 15 sen. That is impossible.Nor am I suggesting that we reject progress. The technology, convenience and prosperity we enjoy today are things we should be grateful for.

But perhaps, in our pursuit of progress, we should carry with us some of the values that helped our communities survive in the past.Be thrifty. Be grateful. Share. And look after one another.The government can help.Communities can cooperate.Individuals can play their part by spending wisely.

If all three work together, I believe we can still live good and meaningful lives, even in challenging times,because ultimately, life is not simply about how much we have.It is about how wisely we use what we have, how generously we share, and how much we care about the people around us.

That is what makes us more than people who simply live next door to one another,it makes us a community, and perhaps that is the most valuable lesson that 15 sen ever taught me!.