trust me it has nothing to do with development.
Really? Ok then,
1. How do you explain the strong correlation between successful countries and their liberal (sexually and otherwise) societies?
---Not related to my original point, but.....
2. How do you explain that the most successful countries don't have parasitic parents living off their children and grandchildren all their lives in the name of love and togetherness (which is of course, a lie commonly resorted to by Indian parents)?
3. How do you explain that most successful countries' don't have a draconian-ly hierarchial family system where the "head-male-libidoEquipped-dad/granddad" will dictate the will of the house, rule over women, children, their lives and the timings when family members go to the bathroom (literally!)?
4. How do you explain that most successful countries believe in treating women with the "ladies first" principle? And in the majority strata of our lovely society, the wife will wait for the husband to eat first or else go hungry. No offence meant, but ask your mom, maybe she'll explain to you philosophically and critically why she makes the table for the family and not vice versa, why she'll wash the whole families dirty undergarments all her life while you and your pops will watch a cricket match. I suspect too many people use this "culture" thing as a mechanism to establish the dominance mindset that exists till date.
5. How do you explain that most successful countries don't have (and never had) the IIT/IIM/what-have-you madness which we have here? How do you explain that in those nations education is not a contest, but much more meaningful in the context of innovation and economy building rather than providing slave labor to other countries? Our IITs and premier instutions are built for the benefits and welfare of USA and the rest of the world, not for the measly and patheticly poor population that resides at home.
I'm sorry, but I don't agree with you. Being an Indian I say this: Indian culture is wrong, just plain wrong and demeaning. Personal freedom is not believed in, & the way children are raised and treated is just disgusting. For Indian parents, their children are long term investments that should bear fruit when they land their first paychecks.
As for the original poster: sorry for deviating from the main topic, but I feel it leads to this. Inventions are a far off thing, there are more things fundamentally wrong here. To invent would require to have freedom and funding, both of which aren't available. Talent? Of course, without doubt.
Take two succeeding pre-teen Indian generations, and treat them they way American and European kids are treated throughout their teens. Don't tell them "x is good y is bad", guide them but don't decide for them, throw them out of the mom-dad niche by the time they are 22-23 and rid them of all cultural/moral/traditional responsibilities, and see where they end up. My point will be proven.
@Gagan: Please don't get me wrong, I don't want you to take my post personally: I thought your conclusion wasn't good enough because you didn't back it up with an argument. I hope you'll do now. Hoping to have a good discussion
without any hard feelings.