lateral thinking

An excellent observation by Dr. Debashis Chatterjee in today’s Times Ascent.

Most Indians are lateral thinkers. This means that we all think sideways. Just observe our behaviour in high traffic. Everyone is moving non-linearly like pieces on a chess board. The motto is: mind the gap. In many countries you drive on the left. In India you drive on whatever is left!
Thinking sideways is the way our government machinery functions. Most officials are trying to make some money on the side. Files move from one side of the table to another rather than vertically up the decision making chain.
Bollywood is where lateral thinking co-exists with zero thinking. Most movies are musicals where the story is stretched to break into a mind-bending song. Plots and tunes are poached laterally and literally from Hollywood. Side heroes and heroines infuse quantity in place of quality.
Our visionary leaders in India Inc. behave as though they are the only ones with vision. The rest are patients of cataract. In the Company of the blind the cock-eyed eventually becomes the CEO.