writer just put into words what most indians knew already. in india it's very easy to diagnose the problem. everyone knows how to cure the problem as well. funniest part is, we are just happy talking about the problem & all that we need to do to overcome these issues. but when it comes to doing it, 'hey.. i'm not the saint, let the next door neighbour be one!!'
That is exactly what the author is trying to differentiate between 'New India' & 'Old India'. What u said in the bold part is absolutely true for 'old India'.
The level of transformation in the psyche of the people is huge. The urbanized population has become more civic than they have ever been. Taking care of the public property, being careful about the environmental issues, etc are some of the changes that can be easy observed now a days.
Heck, my friend's girlfriend used to even make him pick up his trash and throw it in the dustbin whenever he used to litter on the streets.
(Women got convincing skills, u see
)
What i'm trying to convey with that very little example is that Indians have started to show some strinkingly different characterstics than what we have been (in)famous for i.e. corruption, civic sense, hygiene, environment friendliness, etc. Even the traffic police in Delhi now a days has stopped accepting bribes
(God only knows how did they transform their hearts to resist even the strongest temptations, I tried it myself when I jumped over a traffic signal at Rajouri Garden
)
I'm sure that's the exact case with Bangalore, Pune & Bombay too, because in any case they are said to be better then Delhi in these issues and I'm confident about Hyderabad, Chennai, Calcutta & Ahmedabad but I can't vouch for them as I haven't been to any of those cities.
Moreover, most of the Indians now have very little concern about religionism & regionalism (exept for some Shivsena, Bajrang Dal, VHP, Indian mujahideen goons). Now what concerns them more is doing their own share of responsibility & ignore such unwanted elements. Wonder why Bal Thakrey gets so much media attention for his usual rants but how many Indians rise up for his cause? Nobody even gives a damn about what he thinks & writes in his newspaper.
But like I said, all this transformation is in the Urabnized populace and this is the new India he is talking about.
The rest of the country can still be counted under 'Old India', the change is slow but, thank God, it is changing atleast. Now the youngsters of India does not say that 'India ka Khuda hi malik hai', atleast now they believe that 'they can make a difference'.
