From a comment I made in Facebook - about Indian loss of $1500 trillion thanks to MK Gandhi

[Arindam Banerjee]

Anything can be 'proved' with figures on a selective basis. One may as well say that the market robbed me of my money, when ignoring the goods bought from the market. Indians got a lot from the British, they too got a lot. Mutually benefical situation, so what point in recriminations! Still talking of figures, if that be must, it is not difficult to show mathematically that Indians lost $1500000000000000 or 1,500 trillion dollars after 1947 from their own bad leadership. Singapore and India were roughly the same in 1947; people then had the same bad habits; but now thanks to excellent Singaporean leadership the difference in per capita income is $31000 (that taking ppp). Net national loss per year is thus 1.3billion times $31000, if India could have kept up with Singapore. Or say 40 trillion dollars annual loss due to leadership incompetence. Over 75/2 years or say 37.5 years that becomes 1500 trillion dollars since 1947 (If there was $0 difference in 1947, and $40t now, then average loss per year is roughly $20t so over 75 years $1500 trillions. )In short, unlike Singapore, India is NOT a first world nation, and who do Indians have to thank for that? When the British left in 1947, India was not less than China. It was united, but then partition happened for which I do not hold the British responsible. Nor do I hold them responsible for whatever keeps the Indians poor. My point is simple - it is childish to harp on the past, blame someone else for present shortcomings, seek entitlements accordingly.