Singapore

 A decade ago I visited the city-state of Singapore. I was impressed by the place, professionalism and discipline displayed by its citi-zens and enforced by the government. Singapore's success as a nation is exemplary, we all know about that.

The country don't meddle in international affairs and mind their own business. Being a business friendly country it has earned the respect of the whole world. So much so that, US President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Un Jung agreed to meet at Singapore for their summit. Singapore did something rare - making the two agree to Singapore to host the summit. One has to point a gun at both the heads of Trump and Kim Jung Un to make them agree on something.

But a tiny thing about a tiny animal did not go unnoticed to me - the conspicuous absence of mosquitoes over there. One would expect Singapore being a tropical country to have lots of mosquitoes. In reality, it is other way round. Though tropical and an ideal ground for breeding of these blood sucking parasites, it is mostly free of them, thanks to the cleanliness and civic sense of the citizens duly backed by the authorities.

One of the reasons one doesn't get a scratch from mosquito bite can be alluded to a man called Lee Kuan Yew, who built the country from scratch. A diverse nation of quality people, in a short span 50 years, he led its transformation from a struggling nondescript war ravaged port city, to a giant hub of business. It also arguably has the best Healthcare facilities in Asia. Singapore has turned out to be a model state in Asia, least corrupt and the most entrepreneur friendly in Asia.

One example elucidates this culture of civic sense and effective imposition of directives which every country should learn. In the early 1990s once Lee Kuan saw LUNGIs (a loincloth popular with Indians) and underwears visibly hung on the balconies of apartments dotting the city. He immediately ordered a clamp down and soon these obnoxious items soon vanished from the view and stopped dotting the Singapore skyline.

Once Arvind Kejriwal, then the Chief Minister of Delhi made a fake allegation against Delhi. When questioned, the ambassador of Singapore to India just laughed it off. The diminutive Mr. Kejriwal should know that
Singapore is not India. They are formidable and can teach you an unforgettable lesson. They didn't even bother US President Bill Clinton's appeal in 1990s to be lenient to an American citizen who broke the law in the city-state. They will care a hoot about a Delhi CM. 

A la America, Singapore is also the greatest example of diversity. Over the years it has attracted the best talents from across the globe to become the epicenter of trade and commerce. Many who contributed to its growth, originated from another nation. It frequently invites our legendary Odia writer Manoj Das as a cultural consultant, using the expertise of a real expert in the field of culture, who is pretty much ignored in his own nation. That tells part of the story. Singapore which lacked human resource, nurtured human resource in a short span of time to touch the zenith of success.

Experts say Japan stagnated into a lost decade due to its stubborn refusal to diversify. Diversity is not a dirty word, it is dear word. It creates a conducive environment, a confluence of knowledge and ideas for the betterment of the society. Embrace it to leap forward. Desist it to risk going back to the stone age at a fast rate in a faster changing world.

Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of modern Singapore could envision this. He once famously said " China can draw on a talent pool of 1.4 billion people, but US can draw on the World's 7 billion. " He wasn't far from truth. His death marked end of an era, but the city state of Singapore continued as a modern state. Probably Singapore would not have been where it is today. Singapore today stands an example to its Asian counterparts.