to combat AIDS in India? Or was it a public relations exercise to strengthen the Microsoft brand?
While most strongly appreciated the Microsoft chief's aid, there were some who felt that Bill Gates had 'a hidden agenda' and was here only to further his business interests.
Here, we reproduce some of the responses generated.
Sat Nov 16 18:40:13 2002
Name: joseph
Email: jim_kates@rediffmail.com
Your Views: Bill Gates is a bussiness man who cares of only his company microsoft coming up, he does not care about others,this is proven by the anti trust case .he should provide traing centres in it
Sat Nov 16 19:35:14 2002
Name: Sumeet
Email: ssetia@essar.com
Your Views: From where you will get vaccine of AIDS ? Obviously from US and they charge how many times of actual cost ?
so this money will go back to US then how can say it is charity ?
Sat Nov 16 19:38:01 2002
Name: M.G. Kapoor
Email: mgkapoor@rediffmail.com
Your Views: We Indians have short lived memories. East India Company found India to be very lucrative destination. It came, it conquered and it ruled. We remained slaves for couple of centuries. These days slavery cannot be by capturing territories.
Now are the days of economic slavery. We are watching with disdain the so called privatisation. Even the profit making PSUs are being thought to be privatised. Privatising the all vital communications, shipping, oil - all vital for country's defence!!! It is simply disgusting. Bill Gates visit is to be seen in this context. No shrewd business man will keep his mind off business gains. To hire an IT professional in the US costs from 20$ to 100$ an hour depending on the experience. Which means 20*8*25 =
4000$( Rs.2lacs) to 100*8*25 = 20000$(Rs.10 lacs) a month (25 days of 8 hours each). In India they pay a meagre
Rs.10000/- to Rs.50000/- that is 1/20th of the salary in US for comparable exerience. So for the salary of one professional in
US he can hire 20 in India!!! By offering a few sops he is getting kudos which will enable him to get entry ticket to India. He is
a shrewd business man. Three Cheers for Bill Gates for his business sense!!!
Sat Nov 16 19:41:11 2002
Name: SDhillon
Email: sd234@yahoo.com
Your Views: I find the whole discussion silly. In a country where the per capita income is about a dollar a day, people are complaining that Bill Gates came for cheap labour not charity. The truth is India needs all the charity (and business) it can get. Either way he is doing a great job helping us out.
Sat Nov 16 19:42:04 2002
Name: varadish
Email: varadish@blueyonder.co,uk
Your Views: Many people are saying that Bill Gates is showing a lot of Generosity, but wait and look at the facts. Bill Gates is a very shrewd businessman, never spends a cent with out expecting any returns. and he is a very patriotic person. Why would such a guy would spend his money in INDIA??? If you are in that position would you give so much money to somalia or other poor country????? All these CMS and Ministers are after him, and announcing to us proudly that Gates has agreed to help in a project. But who will benifit from those projects??? its Gates himself not you or me. He is not doing them for free, on the other hand he is getting those projects without any marketing effort. I agree it is right to respect such an esteemed guest like Gates, but we should maintain our self respect. shouldnt go after him like a bunch of beggers. Jai Hind
Sat Nov 16 19:54:09 2002
Name: Arun
Email: akdabas@rediff.com
Your Views: It is a huge amount. It should benefit india regardless of Gate's Motive as long as we can keep it away from getting into the pockets of corrupt politicians and ministers.
Sat Nov 16 20:13:40 2002
Name: Uday Kulkarni
Email: uday.kulkarni@sympatico.ca
Your Views: We have developed a habit of criticising anyone and everything and especially politicising any event which gets popularity more than what the Indian politicians can digest. So what if his donation of 100 million$ was for a hidden agenda.There is no free lunch in this world. What is stopping the politicians or even other businessmen from doing the same.
Did the Ambanis or any group ever donate even 1 crore Indian rupees ? Also, Bill Gates could have spent 100 million $ on TV
media advertsising in India for 2 years and achieved the same result probabally. I mean his objectives of Indian visit were very
clear and never hidden in the first place. He did not come as a UN or WHO's representative to India for fighting Aids. But the
Indian politicians got jealous because they did not expect this kind of popularity. When foreigners do not invest in India we
lament, while on other hand , when the world's richest businessman has come to India with intentions of genuine business
because he appreciates the contribution of Indians in Microsoft, why should we criticise or start profiling his cause of his visit ?
Sat Nov 16 20:31:47 2002
Name: Soma
Email: mail4soma@rediffmail.com
Your Views: Gates has always been a strategic businessman! His agenda was to assess the potential of cheap Indian IT labor, low end business outsourcing, check the Linux revolution, present Microsoft as a corporate responsible not only towards the global capital democracy but also as an altruist. But, ALL culminate to future business growth/survival of Microsoft in the swarm of competitors etching deeply in the global market !
Sat Nov 16 20:43:03 2002
Name: prasad
Email: pparvatha@rediffmail.com
Your Views: Bill Gates is the best in the world and I believe there is nothing behind his generosity. He has served the world more than anybody. He made the PC an house hold item and his company produced the windows OS, which helped even a common man to become computer literate easily. Whats wrong if he came here to do business ?, Whats wrong if he wants to serve people ?.
Sat Nov 16 20:57:23 2002
Name: raja
Email: raja_singh2002@rediff.com
Your Views: hi my dear
Sat Nov 16 21:02:45 2002
Name: kiran
Email: kiranrao123@yahoo.co.in
Your Views: Why are we as a race so cynical. $100 million is really a drop of ocean for this rich a man, why cant we appreciate one good gesture, and about securing his future markets, how many really among us really have a licenced version of MS win,office or whatever. and JRD tata had also helped build IISc, now the numero uno in asia pacific, did he do that to secure future markets for the TATA brandname? shouldnt the same analogy apply to Bill Gates, JRD tata or narayan murthy. or is Gates measured with a diffrent yardstick because he comes form a place which is half way round the earth and is a white? hats off to
Bill Gates
Sat Nov 16 21:03:15 2002
Name: kiran
Email: kiranrao123@yahoo.co.in
Your Views: Why are we as a race so cynical. 100m$ is really a drop of ocean for this rich a man, why cant we appreciate one
good gesture, and about securing his future markets, how many really among us really have a licenced version of MS win,office
or whatever. and JRD tata had also helped build IISc, now the numero uno in asia pacific, did he do that to secure future
markets for the TATA brandname? shouldnt the same analogy apply to Bill Gates, JRD tata or narayan murthy. or is Gates
measured with a diffrent yardstick because he comes form a place which is half way round the earth and is a white? hats off to Bill Gates
Sat Nov 16 21:31:04 2002
Name: Sam
Email: sam@xyz.com
Your Views: His Greatness! I don't see any bad thinking behind his generosity. I don't think this is something mandatory to
some one who wants to invest in India. Still he chooses India to donate towards AIDS because India is going to be the highest
populated AIDS patients in the world. What the rich politicians and rich business and rich cine artists are contributing. After all
what they have is what we gave. I feel if we start criticizing, there are people who want to criticize Mother Theresa for choosing
India to do social service. Lets stop criticizing!
Sat Nov 16 22:07:04 2002
Name: A.S.Bharadwaj
Email: kanth_a_s@rediffmail.com
Your Views: There's no doubt hes got something for him in it.But its very difficult to guess a mans motives.So i suggest we stop
making guesses as to his motives and try to find ways to ensure that we dont lose more than what we gain.
Sat Nov 16 22:20:06 2002
Name: PALANIKUMAR TAMILMONI
Email: palanik2772@REDIFFMAIL.com
Your Views: I cannot beleive this !!!!!!! This is the problem with us Idians. We always look for ulterior motives for every
moves by some one. Linux is not a threat for Microsoft. If someone says that, it is ignorance and stupidity. Even without coming
to India Gates can increase his sales. And all these brainiacs who speak against him will be using Internet Explorer for crying
out loud. And about cheap labour, he can get that without moving his fingers. If not Indians, Chinese or someone else. These
people will go searching for him rather than the other way. So please give us a break and shut up. Just to show that you are
different from other people don't talk crap !!!!!!!!!!!!
Sat Nov 16 22:22:34 2002
Name: VT
Email: cf@wyz.com
Your Views: Tom Leherer once said "He gives the kids free samples, Because he knows full well, That today's young innocent
faces, Will be tomorrow's clientele" Bill's visit reminds me of that.
Sat Nov 16 23:14:12 2002
Name: Somasundaram
Email: nsomasundaram@sify.com
Your Views: Bill Gates has donated Rs.100 crores towards Aids eradication program and this shows his generosity. However
his reported tie up with Karnataka Government to impart IT education to students shows his sharp business acumen. Obviously
those students benefited under this program would use Microsoft products in the future also and this is a business oppurtunity.
Anyway even if his visit is business minded we should still appreciate his gesture because not many people in very high positions
of the society are as generous as him.
Sat Nov 16 23:28:27 2002
Name: Davar
Email: davekan21@hotmail.com
Your Views: There are a number of persons who have attributed Bill Gates charitable contributions to a "hidden agenda" or
driven by selfish calculation. Not only do I believe this to be untrue, even if Mr Gates had not contributed a cent to any charity
in India people would still have made a huge fuss about him here. Also remember that he has promised to give away the bulk of
his fortune to charity in the future. My own guess is that he was doing this for India at least partly because of what Indians have
meant to Microsoft.
Sun Nov 17 00:03:12 2002
Name: Pradeep Alluri
Email: apradee@hotmail.com
Your Views: Was he here on business? YES Was he here to help? YES On the whole, was he wrong? NO…..NO…….NO
Some points worth keeping in mind: 1. Like some of you have already mentioned, he's a Business Man. There's nothing wrong
with his idea of attracting us by the way of giving money for good causes. 2. Should we expect a FREE LUNCH? Come on
guys, I'm sure we're all mature enough to understand how the world works. FREE=BULLSHIT. So, when we take something,
we should try and give back something if we can. 3. We know a lot of companies are setting up shops in India. How many
CEOs do you recall coming here, at least for the sake of promoting their products? Remember, Mr.Gates had the decency to
come and spend time with our people (not just politicians), while most others simply send some of their subordinates to do the
job. Don't expect many other CEOs to give up some of their holidays to come and meet patients in hospitals in a third world
country like ours. They'd rather spend their time playing Golf. This man however is willing to do that. Let's respect him for that.
For those of you who feel compelled to point a bad finger at him, you better be donating some money yourself, if possible the
way you expect things to be, i.e. without expecting any returns. Even donating one meal's equivalent of money per week will
make you feel good. Just try it! Also, I'm not a big fan of Windows myself, and that's what's pushing me towards Linux. But,
that's a different issue. I just don't think it's right to extend my dislikes on all of Microsoft's products or it's people simply
because I find that Windows SUCKS! Let's shape our minds to rightly distinguish good acts from bad acts rather than simply
distinguishing good people from bad people. This will help us realize that every person has some virtuous quality. Most of us
are nice, let's believe that and move forward. Jai Hind!
Sun Nov 17 00:20:11 2002
Name: johan jepamani jesus
Email: johan_jepamani_jesus@hotmail.com
Your Views: It is appreciable to accept his gesture. He might even have a hidden agenda to improve his business attempts. We
cannot blame him. Why so much fan fare or why the bastard chief ministers waiting outside his room for tips. Gates had earned
money from innovation or business or through cheating. What the hell stupid idiots like our chief minister koolies to ask money
from him. Shame on ourselves. johan jepamani jesus
Sun Nov 17 00:34:29 2002
Name: manish
Email: poila@hotmail.com
Your Views: Thank you, Gates ! All who think otherwise, imagine you suffering from HIV/AIDS and living in India ! I am sure
you will see him in a new light.
Sun Nov 17 00:35:29 2002
Name: kashish priyanka jain
Email: redhauute@yahoo.com
Your Views: i think it was a perfect PR exercise. the indian government is on terms of negotiating with Linux to create an
infrastructure in the government offices, which is a huge business. if indian government goes ahead with this it will affect the
popularity and business of Microsoft in India. hence the move...
Sun Nov 17 00:47:17 2002
Name: DR.Surendra
Email: iams@satyam.net.in
Your Views: Bill Gates Foundation itself is a tax saving devise and generosity is another means of winning new
buisiness.However we can not blame him for what he is. It is time for introspection why we are in such a pitible state, standing
with begging bowls.
Sun Nov 17 00:55:01 2002
Name: sud
Email: sappasu@yahoo.com
Your Views: If he is so generous, he would not have monopolised the windows os, sabotaging innovation in the software
industry. Because of his monopolistic strength , the developments in software were halted for ever. Indians (CM's in particularl
AP CM Babu) showed that still we have slave mindset and lacks self respect.
Sun Nov 17 00:58:59 2002
Name: dr
Email: dr@dr.com
Your Views: does he do anything other than business !!!! If any one thinks otherwise, then they must either be joking or they
dont know him.
Sun Nov 17 01:04:10 2002
Name: abc
Email: vermark@yahoo.com
Your Views: Bill Gates is funding various agencies to fight AIDS is India. The programs will be run by Indians, managed by Bill
Bates Foundation, with Indian resources and medical support. India has a highly developed Medical care system including
well-trained doctors and cheap medicine - low cost and with little governmental control. This will allow the agencies a free hand
in developing new techniques. Knowledge and experience gained from the program could be easily used in other countries.
Could this not provide Gates a good name as well as a good model, developed at a very low cost, ready for use in other
countries - even in USA? After all Bill is a good businessman who built Microsoft by marketing systems developed by others.
Sun Nov 17 01:21:02 2002
Name: sreejit
Email: sreejit_cheerful@rediffmail.com
Your Views: this was simply great
Sun Nov 17 01:27:37 2002
Name: V Rao
Email: vrao@india.com
Your Views: Would you care if someone gave you a million bucks?
Sun Nov 17 01:34:10 2002
Name: Rao
Email: rao@rediffmail.com
Your Views: Well said Sir! Fri Nov 15 23:51:23 2002
Name: K.N.Sundaram
Email: nagaraj@charter.net
Your Views: How
can I doubt a young man like Bill Gates who has generously shared his corporate wealth and made thousands of people
millionaires,while he is sharing his private wealth with rest of the world.
Sun Nov 17 01:43:35 2002
Name: Nath
Email: ktnath@hotmail.com
Your Views: Whats wrong with Gates, Microsoft and his aid to fight AIDS??? Lets us suppose that all the talk regarding him
having an ulterior motive behind his generosity is TRUE. Just like other Microsoft and Gates, other companies and their CEO's
too want a capture the huge Indian market. But among all of them, atleast Gates is doing some charity. None of the other big
multinationals have done what he has done. Moreover, his Foundation for charity was established some time ago and doing
some good work for a while now. To couple his generosity with his business is being ungrateful to such a good man.Yes he is a
business man and wants to conquer markets like all of them. at the same time he is also a kind man. So whats wrong in his
doings?
Sun Nov 17 01:55:21 2002
Name: Bandhu
Email: 2002@pico.nico.edu
Your Views: Bill Gates and Charity...we all know what it is about. Remember, we are a non-aligned country and same
principle goes in Software. Divide and Rule the world of software.
Sun Nov 17 02:00:29 2002
Name: Ashokkumaar P L
Email: ashokkumarpl@rediffmail.com
Your Views: Bill Gates is not a stupid just to spend on lavish things. There are certain motives behind his action. 1. his aim is to
capture the whole of indian market and make it stronger. 2. NOTE: he is investing on the children's education. means, they
would be attached with the microsoft products right from the childhood and they would be comfortable with only microsoft and
not any other products. His master mind is to stop any software company to pose even a challenge to microsoft in the indian
subcontinent and its his novel TRICK. From, Ashokkumaar P L. Texas- USA.
Sun Nov 17 02:00:38 2002
Name: Sajay Arthanat
Email: sajay_ot@rediffmail.com
Your Views: So what if Bill is lucrative. Who else would contribute 100ml$s for fighting a sinister disease, which in fact is
taking a major toll on our country. Stop being cynical folks! And afterall who knows this won't boost our economy
Sun Nov 17 02:34:41 2002
Name: PG
Email: golla@ieee.org
Your Views: Personally I don't like Microsoft - it's software aside, it's monopoly in the desktop market seems evil to me.
However, it's a business like any other - and it believes in 'exploiting' its employees as any corporation does, and most of us
work for such companies. Hence as Indians we many only stand in lining up behind such companies which have global reach;
and if it is also helping the locals fight some problems our government should be doing, it is even better. Hence I think Bill and
his company need our support. Let's not shun him away.
Sun Nov 17 02:52:52 2002
Name: Sandep
Email: sandeepgm@hotmail.com
Your Views: I would agree with siva who wrote on Nov 15th that we indians are generally suspicious of any good act on the
part of others. We always seem to try to find something bad about it. As many people rightly said there have been hundreds of
politicians who have earned quite a lot but not contributed anything to the people. So i think its a very good act on his part.
Sun Nov 17 03:25:03 2002
Name: Alok Sinha
Email: asinha@yahoo.com
Your Views: I think it is appalling that this is even a topic of discussion. I think, it is a sign of desperation, frustration and
inferiority complex. After all, as an Indian, we do nothing to follow on his footsteps and try to become successful in life. And
those who are successful give hardly anything, if anything at all, back to the society. Now, if Bill is doing something, obviously
people will cry foul. If India is a 3rd world, poor, backward country (now courteously called a "developing nation", thanks to
developed nations) where labor is cheap, it is NOT Bill's problem. I totally believe that brain-drain is better than brain-in-a
drain as far as India is concerned. I have no desire to work in a country where yesterday's criminals become today's honorable.
Go and ask those people who benefit from his contributions what they think. And before you say anything, try to remember
what you have done for the society. And what is wrong if he is also trying to further is business interests? He came here on his
own expenses unlike those ministers who go abroad for personal pleasure at taxpayer's expenses. No one raises a finger at
them. So, people should shut up and appreciate what he has done.
Sun Nov 17 03:57:23 2002
Name: Sanjay
Email: sc41@rediffmail.com
Your Views: It is beyond doubt that Bill Gates has vested interests, while donating the huge sum to a worthy cause. What we
as Indians need to ensure on one hand is to utilise the funds to effectively combat the AIDS epidemic AND also to ensure that
Mr.Gates receives just hospitality without ruining our own self-interest.
Sun Nov 17 04:02:27 2002
Name: Shravan Pinni
Email: srkpinni@yahoo.com
Your Views: Bill Gates is business man but he has noble heart.Even though he is earning he is spending 100 million for AIDS in
India. What is the necessacity for him to do this charity service ?. In India we have lot of rich people ? How many people are
donating for philonthropic work ?. Regarding cheap labour, he never exploited Indians.He is paying very decent salary every
where.Indians are first to critisize. If are pointing someone, three fingers are pointing against you.
Sun Nov 17 05:03:54 2002
Name: Indian
Email: indianabcd@india.com
Your Views: This debate proves the strong desi tradition of suspecting everything and presuming evil. If he is donating 100m,
who benefits? India! If he is looking for cheap labour, who benefits? India! Cheap labor is better than no labor, with millions of
educated indians unemployed.. If he helps computer literacy in india, who benefits? india. In the worst case, we will just have a
billion microsoft certified professionals !!
Sun Nov 17 05:08:52 2002
Name: Devi Shanker
Email: devishanker@amadeus.com
Your Views: I accept the views expressed by Siva and Deepa. We Indians do have attitude problem. We keep looking
everything at a suspicious angle. If Bill Gates were to market his product he doesnt need to invest 100 millions for AIDS cause.
Moreover MS is in such a strong position that Bill Gates need not do anything extra for marketing his product.Unfortunately,
our Health Minister with his attitude problem expressed displeasure over Bill's comments.
Sun Nov 17 05:25:45 2002
Name: Mr. Stephen Tanner
Email: stephen_tanner@rediffmail.com
Your Views: Greetings to all you indian brothers. I am a white race western man from Britain. I don't know Mr. Gates, but I do
know this, historically many wealthy industrialists or tycoons, they set up many charitees for purely altruistic causes.
Rockerfeller to name but one gave away just so much of his money, and so did Ford, and many others, one of your fine
readers put it so beautifully.."we arrive in this world with nothing and we depart with nothing"....nothing is sure in this life except
death, and we all are the same, ever last one of us..so please think that he is also a human, just like that pavement dweller
outside that fancy restaurant. We all have a need to look beyond death and to make sure we put some good into this world of
ours. To me and many Westerners, india represents a richness of spirituality and living spirituality, which we in the west can only
dream of. Our churches are having less and less, our marriages are broken up. You people in india are modernising but as far
as I can see you retain so much wisdom which is derived from your rich spiritual heritage. This is true across the religoius
spectrum in india I find.. Pleae send any comments. Mr. Stephen Tanner
Sun Nov 17 05:29:18 2002
Name: Mr. Stephen Tanner
Email: stephen_tanner@rediffmail.com
Your Views: Just Reading this responses to me just represents the goodness inherent in the indian people...Although I am not
indian, people here, if this represents a true representation of people writting in with their views, you can see how everybody is
seeing the goodness in someone, rather than the negative skepticism. How nice, how very nice. There is so much you people
have to be proud of being indian. Mr. Stephen Tanner
Sun Nov 17 05:36:18 2002
Name: Sanket
Email: sforsanket@rediffmail.com
Your Views: I think Bill Gates so-called philanthropic donation was nothing more than a management policy of his multi-billion
businees. Its a well-known fact now that many American companies- software or otherwise- wich includes Microsoft need
Indian talent to excel. This ploy is just tu allure more Indians and nothing else, if our people have not realised it yet, then its
going to be start of an another Imperialism, wherein the colony (read India) would not be starved (as happens in conventional
imperialism), but fed with much to lead a decent life devoid of freedom. I mean economical slavery! Wake up India! Be on
your own!
Sun Nov 17 06:02:39 2002
Name: vijay madipalli
Email: vmadipalli@rediffmail.com
Your Views: oh ! this is the problem with us indians , if some body does some thing good ,we think about it why did he do that
, i feal we cant take any issue easily , well ! some rich fellow Bill Gates wants to donate money towards health, good let him do
that , why the hell we have to think whats the motive this and that come on !think easy and grab what you got.i dont care its a
business or generosity country is getting benifited ,if any one thinks he is getting cheap labour dont work for him , do the same
2000 rupees per month job and feal great about your self , come on its time to change come out those wells dears
Sun Nov 17 06:30:30 2002
Name: arun
Email: arnott@sulekha.com
Your Views: Bill Gates generosity towards India is to combat India's leaning towards Linux lately. it seems now the Indian
government wants to use windows. in the long run it may be bad. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/28121.html
Sun Nov 17 06:56:36 2002
Name: Raj
Email: graj3i@yahoo.com
Your Views: Yeah! He came ,He gave and He also got what he wanted (Whatever cheap labour blah,blah...). But why did he
have to do to charity ?.If he wants to make business with a business mind he could have bought every indian politician with his
money but he did not ... He is giving it to the charity and it is not wrong.Everyone in this world is business minded ... People
even try to bribe god by promising poojas and contributions ... But if it comes to Bill Gates ...He cannot give without reason
...huh?
Sun Nov 17 07:07:38 2002
Name: sridhar kaundinya
Email: sridharblr@rediffmail.com
Your Views: I think it is purely a good wil gesture.
Sun Nov 17 07:16:22 2002
Name: sriram prakash
Email: sriramprakash@hotmail.com
Your Views: Bill Gates is a shrewd businessman with interest in India. Generosity also important for him to win the hearts of
Indian developers either abroad or in India. Whatever his business practices may be at the momemt, he is a rich man with
money to create jobs for Indians and we should learn to do business with him without selling ourselves too cheap. That way, I
think everybody can benefit better.
Sun Nov 17 07:31:02 2002
Name: Sandeep Harip
Email: haripsan@yahoo.com
Your Views: There may be a reason behind him donating money. Our country has got this money . He is a giver so don't see
the intensions behind it. There is no end to it. If you give a rupee to a begger you feel you have done a good job today....He has
given 500 Kr... Before commenting ...pls look at your self...how much have you donated...and how much lawfully you earn
your money..don't you play dirty politics at office...
Sun Nov 17 07:31:26 2002
Name: Bharat Suneja
Email: bharatsuneja@hotmail.com
Your Views: Nothing but a sincere desire to control the AIDS epidemic. It doesn't have any thing in particular to do with India
except for the fact that India has over a billion people - 1/6th of the planet's population - and we don't seem to be doing much
(whether able to or not) to control the AIDS epidemic. Of course, it is beyond most Indians' imagination to grasp the principals
of western society like philanthrophy and giving back to the Society. A very small & select group of Indian corporations (the
Tatas perhaps?) and rich people have this trait and urge to give back to the society. And when someone does it, we view it
with suspicion. How can he donate a 100 million $ to us Indians... there must be an ulterior motive behind this.. maybe he
wants to sell more software... ! Unbelievable. The Gates' foundation donates a lot more money for charitable purposes around
the world. And no, it's not in exchange for more software sales.
Sun Nov 17 08:12:36 2002
Name: Shaikh
Email: shaikss@indiatimes.com
Your Views: When the world imposed sanctions on India, we showed them that we could still survive and flourish too. There
are many other countries which cannot do that. Why did Mr. Gates have to choose India to show his generosity? This charity
was a way to get more business from the Indians and to establish the Microsoft brand in the growing Indian market.
Sun Nov 17 08:20:49 2002
Name: Laxman Sharma
Email: laxsha@aol.com
Your Views: Before making any comments, please look within yourself and determine how much you have contributed to your
country. Obviously, business man are there to make money. Why would they be in business otherwise.
Sun Nov 17 08:23:14 2002
Name: Hemal Rathod
Email: hnrathod@yahoo.com
Your Views: Well,Atleast Mr Gates has the heart to donate the money,what if his trip was about business.Not many people
have the heart to do this and I appreciate his deeds and also Indian IT scenario will improve too, so its two good things that he
has contributed which should be appreciated.
Sun Nov 17 08:34:21 2002
Name: anirudh.
Email: arpodder@rediffmail.com
Your Views: I am impressed by Bill Gates, though he's a clever businessman, he's so different from American politicians. He is
investing inn India becuase he sees a market and also sees some potential. He hasent( atleast so far) investing/donating any
money in Pakistan because he know where the money will be diverted.
Sun Nov 17 08:39:23 2002
Name: nagendra pratap singh
Email: nagendra_pratap_singh@hotmail.com
Your Views: 1)bill is putting 400 mill in india. nothing wrong in it. 2)bill spoke about his company. nothing wrong here too.
3)bill gave some money for social welfare. nothing wrong. this may trigger some others too
Sun Nov 17 08:40:02 2002
Name: Swapan Mahato
Email: mswapan@hotmail.com
Your Views: India became a software superpower with pirated MSDOS. If Indians had bought his software, Indian labor
would have never been cheap. Secondly, a dollar is a dollar is a dollar. So what even if it's an INVESTMENT? At least he
saw a reason to do invest in "foreigners" when 'our own' "Swadeshi" politicians are fanning hatred among "it's own" people in
the name of religion or caste.
Sun Nov 17 09:19:30 2002
Name: Shashi
Email: Shashidharap@indiatimes.com
Your Views: Why do we require one Bill Gates to help us to eradicate HIV/AIDS? Its all upto us. If follow our tradition,culture
and character, We can stop HIV spreading. Then all that we require to do is rehabilitate the victims. Why does Mr.Microsoft
comes to india ? If he is interested in HIV problem , he can as well go to other countries too who have HIV/AIDS problem. Its
only business with the drama of social work. Typical US hypocrisy. All Indians needs to be proud of their nation , whatever
comes on their way.
Sun Nov 17 09:23:49 2002
Name: Shama T P
Email: shamatp@hotmail.com
Your Views: Why do we even expect this to be an act of generosity ? I for one would be proud to declare 'Yes ! Bill Gates
was here for purely selfish reasons !' If he sees in India, a potential partner , whats wrong if he is trying to woo us with treats
like a package to fight AIDS ? And whats wrong if one of the reasons we are being looked at worldwide as a viable option for
outsourcing projects is because of cheap labour ? If we hadn't proved ourselves by giving consistent, reliable, quality products,
nobody would have touched us even if the labor was free ! Its a leftover of the socialist mentality.. expecting everyone to be
generous and altruistic towards us .. Why do we need to wrap Gates package for AIDS in the gaudy paper of 'altruism' to
accept it ? Lets look at it for what it is.. a move to win India over coz Microsoft sees potential in us.. and be proud of it.
Sun Nov 17 09:48:18 2002
Name: Ram Krishan
Email: cybersysncs@yahoo.com
Your Views: India is a cheaps source of IT talent. That is a given and a basic assumption. Atleast we are able to harness this
into a multimillion dollar import industry. What do people expect that we have no IT and just hope that we are able to get
foreign exchange by sitting around and praying ?
Sun Nov 17 09:50:43 2002
Name: bheem
Email: bheemesh_c@hotmail.com
Your Views: Humanity
Sun Nov 17 10:29:41 2002
Name: Nikunj Shah
Email: shahnikunj@hotmail.com
Your Views: Microsoft is an IT Legend. No Business men in the world will invest in charity unless it sees opportunity for the
future business. However, we indians, should appreciate this gesture instead of suspecting it with wild ideas. How many indian
cash rish company have invested in social cause. India is the second largest populated country. Imagine what it could do with
AIDS to the entire world population. So Bill Gates has done the right thing and good Focus and Vision That why Microsoft is
Micorsoft.
Sun Nov 17 10:47:37 2002
Name: Rathnaji
Email: svrathna@yahoo.com
Your Views: In my personal opinion, he wants to limit the Indian Administration with Microsoft only, this may help to avoid the
other players to enter into the fray. As for as the aid is concern it is acceptable and with this it should not be linked with the
developments in IT. IT is not Microsoft, Microsoft is the part of IT only.
Sun Nov 17 11:02:00 2002
Name: Sri
Email: astriex49008@yahoo.com
Your Views: The debate over Bill Gates showing generosity towards India is totally absurd. We don't seem to care to see if
our politicians in India spend some money towards the welfare of our people....but, of course we are very busy in our work to
do so!!! But the same doesnot seem to aplly when someone does want to do some charitable work....then we try to see the
fault in them.
Sun Nov 17 11:03:38 2002
Name: Sridharan Srinivasan
Email: sridharans@hotmail.com
Your Views: First and Foremost we should applaud the way Mr.Bill Gates has promise to do. As we know there lots of
people in India Rich and they donot want to spend one ruppee to own people. EveryBody will want something in return for
what you do, that is todays rule. I donot think there will be person like Mahatma Gandhi who is the only person who has done
for people without expecting anything in return for self. So we should pray god and thank Mr. Bill Gates for his generosity.
Sun Nov 17 11:29:25 2002
Name: Sriram
Email: spbfan@yahoo.com
Your Views: The rediff main page talks about "He came, He saw, He got some cheap labor!". Oh well, he need not have spent
$100 million to do it. He is already getting it (in the sense that if he sets up an expanded facility in India, the cost would work
out to be much cheaper than it is in the USA). Do we have so many well paid jobs in India that we would spurn a job offer
from MS? And, what if it is cheap, from a dollar perspective? I would like to think the package for an MS employee would be
decent and would let him/her earn a decent life. So, while one can argue (though I have reservations against this), to argue that
he donated for cheap labor just does not hold water.
Sun Nov 17 11:32:45 2002
Name: Vivek Shankar
Email: nvivekshankar@rediffmail.com
Your Views: William Gates is the best brand ambassador Microsoft has and he was performing this job to the fullest.All the
same ,his concern for india needs to be appreciated .After all,to spend the money he has spent ,there are many competing
countries.also india is just one market(Indians maybe god techies but india is still a developing country).So lets us not ascribe
motives owing to an inflated ego of ourselves.Of course ,indian govermement(s) and companies as also genereral public need to
guard themselves against a monopoly of a software.
Sun Nov 17 11:39:16 2002
Name: murali
Email: mmmurty@hotmail.com
Your Views: It's easier said than done. BG DONATED $100M to our country.To all those Indian critics of his action, my only
question is "Ask yourself what U've done for India ?".If U r taking time to think and answer yourself,I bet U failed.Never mind
all,as a citizen of a civilzed country , first and foremost we must show our gratitude for his generous action by applauding him
instead of thinking about the wildly sinister motives,which can only be the whims and fancies of a few. We thank you BG for
your concern to the humanity and your generosity to our India.
More messages:
'Both, business and charity. But there's nothing wrong with it'
'It's not fair to attribute motives to his generosity'
'It was 70% generosity and the rest business'
'This altruistic attempt should be appreciated'
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