19 January 2015 - QA 2

This is my first time in India and I am sometimes shocked by the poverty and dirtiness. It is a paradox how this country has so much knowledge and is still like that. Why?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, India has a lot to learn from the West, and the West has to learn a lot from the East. We need to exchange whatever we are good at, because we are one global family.
Definitely you are correct, that’s why the first thing our Prime Minister took up is the 'Clean India Campaign'. Of course we in The Art Of Living have been doing this (Cleanliness campaigns) from a long time.

In the urban areas, you will find a lot of littering which you don’t find in Europe or in America. But see, the population here is much more, and the people need an orientation so that it can learn cleanliness, hygiene, punctuality, and all that from the West. So when you are here, if you want to walk around in India and teach the people, you are most welcome to do so. You have both the responsibilities - not only learning but also teaching.