So much has happened and there is so much to say. Today marks 10 years since the Kargil war. This was the first 'Indo-Pak' war I saw. Till then stories of the Indo-pak war, for me, were just legends. And here was an honor war being fought, against the colluded militants and Pak Army on Indian soil - at several thousand feet above sea level, in inaccessibly cold and icy mountain ranges. At that time, the war was being fought in the Himalayas, but we were watching it unfold in our living rooms. The blood of every Indian boiled, to see a soldier slain. That too soon after a very happy happy visit by the then Pak premier Musharraf to India. The betrayal and treachery seemed blatant. But all we could do was watch. But somewhere deep inside, most Indians felt that we would eventually win. Somehow or the other, the Satyameva Jayate concept kinda kept ringing out. And win we did! I remember the celebrations that rang out near where I lived when Tiger Hill was captured. I remember the sudden patriotic fervor that bubbled within us.
I also remember the debates that rang out in school about the whole war aspect. There was the question on whether India should have crossed the LoC while fighting the insurgents and nipping the weed in the bud and so on. At the time, almost all of us vociferously opposed the way India conducted herself in the war. Young blood spoke out, when we said that India should have crossed the LoC. Our reasoning was highly Keynesian! Extraordinary times can call for extraordinary measures. But then someone once told me, that everyone is a revolutionary sometime in life. And so were we.
Today on the 10th anniversary of Operation Vijay, we had around thirty of the finest officers of the Indian Army, Navy and Airforce, in a delegation led by the Commandant of the College of Defense Management (CDM), Rear Admiral Batra VSM along with Lt.General Aiyyengar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, an expert in defence strategy visit us on campus and they spoke about the Kargil war, the sterling leadership shown by every military person on the front and so on. Some things in the talk really stayed on in my mind.
For instance, he mentioned that India's stance of not crossing the LoC actually elevated her in terms of ethics in the eyes of the world. Our childhood revolutionary stance immediately sprang into mind. He then spoke of the brave and fearless officers on the front, who led by example taking a bullet in the chest while trying to protect their teams. It sounds very nice to hear these stories. But think of the deceased soldier's parents, relatives and friends, who perhaps squirm with grief each time they hear a mention of these valorous acts. Think of the number of houses and families that have been razed to the ground thanks to the concept of war. Think of the gross frivolity of war in itself. Think of the platoon leaders, the squadron leaders, the Air Chief Marshall, and everyone at the higher echelons who each day had to hear reports of casualties. The very people they knew and trained, and interacted with, were now part of a statistic - a death toll, another brave individual who had given the supreme sacrifice.
Which then brings me to talk about the new face of war these days. And that evokes images of 26/11 in Mumbai, (another 26, albeit a sad memory here). And then again, images of the commandos swinging into action to release hostages, fight the deranged terrorists springs to mind. Another whole bunch of lives lost. Another set of young India was being decimated in yet another war which serves no purpose. While drawing parallels, a thought struck my mind. After Kargil, the powers-that-be realized the intel was not strong, they did not get wind of the imminent attack; they also realized their gross unpreparedness for a war of that scale in such terrible terrain. But then again, when Mumbai lost Karkare, Kamte and Salaskar, there were talks of unpreparedness again. So, why did we not learn anything in 10 years?
One thing we must accept is the awe that the armed forces continue to inspire. They are perfectly disciplined, and the sheer nature of the people in the armed forces, their enthusiasm, dedication, ensures that the people of the nation can be at peace, rest assured that the country is in safe hands. I remember the feeling of reassurance when the commandos swooped into action in Mumbai during 26/11. But how can we respect these heroes for the selfless service they render to the civilian Indian population? The brave soldiers and policemen do not deserve just a posthumous memorial service and a citation, or a decoration. What we can do is to try to prevent these brave young Indians from having to perform the supreme sacrifice. That is when we would do our fallen heroes justice. So, Kargil - the memory remains, and the hope for a war-less, peaceful tomorrow lingers....
Showing posts with label Nationalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nationalism. Show all posts
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
A Patriot just because it's cool
Today's post is influenced by an article I read in yesterday's Mumbai Mirror. It actually got me thinking about this whole young generation 'desigiri'. Yeah, only we'll call it desigiri and not patriotism or social consciousness. Almost all the points that the lady had written there seemed to make complete sense. After seeing the movie Rang De Basanti, my response was similar. That it takes a tragedy to affect one personally to actually take cognizance of a greater evil. And here, we were perpetuating that exact same truth! An RAF personnel reportedly remarked, that such hostage situations were commonplace in Assam and J&K. So such mass massacres by terrorists and extremists with 'twisted ideologies' (quoting Obama's words) happen elsewhere in India. But it has taken all of us so long to actually raise our voice against this nonsense.
I ask, " In what way is a Jaipur or an Ahmedabad or a Delhi lesser than Mumbai?"
I ask, " Why do 200 dead people scream louder than 20, 40 or 60 dead people?"
I ask, " Why do the dead at Taj and Oberoi hurt the conscience more than those dead at CST?"
I ask, " Why does a politician's conscience begin to hurt after 200 people die and not when there is a gross 'dereliction of duty'?"
I ask, " Why does 'patriotism' show up on Orkut, Facebook and Twitter when India faces a crisis and not otherwise?"
I ask, " Why does this 'patriotism' suddenly surface amongst Indians sitting in foreign lands while all the time they were in India, they associated India with filth and flies?"
Just rip this whole new wave of socio-political consciousness and look within. What do you see? NOTHING!
An acquaintance of Indian origin who has been living in a 'dehaati' (bucolic) part, if I may say so, of the US since the past 4 years, asked me 3 days after Obama was elected whether the news of his election had reached India yet. And now this very same acquaintance's heart bleeds and blood boils with anger at the gross neglect his city faces. How duplicitous can we be?????
Beauty is not skin deep. Likewise patriotism is not the solidarity you show on a social networking site. 'I was in the middle of the action, since I too commiserated with the city by tweeting' is by and far a terrible farcical show of fake 'solidarity'. It remains at best, yet another show of ostentatious desigiri - because it is uber cool to be desi in Firangiland.
Yes, I am angry at the slipshod security. Yes, I am distressed at the number of lacerations my city has been given by terrorists. But I am even more distressed at the bleakness of the situation and the gross lack of sensitivity displayed by the citizens of our country and the politicians alike. Yes, I am guilty of writing so much (for whatever it's worth) when Mumbai is hurt and only spending a quiet moment for the numbers killed by terrorists at various other locations in India.
Here is the article that got me thinking....
Pseudo-patriotism: Certainly not the action we need
Are we really patriotic? Do we care equally for victims of the CST attack as we care about those dining at the Taj’s Wasabi?
SANJANA HARIBHAKTI
Newspapers, magazines, TV channels and even on-line forums are all alive with a newfound furore. Indians of all ages, economic groups and religions are suddenly talking about concepts such as solidarity and patriotism. All of a sudden, talking about starting a movement, all of a sudden so bothered with our government and our politicians. People who didn’t know Shivraj Patil existed are starting Facebook groups called ‘Sack Shivraj Patil’. Very ‘Rang de Basanti’ don’t you think? Being proactive, taking a stand, taking initiative and acting together are all positive decisions but only if implemented in the long term.
If only our country and our people actually believed and lived by the principles and concepts that they are currently obsessing over. It is delightful for anyone to see this sudden enthusiasm until you see through it and realise it is a farce of sorts. Why is it that it takes an event of this magnitude to get people to care? And if it is purely because of this event, as always the ‘spirit of Mumbai’ will make sure that the terrorist attacks will be forgotten soon, life will return to normal and with that, all the enthusiasm will also fade. The same people posting hundreds of notes and creating online groups will once again become blissfully unaware of the looming issues that our country faces and instead return their thoughts and focus onto more pressing concerns such as why the new Gucci collection is late to reach Mumbai.
It is amazing how many times I’ve heard “This country is crap. There’s nothing we can do to change that fact. So we want to leave as soon as we can and never come back.” And yet these are the same people who, to sound ‘politically correct’ talk about patriotism. When ministers and politicians try to gain mileage from this tragedy and sound ‘concerned’ and ‘politically correct’, we’re quick to dismiss it as ‘disgusting’. But when we do the same, it is somehow acceptable.
The people yelling their lungs out about patriotism don’t know a thing about it. Patriotism is not about standing up and showing support for the people of your country only after a terrorist attack. It is about loving your country to a point where you are aware and critical about its flaws; it is about being equally concerned about every citizen; it is about directing your pointed finger of blame towards yourself for a change rather than at politicians and policy-makers. Because in all honesty, are we really patriotic? Do we care about the pollution, bad health care, corruption and myriad issues that plague our nation? Are we even aware about these? Do we care equally for the victims of train blasts who were travelling in the second class bogey as we care about those dining at Wasabi? In our day-to-day lives, are we truly good citizens that behave in a way in which we not only cause no damage to the nation but also try and prevent it?
The dismal truth is that we litter the streets of Mumbai even as we speak about patriotism, we do not respect the hard-working BMC workers who keep our city clean and we ignore the crippling poverty that stares us in the face everyday. And it is also a sad truth that we did not come together this way during the train blasts or any other terrorist attack! It extends beyond our action. According to media reports, the families of victims of the CST attack were made to wait for hours and shuffle from hospital to hospital just to collect the corpses of their loved ones. And on the other hand, the families of the victims of the Taj and Oberoi attacks were not troubled at all and in fact assisted by senior police officers in finding the bodies of their loved ones. So why can’t we have uniformity?
It is an abuse to the whole idea of equality. Because in our heart of hearts, if we believed the lives of those dead in the train blasts and those killed at CST to be equal to those massacred at the Taj and Oberoi, our actions would have been different. It is an uncomfortable truth; one that defies our very constitution, which states that, our great nation is built on the idea of “equality of status and opportunity”.
The Preamble of our Constitution states that we are the “sovereign, socialist, secular democracy of India”. What sovereign nation allows outfits like the MNS to control our financial capital and get away without any judicial action? What socialist nation values lives based on bank account balances? What secular nation is besieged with communal issues so great that it is etched into our minds that this was an attack by ‘Muslim’ terrorists rather than an attack against our nation in its entirety? And lastly, isn’t it a perversion of democracy that we give propaganda enough power to brainwash a billion people and thus stifle our true freedom of thought and expression? If we want to take action, we must start by introspection. We can only act once we realise our own flaws. And when we do, we will be a force to reckon with. One that is united and patriotic.
I ask, " In what way is a Jaipur or an Ahmedabad or a Delhi lesser than Mumbai?"
I ask, " Why do 200 dead people scream louder than 20, 40 or 60 dead people?"
I ask, " Why do the dead at Taj and Oberoi hurt the conscience more than those dead at CST?"
I ask, " Why does a politician's conscience begin to hurt after 200 people die and not when there is a gross 'dereliction of duty'?"
I ask, " Why does 'patriotism' show up on Orkut, Facebook and Twitter when India faces a crisis and not otherwise?"
I ask, " Why does this 'patriotism' suddenly surface amongst Indians sitting in foreign lands while all the time they were in India, they associated India with filth and flies?"
Just rip this whole new wave of socio-political consciousness and look within. What do you see? NOTHING!
An acquaintance of Indian origin who has been living in a 'dehaati' (bucolic) part, if I may say so, of the US since the past 4 years, asked me 3 days after Obama was elected whether the news of his election had reached India yet. And now this very same acquaintance's heart bleeds and blood boils with anger at the gross neglect his city faces. How duplicitous can we be?????
Beauty is not skin deep. Likewise patriotism is not the solidarity you show on a social networking site. 'I was in the middle of the action, since I too commiserated with the city by tweeting' is by and far a terrible farcical show of fake 'solidarity'. It remains at best, yet another show of ostentatious desigiri - because it is uber cool to be desi in Firangiland.
Yes, I am angry at the slipshod security. Yes, I am distressed at the number of lacerations my city has been given by terrorists. But I am even more distressed at the bleakness of the situation and the gross lack of sensitivity displayed by the citizens of our country and the politicians alike. Yes, I am guilty of writing so much (for whatever it's worth) when Mumbai is hurt and only spending a quiet moment for the numbers killed by terrorists at various other locations in India.
Here is the article that got me thinking....
Pseudo-patriotism: Certainly not the action we need
Are we really patriotic? Do we care equally for victims of the CST attack as we care about those dining at the Taj’s Wasabi?
SANJANA HARIBHAKTI
Newspapers, magazines, TV channels and even on-line forums are all alive with a newfound furore. Indians of all ages, economic groups and religions are suddenly talking about concepts such as solidarity and patriotism. All of a sudden, talking about starting a movement, all of a sudden so bothered with our government and our politicians. People who didn’t know Shivraj Patil existed are starting Facebook groups called ‘Sack Shivraj Patil’. Very ‘Rang de Basanti’ don’t you think? Being proactive, taking a stand, taking initiative and acting together are all positive decisions but only if implemented in the long term.
If only our country and our people actually believed and lived by the principles and concepts that they are currently obsessing over. It is delightful for anyone to see this sudden enthusiasm until you see through it and realise it is a farce of sorts. Why is it that it takes an event of this magnitude to get people to care? And if it is purely because of this event, as always the ‘spirit of Mumbai’ will make sure that the terrorist attacks will be forgotten soon, life will return to normal and with that, all the enthusiasm will also fade. The same people posting hundreds of notes and creating online groups will once again become blissfully unaware of the looming issues that our country faces and instead return their thoughts and focus onto more pressing concerns such as why the new Gucci collection is late to reach Mumbai.
It is amazing how many times I’ve heard “This country is crap. There’s nothing we can do to change that fact. So we want to leave as soon as we can and never come back.” And yet these are the same people who, to sound ‘politically correct’ talk about patriotism. When ministers and politicians try to gain mileage from this tragedy and sound ‘concerned’ and ‘politically correct’, we’re quick to dismiss it as ‘disgusting’. But when we do the same, it is somehow acceptable.
The people yelling their lungs out about patriotism don’t know a thing about it. Patriotism is not about standing up and showing support for the people of your country only after a terrorist attack. It is about loving your country to a point where you are aware and critical about its flaws; it is about being equally concerned about every citizen; it is about directing your pointed finger of blame towards yourself for a change rather than at politicians and policy-makers. Because in all honesty, are we really patriotic? Do we care about the pollution, bad health care, corruption and myriad issues that plague our nation? Are we even aware about these? Do we care equally for the victims of train blasts who were travelling in the second class bogey as we care about those dining at Wasabi? In our day-to-day lives, are we truly good citizens that behave in a way in which we not only cause no damage to the nation but also try and prevent it?
The dismal truth is that we litter the streets of Mumbai even as we speak about patriotism, we do not respect the hard-working BMC workers who keep our city clean and we ignore the crippling poverty that stares us in the face everyday. And it is also a sad truth that we did not come together this way during the train blasts or any other terrorist attack! It extends beyond our action. According to media reports, the families of victims of the CST attack were made to wait for hours and shuffle from hospital to hospital just to collect the corpses of their loved ones. And on the other hand, the families of the victims of the Taj and Oberoi attacks were not troubled at all and in fact assisted by senior police officers in finding the bodies of their loved ones. So why can’t we have uniformity?
It is an abuse to the whole idea of equality. Because in our heart of hearts, if we believed the lives of those dead in the train blasts and those killed at CST to be equal to those massacred at the Taj and Oberoi, our actions would have been different. It is an uncomfortable truth; one that defies our very constitution, which states that, our great nation is built on the idea of “equality of status and opportunity”.
The Preamble of our Constitution states that we are the “sovereign, socialist, secular democracy of India”. What sovereign nation allows outfits like the MNS to control our financial capital and get away without any judicial action? What socialist nation values lives based on bank account balances? What secular nation is besieged with communal issues so great that it is etched into our minds that this was an attack by ‘Muslim’ terrorists rather than an attack against our nation in its entirety? And lastly, isn’t it a perversion of democracy that we give propaganda enough power to brainwash a billion people and thus stifle our true freedom of thought and expression? If we want to take action, we must start by introspection. We can only act once we realise our own flaws. And when we do, we will be a force to reckon with. One that is united and patriotic.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Stop this nonsense
Here we are, celebrating 61 years of independence, and there, in the Kashmir valley, we have separatists flaunting their flags, their dissension and their dissatisfaction at being a part of India! Now, when we need a united India to fight her bigger problems of corruption, inflation, poverty, illiteracy and gender and caste discrimination, here are some people tagging onto the separation agenda. All the time, so many people keep harping, literally that the USP of India is her unity in diversity. So many cultures, so many languages, dialects. India is the bedrock of 3 independent religions - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainisim. We have embraced all religions and everyone is allowed to practise what they want to, as long as they don't end up being a menace for someone else. Now, in what way is this stance 'not secular'? In what way is the essence of Kashmiris jeopardized here? They seek independence you say? And we have journalists and columnists calling the Kashmiri struggle similar to the Indian struggle against the Raj! Now, does India bleed Kashmir for revenues? Does India milk Kashmir for industrial output and natural resources, and divert all such revenues to other places, leaving Kashmir high and dry, writhing in pain and suffering? Not really. India pumps in a huge amount of money into Kashmir, and prosperity is evident. We have figures that say that Kashmir has the lowest poverty rate in India! Now, I don't really think the Raj did that to India.
The biggest canker in the Indian soul is the politicization of democracy. In the name of democracy, almost everyone is given a free hand. We want to honor the words of everyone. But at what cost? We have Hurriyat leaders who are ostentatiously pro Pakistan. By opening up of the Muzaffarabad highway, we are inviting terrorists through other routes, terrorists who already have a free terrorism visa stamped by ISI and the Pakistan army. And who endorses these views? Politicians, all with their own vote-monging agenda! They have their own personal agenda, and who better supporters than gullible youths, who can quite comfortably be brainwashed into believing what is best for them? The world condemns terrorism, and some people see personal gains in the act. Is democracy and patience justified in condoning such acts? How long should we as a nation brook such nonsense? How many more jawans and majors, true sons of the soil who are sacrificing their lives for the sovereignty of the nation, should we lose? How many more war widows must we create? How many more orphans must we leave in the wake of the J&K issue?
Separation and partisan politics, if it were the solution, 61 years ago, Patel and Nehru wouldn't have embarked on a mammoth mission to integrate the nation. They wouldn't have gone on discussion after discussion with every princely state and whimsical ruler to integrate with India. Today, if we were to acquiesce to the separation requirements of Kashmiris, tomorrow, Punjab will say they want a separate Khalistan. Can we live without our Punjabi and Sardarji brothers? Next, Tamil Nadu will say they want to go their own way. Would we allow that? Forget those states, if Mumbai and Bangalore decide to be independent, fending for themselves, feeding only themselves and protecting their frontiers, without contributing a cent to the center, would J&K, Punjab, AP, Karnataka, MP survive?
A nation is built by unity. Unity in spite of being poles apart. It is a marriage. A marriage of ideologies. A compromise and a willingness to co-exist. If a Hindu-Muslim marriage can survive the odds, in spite of family pressures, why can't a nation full of discerning young people stand up and speak sense to the separatists and the politicians who provide their tacit approval? Why not find a way to live in peace, without bringing religion in the way. If tomorrow the USA were to declare Pakistan a terrorist state and deploy troops all over Pakistan, would Kashmir still want to join Pakistan. And if they were so 'islam-friendly' and 'Indian secularism averse', does Saudi Arabia want them to renounce Kashmir and come over en masse to stay in Saudi Arabia?
I don't speak as a Hindu. I speak as an Indian. I myself have very close friends from all religions. We share our joys, our events and we understand that life is beyond all such petty things as religion, community and hatred! But there is a limit to what India can bear. A limit to her tolerance. She is after all a woman and 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'. So do not speak separation and independence. Prosperity and happiness lie in togetherness and unity. No Jai Kashmir and Jai Madhya Pradesh. But Jai Hind, Jai Bharat - One India at all time.
The biggest canker in the Indian soul is the politicization of democracy. In the name of democracy, almost everyone is given a free hand. We want to honor the words of everyone. But at what cost? We have Hurriyat leaders who are ostentatiously pro Pakistan. By opening up of the Muzaffarabad highway, we are inviting terrorists through other routes, terrorists who already have a free terrorism visa stamped by ISI and the Pakistan army. And who endorses these views? Politicians, all with their own vote-monging agenda! They have their own personal agenda, and who better supporters than gullible youths, who can quite comfortably be brainwashed into believing what is best for them? The world condemns terrorism, and some people see personal gains in the act. Is democracy and patience justified in condoning such acts? How long should we as a nation brook such nonsense? How many more jawans and majors, true sons of the soil who are sacrificing their lives for the sovereignty of the nation, should we lose? How many more war widows must we create? How many more orphans must we leave in the wake of the J&K issue?
Separation and partisan politics, if it were the solution, 61 years ago, Patel and Nehru wouldn't have embarked on a mammoth mission to integrate the nation. They wouldn't have gone on discussion after discussion with every princely state and whimsical ruler to integrate with India. Today, if we were to acquiesce to the separation requirements of Kashmiris, tomorrow, Punjab will say they want a separate Khalistan. Can we live without our Punjabi and Sardarji brothers? Next, Tamil Nadu will say they want to go their own way. Would we allow that? Forget those states, if Mumbai and Bangalore decide to be independent, fending for themselves, feeding only themselves and protecting their frontiers, without contributing a cent to the center, would J&K, Punjab, AP, Karnataka, MP survive?
A nation is built by unity. Unity in spite of being poles apart. It is a marriage. A marriage of ideologies. A compromise and a willingness to co-exist. If a Hindu-Muslim marriage can survive the odds, in spite of family pressures, why can't a nation full of discerning young people stand up and speak sense to the separatists and the politicians who provide their tacit approval? Why not find a way to live in peace, without bringing religion in the way. If tomorrow the USA were to declare Pakistan a terrorist state and deploy troops all over Pakistan, would Kashmir still want to join Pakistan. And if they were so 'islam-friendly' and 'Indian secularism averse', does Saudi Arabia want them to renounce Kashmir and come over en masse to stay in Saudi Arabia?
I don't speak as a Hindu. I speak as an Indian. I myself have very close friends from all religions. We share our joys, our events and we understand that life is beyond all such petty things as religion, community and hatred! But there is a limit to what India can bear. A limit to her tolerance. She is after all a woman and 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'. So do not speak separation and independence. Prosperity and happiness lie in togetherness and unity. No Jai Kashmir and Jai Madhya Pradesh. But Jai Hind, Jai Bharat - One India at all time.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Happy Independence Day - 61 years of aspiration
Today, 61 years ago, we were freed from the clutches of the British Colonial reign. A momentous achievement indeed for the founders of our nation, who discarded money & a cushy lifestyle, and donned Khadi to be able to live in India ruled by herself. They had stars in their eyes, as they built a nation brick by brick, uniting, educating, employing Indians - Independent sovereign Indians. They dreamt about an India - industrialized, rich, powerful. 
They dreamt of Indians - united in equality, educated, employed, satisfied, happy.
Today, 61 years later, I am tempted to ask, are we there yet? Are we even a tiny percentage of that yet? Well, not really. We still have discrimination based on caste in the remote rural parts of India. Well, reservation compounds the problem. Reservation is also a form of discrimination, wherein we are embossing the caste divide. We try to wipe out caste differences and the discriminated people try to forget the past, but our vote-mongers cannot allow this to just fade away! Higher education, which has been and will always be our USP as Indians is in serious jeopardy, as we become a politicised population and not a meritocratic population. Female infanticide and foeticide is an evil that looms in remote rural India. Corruption is still sky high. The crude, ugly form. One needs to shell out Rs. 2500 for a Rs 600 activity, in order to feed the corrupt. Our bridges and flyovers take years to get completed. Infrastructure is crippled. Pollution is a threat waiting to raise its ugly head. Terrorists have a field day in India, targeting poor, innocent people, over and over and over again. Inflation is no doubt high as well.
Whew! But then, life is never like driving on an autobahn! We have our issues. But our issues are not as full blown as it is in other countries. Ok, I agree, no comparisons. But well, in 61 years, we have risen from a plundered colony to a future economic superpower. Kudos to Dr Manmohan Singh, who has silently but surely forged India's path to the world. At a time, when India was teetering on debt, we started economic reforms. And now, the Indian railways is the only profit making railway enterprise in the world, in the category of its scale and reach. We still live by our principles. Never once have we made an aggressive move over any other country, but we have succeeded in thwarting 2 such attempts by our 'honorable' neighbors. We are not trailblazers in sport, but we have won some medals. A little nurturing and some time, will take us there. And in all these years, we do have a cricket World Cup, and a T20 World Cup in our fold!
Our strength is in our youth, our people. They, at least most of them aspire to make India proud. One of my friends remarked the other day, that many of his friends in US, who have migrated from India, are open, and sometimes keen to come back, after raking in some moolah. But the same cannot be said of immigrants from say China, or anywhere in Africa. They seemed to have run away, since they could not stand the crime and human rights violations. So, our super educated youth, with a will and a wish, are not averse to coming back and building India. And I have to conclude with one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies - Shawshank Redemption - "Hope is a good thing. Maybe one of the best things. And a good thing never dies." JAI HIND!
They dreamt of Indians - united in equality, educated, employed, satisfied, happy.Today, 61 years later, I am tempted to ask, are we there yet? Are we even a tiny percentage of that yet? Well, not really. We still have discrimination based on caste in the remote rural parts of India. Well, reservation compounds the problem. Reservation is also a form of discrimination, wherein we are embossing the caste divide. We try to wipe out caste differences and the discriminated people try to forget the past, but our vote-mongers cannot allow this to just fade away! Higher education, which has been and will always be our USP as Indians is in serious jeopardy, as we become a politicised population and not a meritocratic population. Female infanticide and foeticide is an evil that looms in remote rural India. Corruption is still sky high. The crude, ugly form. One needs to shell out Rs. 2500 for a Rs 600 activity, in order to feed the corrupt. Our bridges and flyovers take years to get completed. Infrastructure is crippled. Pollution is a threat waiting to raise its ugly head. Terrorists have a field day in India, targeting poor, innocent people, over and over and over again. Inflation is no doubt high as well.
Whew! But then, life is never like driving on an autobahn! We have our issues. But our issues are not as full blown as it is in other countries. Ok, I agree, no comparisons. But well, in 61 years, we have risen from a plundered colony to a future economic superpower. Kudos to Dr Manmohan Singh, who has silently but surely forged India's path to the world. At a time, when India was teetering on debt, we started economic reforms. And now, the Indian railways is the only profit making railway enterprise in the world, in the category of its scale and reach. We still live by our principles. Never once have we made an aggressive move over any other country, but we have succeeded in thwarting 2 such attempts by our 'honorable' neighbors. We are not trailblazers in sport, but we have won some medals. A little nurturing and some time, will take us there. And in all these years, we do have a cricket World Cup, and a T20 World Cup in our fold!
Our strength is in our youth, our people. They, at least most of them aspire to make India proud. One of my friends remarked the other day, that many of his friends in US, who have migrated from India, are open, and sometimes keen to come back, after raking in some moolah. But the same cannot be said of immigrants from say China, or anywhere in Africa. They seemed to have run away, since they could not stand the crime and human rights violations. So, our super educated youth, with a will and a wish, are not averse to coming back and building India. And I have to conclude with one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies - Shawshank Redemption - "Hope is a good thing. Maybe one of the best things. And a good thing never dies." JAI HIND!
Independence day - A moment for a memory
The true meaning of Independence day becomes apparent when we are not anywhere near Indianness. Last year, we were all working on Independence Day. For the first time, we felt the need or the value of that holiday. Usually all we do on I-Day is louse around and enjoy the day off. But not this time. So, all we Indians, gathered together and decided to dress up like Indians or at least wear colors from the Indian flag. We wanted to sing the anthem and generally assert that we were Indians. But then, we were told that those activities may not be brooked too much. Plus, who wanted to mess with the client, when he was already at our throats, waiting for an opportunity to draw blood??? So, there we were all dressed up as well as we could. All of us ke
pt up the spirit, including some desis at the client place. We all were proud of being Indian, especially in a foreign place. I guess it was more of the pride in being unique, but yeah, our patriotism was at its max! I guess, given the fact that we were in a totally Indian – oblivious setting, gave us a bigger wish to prove our uniqueness. You know, the ‘I celebrate what you can’t understand’ sort of defiance. Well, Zengin remarked that we should go to the Brit there and tell him, “ Aaj hi ke din hamaare logon ne tumhaare logon ko dhakke maar ke bhagaaya tha!”
We went for a desi lunch at Taj, complete with sweets, and celebrated the lunch as though it were a day of very high significance in our rather insignificant lives. At that time, Ash asked a question, I still haven’t been able to find the answer to. We were all harping on and on about ‘my country’, being first rate citizens, a sense of belonging, a sense of identification with the culture, the race. So the question was – ‘Do you really think all that makes a difference? I feel that any country is home, as long as I have friends and family there.’ I was vehement in denying that, saying I loved the essence of my land and so on, but on hind sight, looking at the everyday struggle to survive, in terms of crowded trains, traffic, a feeble infrastructure, corruption, ineffectiveness of leaders and the like, I am being forced to reconsider my stance. So, please do comment on what your take is, on this point, because sincerely, I haven’t been able to make up my mind!
And then, after thoroughly enjoying lunch, we all got back and gathering together, we Indians posed for pictures. Indians united in independence. Jai Hind!
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