So what is Indianness for us? After all, don't we celebrate with pride Team India's or Team BCCI's (whatever you may like) rare test win in WI after a dismal performance throughout the series? Don't we glorify the likes Mittals and Jindals, just because they were born in India and ignoring the fact that they have done nothing worthwhile for India otherwise? Don't we experience a sense of false pride when news channels across India claim that India will overpower US in years to come? Don't we salute our soldiers just two days before the Independence day or Republic day and forget about them for the rest of 360 odd days? Don't we hail the Indo-US nuke deal without knowing its highs and lows just because we feel at par with US? Don't we wish Shashi Tharoor to win the top UN post though that will not change the fate of millions back home? We do all this and more almost religiously every year and still we lack Indianness? I must be kidding, but that is the truth. I shall exempt Indians living in India from this discussion, not because they have patriotism flowing in their blood but because they interact mostly with their fellow Indians and not with the global audience. The protagonists for my discussion are Indians living abroad for the past several years (not all though), and few working professionals and students studying abroad who love everything about the west and hate everything about India. Unfortunately, most of them are still figuring out the Indian in themselves. And in this utter state of confusion they do not shy away from ridiculing India time and again and picturing a sorry state of India globally.
For me Indianness comes from within. The force that makes you stand against all odds defending your country's culture, tradition and its position in front of the so called firangis. But for most of us living abroad, we love to deviate in favor of the more luring opportunities provided by the goras. Fair enough as long as we don't put our country's reputation at stake. Unfortunately, it is not the case with most (or few, whichever seems more soothing) of us. We crib about almost anything and everything about our country in their presence just to give their bloated egos a high and in return expect some favors if at all. So we tell, often exaggerate to our white friends that Indian airports are the filthiest in the world, that it is a must to pay bribe to the custom officers if you want to reach home (I have been to India thrice and never have I paid bribe), that the education system facilitates rote power as all exams are closed book giving you no opportunity to learn and US education system is excellent as it allows for open book exams (ironically they still need us to fill their graduate seats), that you will see people spitting on roads almost every minute in India, that corruption is deep rooted in our system and that is why we have chosen to come here, that they prefer to call over their parents here than visiting India to avoid pollution and infections, that US was right in rejecting visa to Narendra Modi and for stripping George Fernandez, that Indian concept of arranged marriage is all crap and it is wonderful to go for live-in relationship, that there are always traffic jams and what not. Agreed, most of it is might be true but what does one gain by subjecting one's motherland to ridicule and sarcasm in front of strangers - yes strangers because even if they are our guides or bosses, they have nothing to do with India. Unfortunately, most of us fail to realize that it is the performance that earns favors from the goras and not mud slinging at one's heartland and praising their countries. And if that is not enough, then you have the famous North Indian - South Indian divide to showcase to them - that North Indians represent the real India or South Indians represent the intellect of modern India whichever side you are on. And still they call themselves proud Indians because they attend the India Day on 15th August to increase their visibility and networking in the Indian community.
Which country does not have its set of problems? So is US corruption free or for that matter aren't there any traffic jams on the I 90s in US? But they have great ambassadors to their country - their people. In my few years of stay here in US, I have never seen an American cribbing about Bush's foreign policy publicly in front of people from other nationalities even though most of them despise it. Never have they openly cribbed about the increasing rate of divorces, increase in crime, increase in corruption at the highest level, etc. There position might also not be rosy but they always present a united face in front of the rest of the world. And we fall short in this. If people like us who are working or studying abroad and can be expected to have at least some intellect, project India in a poor taste, why do we blame our politicians of ruining the image of the nation - at least we know they are illiterate, or for that matter why do we blame thousands of uneducated youth of taking up anti-national activities?
It's often said - "it is all in the mind" and this applies to all of us. We have to change our mind set. We have to learn to be great ambassadors of our country without being selfish unlike Aishwarya Rai or Amitabh Bachchan or SRK who speak about India only when they are in US to promote their movies or at an IIFA promotional event and that too when asked by media persons. We got to live and breathe India, no matter where we are and what we do. We do not need to crib about the state of our nation in front of few thousand Americans or Brits as they will neither help us in our promotions nor will help India anyways. Rather discuss (not crib) about our state with millions of fellow Indians and maybe you might inspire few Rang De Basanti heroes to take up the mantle of reigniting the Indian in you. And that is what Indianness is to me.....live India, love India and die India.
Vande Mataram
(Saurabh Saksena is an engineer in a reputed power company in Boston, USA. These are his personal views.)About the AuthorSaurabh Saksena Saurabh Saksena is the co-founder of Bharat Votes. He is a Power Systems engineer by profession and currently works in reputed utility near Boston. He...Read Morefirst published:September 21, 2006, 19:07 ISTlast updated:September 21, 2006, 19:07 IST
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It is always a treasured moment for an Indian to visit India for the first time after coming to an alien nation either for a job or higher studies. Moreover, you feel overtly sentimental as Air India makes a shaky landing at your preferred Indian airport. You feel like SRK of Swades as if you are coming for good without caring a damn for the completion of your MS degree. I still remember the excitement that had gripped my senses throughout my first journey back to New Delhi, needless to mention the pride of being an Indian, though I had done nothing to make my nation proud. As the plane landed and briefest of unexpected power outage took place inside the plane, exclaimed a modern NRI woman, "Welcome to India". If that was a sly remark for your motherland, the reaction of most of the other passengers laughing out loud (LOL, we refer in chat lingo) was more hurting and it left a scar on one of my most treasured moments. On one of the domestic flights in Uncle Sam's country, lights went off for a blink of the eye and fresh from the ignominy imposed by the NRI lady, I hit back "Welcome to San Francisco". And I received a stare from almost all in my vicinity. The difference was clear. That day I felt that the basic sense of Indianness is lacking in most of us living abroad.
So what is Indianness for us? After all, don't we celebrate with pride Team India's or Team BCCI's (whatever you may like) rare test win in WI after a dismal performance throughout the series? Don't we glorify the likes Mittals and Jindals, just because they were born in India and ignoring the fact that they have done nothing worthwhile for India otherwise? Don't we experience a sense of false pride when news channels across India claim that India will overpower US in years to come? Don't we salute our soldiers just two days before the Independence day or Republic day and forget about them for the rest of 360 odd days? Don't we hail the Indo-US nuke deal without knowing its highs and lows just because we feel at par with US? Don't we wish Shashi Tharoor to win the top UN post though that will not change the fate of millions back home? We do all this and more almost religiously every year and still we lack Indianness? I must be kidding, but that is the truth. I shall exempt Indians living in India from this discussion, not because they have patriotism flowing in their blood but because they interact mostly with their fellow Indians and not with the global audience. The protagonists for my discussion are Indians living abroad for the past several years (not all though), and few working professionals and students studying abroad who love everything about the west and hate everything about India. Unfortunately, most of them are still figuring out the Indian in themselves. And in this utter state of confusion they do not shy away from ridiculing India time and again and picturing a sorry state of India globally.
For me Indianness comes from within. The force that makes you stand against all odds defending your country's culture, tradition and its position in front of the so called firangis. But for most of us living abroad, we love to deviate in favor of the more luring opportunities provided by the goras. Fair enough as long as we don't put our country's reputation at stake. Unfortunately, it is not the case with most (or few, whichever seems more soothing) of us. We crib about almost anything and everything about our country in their presence just to give their bloated egos a high and in return expect some favors if at all. So we tell, often exaggerate to our white friends that Indian airports are the filthiest in the world, that it is a must to pay bribe to the custom officers if you want to reach home (I have been to India thrice and never have I paid bribe), that the education system facilitates rote power as all exams are closed book giving you no opportunity to learn and US education system is excellent as it allows for open book exams (ironically they still need us to fill their graduate seats), that you will see people spitting on roads almost every minute in India, that corruption is deep rooted in our system and that is why we have chosen to come here, that they prefer to call over their parents here than visiting India to avoid pollution and infections, that US was right in rejecting visa to Narendra Modi and for stripping George Fernandez, that Indian concept of arranged marriage is all crap and it is wonderful to go for live-in relationship, that there are always traffic jams and what not. Agreed, most of it is might be true but what does one gain by subjecting one's motherland to ridicule and sarcasm in front of strangers - yes strangers because even if they are our guides or bosses, they have nothing to do with India. Unfortunately, most of us fail to realize that it is the performance that earns favors from the goras and not mud slinging at one's heartland and praising their countries. And if that is not enough, then you have the famous North Indian - South Indian divide to showcase to them - that North Indians represent the real India or South Indians represent the intellect of modern India whichever side you are on. And still they call themselves proud Indians because they attend the India Day on 15th August to increase their visibility and networking in the Indian community.
Which country does not have its set of problems? So is US corruption free or for that matter aren't there any traffic jams on the I 90s in US? But they have great ambassadors to their country - their people. In my few years of stay here in US, I have never seen an American cribbing about Bush's foreign policy publicly in front of people from other nationalities even though most of them despise it. Never have they openly cribbed about the increasing rate of divorces, increase in crime, increase in corruption at the highest level, etc. There position might also not be rosy but they always present a united face in front of the rest of the world. And we fall short in this. If people like us who are working or studying abroad and can be expected to have at least some intellect, project India in a poor taste, why do we blame our politicians of ruining the image of the nation - at least we know they are illiterate, or for that matter why do we blame thousands of uneducated youth of taking up anti-national activities?
It's often said - "it is all in the mind" and this applies to all of us. We have to change our mind set. We have to learn to be great ambassadors of our country without being selfish unlike Aishwarya Rai or Amitabh Bachchan or SRK who speak about India only when they are in US to promote their movies or at an IIFA promotional event and that too when asked by media persons. We got to live and breathe India, no matter where we are and what we do. We do not need to crib about the state of our nation in front of few thousand Americans or Brits as they will neither help us in our promotions nor will help India anyways. Rather discuss (not crib) about our state with millions of fellow Indians and maybe you might inspire few Rang De Basanti heroes to take up the mantle of reigniting the Indian in you. And that is what Indianness is to me.....live India, love India and die India.
Vande Mataram
(Saurabh Saksena is an engineer in a reputed power company in Boston, USA. These are his personal views.)
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