It took just 40 years. Last week THE day arrived. When Indian ambassador in Washington DC handed over a cheque of US$ 50 million to the US govt, two plane loads of food, medical aid and other relief materials were waiting to fly to the USA. Time to break the fast? With no bad feeling about the USA, and good wishes for the Katrina victims, this humble Indian feels proud of the distance India has covered in 40 years. Let's celebrate a New India!"To me, technically, this is yet another spam playing upon my prejudices, my willingness, to feel good about myself, with any reason imaginable, any way possible.
- Vijay Kranti.
Dean - IIT Madras
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This and the previous mails that compared the Mumbai floods and the Katrina hurricane have taken Indian nationalism to a ridiculously laughable level. To be frank, this is the kind of jingoistic nationalism we might be well served to avoid. What is it about us that makes us want to shout it out so loud from the rooftops and tell people that "look, we are so good, look!". Or are we so insecure about our little realities inside that the fact that there were lesser casualties in Mumbai as compared to New Orleans or that our streets were not flooded as much as those in New Orleans becomes a nationally circulating email!
I have something to say about pride, though.
People detest you if they cannot share it with you.
So if you display pride in your achievements, you'll be branded a snob. But give others a chance to share your pride, example, talk about how great your community is, or how great your culture is, and you'll be welcomed all hands.
Pride, you know, comes in many colors. All you need to do is, wear the right color.
And why do people wear pride ? Well, I can come up with many superficial reasons, like it motivates you, or it is your birth-right, or it lies in the genes.
However, if you look a little more, underlying every pride, you'll find a deep-rooted insecurity, arising from the commonality and mortality of beings.
1 comment:
Hats off to you, my friend! I truly couldn't agree with you more. Well said. Our nation could do with more people like you, who have enough sense to not fall into the trap of misplaced patriotism (read fanaticism) - a trap that seems to have ensnared the majority of the populace, by the millions. I don't know which is worse - the fact that so many have warped logic, or that the few that don't, are forced to not voice their thoughts, because the majority always confuses dissent with disloyalty.
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