Being Indian

Often I’ve wondered in my mind, what is so remarkable to be an Indian? ‘cause no matter how much we boast about it, one can’t keep those typical images off his mind- those of bustling crowd, poverty, street children, corruption, political unrest and the list goes on. They can definitely not make us proud to live in a country like this! So when you say you love India despite all these, either you are blinded by the love for your country or you are stupid. And at times I find it more relevant to call the people of India today as big stupid fools than the good-for-nothing, careless and all-enduring country-lovers, for apparently, you can’t love a country like this.  Or, can you?

        Well, let’s not go through the clichéd details of what our country had produced for over decades, where it could have reached had it not been ruled by foreigners for years or what great potential it holds to be the game changing nation in the next 50 yrs. Most nations possess their own heart-wrenching stories of past and heightened hopes for future. And odds are, India would probably take some more decades to make it to where we yearn to see her in. Truth is, we still remain a nation of constant foolery.

        Let’s hold onto that anger that is raging inside and face the bitter facts. Has it not been long enough to bask in our past glories? Isn’t it a shame for us all Indians to keep enduring whatever we find bad or unacceptable in our country? How often do you hear about a nation going hysterical about a particular sports icon where there are people dying out of hunger in the same? People worshipping movie stars like they are going to come down and feed their families! But then, there’s a bit more to that.

        You can understand India only if you have a deep sense of passion, endurance and liveliness. For a moment just stop being logical, ‘cause it’s beyond any explanation how thousands of Indians fight over religious issues while millions of them unite on the grounds of a cricket field cheering for their favourite sports stars; or how a Bollywood performance can bring ecstasy to some terminally ill patients. A single call of nation could drive thousands of untrained civilians of all ages to rise above all fears and give up their lives! Even in this 21^st century worshipping a particular God remains the biggest festival of the nation! India is a whole lot of drama and even more of craziness.

        It seems like India is still in her teenage while the rest of the world has grown up to get into the methodical middle-age life! Question is, when do we want this silly teenager to grow up? Never. Because consciously or subconsciously, we all have accepted this silliness as an inevitable mark of our ‘Indian’hood. So we keep nurturing it with great care. That may sound insane, but indeed a lot of fun!! And this is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. We bear the innocence of knowing little and believing a lot, judging less and trusting more. We have it in us to accept and move on. We don’t like to rely much on a perfect future, rather on self-adjustments for a happier present instead. We have big dreams but not demands. And it is our dreams and passions that take us to anywhere round the globe despite all obstacles. And so, being an Indian is one identity that we are absolutely proud to possess!