A few years ago, during my first visit to Europe, I admonished S for harping on about India whenever he got conversing with the locals. He was unashamedly singing praises of our country and at every opportunity he let people know what his country had to offer; never once falling on the poor country spool that I have generally heard people talk about really. I was the one feeling embarrassed I realized. The foreigners or locals in this case, were lapping it up genuinely and in some cases like our host in Brussels, were also vehemently agreeing with S. And by the time we made our way from Paris to Belgium (Brussels and Bruges) I admired this genuine love for his country and his desire to keep up his faith in it. He was not willing to put down or malign our country without any basis and there was never a certain casual dismissal of our country's achievements or our rich culture.
There are many reasons why I love S, but that trip reminded me of his simplicity in accepting his country the way it was and feeling proud of his roots and of where he came from. I was reminded of my younger self and how at that time I was proud of my country too. I stood up for the national anthem happily and willingly, looked up to our then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ( the only woman PM ever since) aiming to be like her when I grew up, sang patriotic songs with gusto and feeling. I wore my love for my country on my sleeve and I was proud of it. This was however during the pre social media and the problems it brought with it.
When then had I become this disdainful adult who felt like she had to excuse her husband's expression of love for his motherland? When did I learn to look at flaws in the system and in people, thinking of greener pastures and how good life was elsewhere? I felt like a teenager rebelling against the ones that loved her.
India is not merely an embodiment of its people. It is a land first of all; one with rich, fertile soil nourished by rivers and a tropical climate thereby leading to growth of many fruits, vegetables and grains (I can't think of another developed country that can compete with that) and it has many rivers and mountains packed within its petite frame. It is a land that has an expressive national flag and an eloquent national anthem set in a stirring rhythm, the singing of which gives me goosebumps even today. It is a land of so many cultures that it is mind-boggling. Sometimes even though I am born and borne out of this land, I feel like a stranger to its customs and languages. It is a land with a god Almighty trove of knowledge that now thanks to well researched articles we have come to realize can trump the wisdom of any other's.
I keep harping about our people, their uncouth, corrupt nature, lack of civic sense, lack of manners and propriety that has been endowed by the Western world. But I complain like I would about a nosy, eccentric relative. After seeing a bit of what the developed world had to offer - from friendly hosts to irritable, unhelpful shoppers, from polite restaurateurs to stingy proprietors, from being offered free tickets because it was the right thing to do to getting my camera stolen, from propagating beautiful monuments to peddling hyped ones to garner ticket sales... I think one can safely conclude that people are pretty much the same everywhere. And what I missed in Europe was the bigheartedness of our people. We share happily, entertain hugely and are very welcoming of others. There are faults galore in this big, little country of mine but that is no excuse to not offer it my respect and reverence.
I love my country and I am proud that we are slowly working our way back to the top of the pile of successful, developed nations. This 69th Republic Day passed with a small sense of pride and hope; I fell back to my younger self and looked on at the history being scripted, allowing myself to hope that perhaps Ana Kutti will take pride in being called an Indian and will take after her dad in defending her country with a well researched mind and a loving heart.
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| Our expressive National Flag |
There are many reasons why I love S, but that trip reminded me of his simplicity in accepting his country the way it was and feeling proud of his roots and of where he came from. I was reminded of my younger self and how at that time I was proud of my country too. I stood up for the national anthem happily and willingly, looked up to our then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ( the only woman PM ever since) aiming to be like her when I grew up, sang patriotic songs with gusto and feeling. I wore my love for my country on my sleeve and I was proud of it. This was however during the pre social media and the problems it brought with it.
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| India has a rich culture |
When then had I become this disdainful adult who felt like she had to excuse her husband's expression of love for his motherland? When did I learn to look at flaws in the system and in people, thinking of greener pastures and how good life was elsewhere? I felt like a teenager rebelling against the ones that loved her.
India is not merely an embodiment of its people. It is a land first of all; one with rich, fertile soil nourished by rivers and a tropical climate thereby leading to growth of many fruits, vegetables and grains (I can't think of another developed country that can compete with that) and it has many rivers and mountains packed within its petite frame. It is a land that has an expressive national flag and an eloquent national anthem set in a stirring rhythm, the singing of which gives me goosebumps even today. It is a land of so many cultures that it is mind-boggling. Sometimes even though I am born and borne out of this land, I feel like a stranger to its customs and languages. It is a land with a god Almighty trove of knowledge that now thanks to well researched articles we have come to realize can trump the wisdom of any other's.
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| Check out this article too |
I keep harping about our people, their uncouth, corrupt nature, lack of civic sense, lack of manners and propriety that has been endowed by the Western world. But I complain like I would about a nosy, eccentric relative. After seeing a bit of what the developed world had to offer - from friendly hosts to irritable, unhelpful shoppers, from polite restaurateurs to stingy proprietors, from being offered free tickets because it was the right thing to do to getting my camera stolen, from propagating beautiful monuments to peddling hyped ones to garner ticket sales... I think one can safely conclude that people are pretty much the same everywhere. And what I missed in Europe was the bigheartedness of our people. We share happily, entertain hugely and are very welcoming of others. There are faults galore in this big, little country of mine but that is no excuse to not offer it my respect and reverence.
I love my country and I am proud that we are slowly working our way back to the top of the pile of successful, developed nations. This 69th Republic Day passed with a small sense of pride and hope; I fell back to my younger self and looked on at the history being scripted, allowing myself to hope that perhaps Ana Kutti will take pride in being called an Indian and will take after her dad in defending her country with a well researched mind and a loving heart.
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