From Mutiny.in, one of the blogs that I read, a write-up by Saurabh Garg:
I got this SMS from a friend
While v celebrate 61 years of independence, i hav just
one ques fr u - after spending more than 2 decades in this 61-yr old
country, r u a proud indian or an apprehensive indian? I first heard
the latest rabbi song ‘bilqis’ 5 days back on india’s
independence day and am still haunted by it. And i am still looking fr
n ans to the ques raised - ‘jinhe naaz hai hind par woh kahan
hai?’And since its 9:30 PM, I am in office and don’t have anything
important to work on, I thought why not some self-reflection. Please
beware that this is going to be a rant where I go on a mental trip and
hopefully get an answer. And to put things in context, the song that
Sonali is talking about is this. And while I am writing this, I am listening to it.So the question asks me if I am a proud Indian or an apprehensive Indian. In one line, a short and sweet answer is that I am a proud Indian.
And more than apprehensive I am confident, curious and motivated, all
three at the same time. If you asked me why, I would have no real
reasons except for the statement that everything India is, defines me (large, full of contradictions, basking in the past glory, struggling to cope up with realities of world fast changing world) and everything I am, defines India (young, mediocre, forward-looking, ambitious, trying to prove a point, wanting to lead the world).
Echoes pretty much what I feel about Des. Especially what India means to me, and what I mean to India. Just to get you thinking. How do you feel about being Indian?
If you liked this post, you would also like these:
The fine art of procrastination
South Indian names and Chinese pronunciations
Hector Ruiz on the responsibilities of a generation
Harish Funda No. 19: Advice to Self
‘Unwritten’
23 Aug 08 3:18 am
Thanks Narayan,
Really appreciate.
And apologies for my earlier comment. I should have checked your blog before posting a rude comment.
Regards,
SG
23 Aug 08 9:51 am
@SG: No worries.
24 Aug 08 5:11 am
i had a similar conversation with my Sir(one of the faculty members… exceptionally well read, intellectual,complex yet simple person i have ever met till now)on Independence Day.
he seemed to be disheartened or rather appalled at the way India(he insists its ‘Bharat’) has turned out to be after inpendence.
he was sad about the bureaucratic apathy towards rural India, the indiffernce of the youth with the larger issues,etc (since all our gen is concerned with is money,etc least of all our country) .
i argued india is a young nation n needs time….lot of changes hv taken place in the last century in the various systems of human civilizations on an internatinal level n we need time n resources to cope n eventually we mite just…. by the end of it i jus concluded that we both love the country but see things differently. he thot m ‘naive’ . i call it ‘hope’.
a plausible n i beleive cogent explanation to the state of affairs in India is tht .. india is a complex, diverse country with a million contradictions but essentially one soul. it is not one nation but many smaller nations within one political border…so thank God we r breathin freedom every moment n are ‘truly free’ in a free country.
but i hv observed that most Indians have failed India more than India has failed them, specially the one’ who are privileged enough to mull over such a q….i mean the educated ppl.
(to ur frnd Sonali )so i think instead of askin others ‘r u proud of India’ ……one shld ask ONESELF ‘IS INDIA PROUD OF U’.