Shefaly (68)
Easily Amused (61)
Roshni (50)
Mallika (27)
Kislay Chandra (23)
Gori Girl (22)
litterateuse (22)
Dinesh (21)
Joanne (19)Why it is meaningless to say you’re proud to be an Indian
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama.
“More than you know it I’m aware,
Of this connection that we share.
I know it seems like sometimes I don’t care,
But you are the colors that I wear” – “3 AM”, Poets of the Fall.
“I’m proud to be an Indian ” – Twitterer, January 26th, 2010.
“You were an Indian in America, and now you’re an American in India. Always confused.” – Neo’s Uncle Abhay on Neo, January 26th 2010.
“What time is Lost?” – Neo, moments ago.
*
On Republic Day, Uncle Abhay kept trying to get Neo to enjoy the parade, but Neo was more interested in spending quality time with his Google Reader, podcasts and wine – only two things were “dry” on Republic Day at Neoville: the municipal water supply, and Abhay’s throat because he couldn’t stop talking.
Uncle Abhay finally gave up: “Are you even an Indian? What the hell are you doing in India? Why did you come here? Aren’t you proud of being an Indian?”.
No.
Neo has plenty of time to listen to Raga Marwa, or wait for his turn at the traffic light, but he has no time to waste watching parades, waving the flag of any country, chanting slogans or reading @nevervotes92’s tweets on how he’s proud of being an Indian. Saying that you are proud of being an Indian isn’t much different than saying you’re proud to be born on a Monday – being an Indian is just a fact, not an achievement to be proud of. Would you be less proud if you were born Romanian, or on a Tuesday ? You could say you’re lucky to be an Indian – millions of Bangladeshis would agree.
The ridiculously sloganeered and caricatured shows of patriotism that occur in India (and every other country) on “national holidays” are an insult to the intelligence of its citizens. What happened to the thoughtful, deep India ? When did we choose gaudy weddings over happy marriages, not-stalgia and past glory over reality, rutty careers over our real aspirations, pretentious religious ceremonies over what they actually mean, deep-fried over grilled, elder-worship over thinking for ourselves, the display of money over tastefulness and rote-memorized slogans over an intuitive understanding of civic duty ? You can get a kid to recite “Mera Bharat Mahan” or the sugary-sweet “All Indians are my brother and sisters” until his face is blue, but he’s still not going to stop throwing his fucking candy wrapper on the road until a parent teaches him to.
And have you noticed ? Around the world, the more pathetic the condition of its citizens, the grander and more pretentious are the patriotic celebrations and the forced, fake statements of pride. If the Martians were watching the parades on TV, they’d think North Korea was the leader of the world. The lipstick on a prostitute gets more garishly red as dawn approaches, or as the drugs wear off.
A few of Neo’s family members and friends serve (proudly) in the Indian armed forces. None of them are impressed by the Facebook status updates, tweets and blog posts proclaiming pride for India on national holidays or disasters. This Republic day, Neo’s friend said “We serve in the army so the rest of you motherfuckers can be safe and change India, not so you can sit around forwarding patriotic songs and feel happy.”
How about we replace all the parades, speeches and sloganeering with a simple ceremony that honors the men and women who would run towards a gunshot rather than away from it ? The ceremony can end in a simple wish – “we honor the Indians who died for our country this year, and we hope our enemies will soon have the opportunity to die in very large numbers for their country.”
Hello, and welcome to Neo’s blog. He is Indian, and he’s proud of many things. But he’s not proud to be an Indian. He just is an Indian.
*
PS: You still like parades ? Here’s a parade that will make you proud, or maybe, if you’re like Neo, laugh uncontrollably and then collapse with sadness:
PS2: Are you proud of this blog post? If you are, you shouldn’t be. You didn’t write it.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to Neo on Twitter, Facebook, or via RSS!
Possibly related posts:
- What happens in Vegas ends up as a wedding ceremony in Chennai Last week Neo finally reconciled with the friend who...
- How to stop faking it and start living in the real India Not one to shy away from the occasional delusions of...
Category: Elders, Return to India, Youth, parenting, religion | Tags: humor, India, nationalism, parade, patriotism, post-nationalism, republic day 130 comments »
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:54 am
Uhoh. I can already feel the backlash building from a mile away. How about phrasing it as maybe “don’t be superfluously proud to be an Indian?” I totally get what you are saying about stupid parades and Facebook updates when the people haven’t done anything for that specific country, but I think, even though we are born into certain national distinctions and it’s none of our doing, we can still be proud of it.
It’s like the universe inserted you into a football game on the red team or blue team. You didn’t train to be placed on the team. But you are now part of it and its triumphs and goof-ups alike are now yours. So own both and be proud but critical. Sounds exactly like what you’re doing.
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February 3rd, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Vicki : There’s a difference between being “happy” about your country’s achievements and being “proud”. There’s a very thin line between pride and jingoism / communalism / racism.
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:55 am
I support everything said in it. Unfortunately people start foaming at the mouth whenever something like this is uttered. Or they’ll say OK to your face and call you an unpatriotic bastard behind your back because they have been talk to instantly relate any national questioning to being unpatriotic.
Well I say fuck you to them! I am proud of my pancreas!!! There are many like them, but these ones are mine!! Without my pancreas, I am useless. Without me, my pancreas are useless…
Shit, it’s 2AM.
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Besides, “ask not if you are proud of your country, ask if your country is proud of you”.
Wait I think I’m going to tweet this.
-N
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February 3rd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
[...] explains why it is meaningless to say you’re proud to be an Indian. As Samuel Johnson said, patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. Perhaps it is also the [...]
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:04 pm
And they also force you to love your country by making you stand up for the national anthem when all you want is to watch that damn movie.
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February 4th, 2010 at 2:27 am
Patrix,
I remember watching with grim irony as someone dumped a not-quite-empty bag of popcorn in the seat in front of them as they hurried to stand up for the national anthem.
-Neo
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February 3rd, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Well said. Sadly, those who can relate to and appreciate this post see it already. And it’d be at least a couple generations before those likely to think this is yet another US-returned fool preaching get it.
As for:
//“What time is Lost?” – Neo, moments ago.//
If only each of us could punctuate that to “What? Time is lost?” and realize “No. It’s still not too late.”
gauri
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February 4th, 2010 at 2:25 am
Gauri,
Well it’s too late now to get into Lost.
-Neo
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February 3rd, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Really, you threw in deep fried vs grilling for drama, right? Can I at least be proud that a fellow Indian has written this post? No, ok just checking.
If we replace parades with simple ceremonies, how will we show the world who the Big Daddy is? How will we spend R-day and I-day without congratulating each other for the fucked up state of affairs? And seriously, don’t we all need material for twitter, blog and FB updates?
These amreeki people have poisoned your shudh desi culture, I tell you!
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Never Mind,
I write my heart out, and all you can think of is deep-fried food ? tsk tsk.
-Neo
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February 3rd, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Very true. By harping the ‘I am proud to be an Indian’ tune twice a year, or maybe whenever India does well in some sporting event/awards, we are being very superfluous!
Unfortunately, this trend only seems to be growing.
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February 3rd, 2010 at 12:09 pm
*Phew* Thank goodness for small mercies. At least it is ok to say that, “I feel lucky to be an Indian.” I thought any positive sentiment about being an Indian is meaningless..
Just chill.. In the times of Slumdogs and White Tigers and a host of other “real” India expertise going overboard abroad, nothing is so horrifying about real Indians feeling good about themselves once in a while.
It is not as if people in India are merely chanting slogans and nobody is working on mitigating any real problems at all. For a population that is more than the combined population of US and Europe, with even more diversity and much more levels of desperation; the least space one can expect is a little feel-good factor.
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
sri,
I think you made the perfect case for why drinking should not be banned in India.
-Neo
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February 4th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Oh yeah.. talk about banning a fundamental right to feel good..
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February 3rd, 2010 at 12:19 pm
You know where this faux patriotism manifests itself most?
In cricket matches. All of a sudden “we are Indian and proud”. If you doubt the team, then you are not a patriot.
If you say the cricket team won’t win the World Cup, you are not an Indian. Realism and patriotism are always at loggerheads.
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Anirban,
Yes – all those people throwing stones at ((insert cricketer to be blamed for india’s defeat))’s house are the true patriots.
-N
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February 3rd, 2010 at 12:25 pm
So what you’re telling me is that I should finally stop gloating about how many, many moons ago a really high Indian math-geek invented the zero?
Nooooooooo . . . . ooooooooooooooo ………
Also, slumdog millionaire!!
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
I’ve decided – if I ever become homeless, I’ll wander around on the streets of Mumbai wearing a t-shirt that says “Hey, at least my country invented the zero.”
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February 3rd, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Neo, you have nailed it. I concur with everything you have written here.
Just few months back I wrote as a comment on someone’s blog that it is unnecessary to ask people to stand up for National Anthem when they come for a movie and I received a lot of preaching on how I don’t have much say in all this being a NRI now.
“He is Indian, and he’s proud of many things. But he’s not proud to be an Indian. He just is an Indian.”
Yes! nothing to be proud of being an Indian or Mumbaikar or Keralite or Bengali or proud Hindu or proud Muslim so ..on.
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Soli,
Preach it, sister. All it takes for evil to win is for the good guys to be quiet, or busy watching TV.
-Neo
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Wait, they play national anthem in the theaters now? What for?
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February 3rd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
whoa – are you saying I have to get off my ass and accomplish something to be allowed pride?
My world is crumbling…
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Teju,
Your world is crumbling ? Oh you live in Bangalore too ?
-N
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February 3rd, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Thank you! I’ve personally never understood the concept of patriotism, and enjoyed reading this. A quote I like:
“Patriots always talk of dying for their country and never of killing for their country.” – Bertrand Russell
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Hi Mridu,
Patriotism is the opium of the masses.
-N
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February 3rd, 2010 at 4:29 pm
*pop* That was the bubble of smugness bursting. Why, thank you!
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Joy,
You’re still young – you’ll live.
-N
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February 3rd, 2010 at 7:13 pm
“Men and women who run towards a gun shot and not away from it?” Now that is asking too much. Being a ‘proud’ Indian, I must always let ‘others’ face the gun, while I tweet/add a twibbon/trend a hashtag.
Funny thing is, the pledge we blindly memorize in school tells us that we ‘love’ our country and are ‘proud’ of its rich and varied heritage – something that we are trying really hard to destroy, by action or inaction. Of course, we are too busy smiling at how funny the ‘all indians are my brothers and sisters’ line is.
To top it, we are also proud of Indians who are not Indians, a Hanuman worshiping Barack Obama, a nobel laureate who thinks he’s Indian by the accident of birth..
Great post Neo, hits where it hurts.
*P.S.: I almost read Parades as Subhash Ghai’s Pardes.. Too much Bollywood in my blood I guess*
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
Shantanu,
Thanks! It’s high praise coming from you. I’m a regular reader of comicry.org, and please to kindly keep up the ass-kicking.
-N
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February 3rd, 2010 at 8:04 pm
This is your best post till date Neo. Not that I agree with everything – because I do feel “proud” of my country at times; but a majority of the time, I feel disgusted or frustrated. I wouldn’t mind these patriotic types if they stopped to also acknowledge the serious shortcomings instead of pretending we are the best country in the world.
Patriotism, IMO, should go hand-in-hand with serious attempts to address the massive negatives; a sincere contribution to reform – no matter how small the quantity. And by the way – why declare a *holiday* on days of national importance? What are we trying to signify? Not respect, for sure! I think we should work on national “holidays”; or declare them days of social volunteerism; or charity day or something so that at least the day is spent towards the betterment of the country; and not for sitting home and indulging in false sense of over-the-top patriotism.
Recently, when I was in Europe, I was asked by a couple – “Are you happy with your country?” And I was at a loss to answer that (more on this here) – but my point is that thumping our chests and patting our backs only makes sense if the answer to that question is an unambiguous and unanimous YES. Till that day, all the parades and the merriment are just hollow – nothing more.
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Kiran,
Well said. And here’s a headline we will never see in the Times. “Government cancels this year’s parade because the country is worse off than last year”.
-Neo
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February 5th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
I am an Indian and really not so proud. I am mad at so many things that haven’t improved even after 60 years of independence. But there are times when I feel good about India, when I see the roads, I traveled two years back are better, when I see nice new highways, I am proud and lot of other things. I have full faith that we will shine and rise again just need to change that mentality. But still, there is nothing wrong by celebrating the two important days of our nation, by showing off our power and gratitude towards the people who have lost their lives to bring freedom to us and are protecting our borders. I love the parades.
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March 10th, 2010 at 1:37 am
Independence is a state of being, not a wand.
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Nice post.
IMO, There is nothing wrong in saying that I am not proud to be an Indian, I am just an Indian. But yes, there is one thing to add – I want to make the change for which I will be proud of My India. And also until one admits that something is not good, or something is not all right, how can it be corrected, isn’t it?
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
Deepak,
Very true.
-N
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February 3rd, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Hear, hear! Totally agree with you: though I’m pleasantly surprised that so many people do!
I did try to watch the parades this year, simply because it had been so many years since I had. But it was too boring and we decided to switch channels.
I did make the Guy stand up for the national anthem though. Felt rather silly doing it, but that’s bit of conditioning I haven’t been able to let go of yet!
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Unmana,
In my version of the Republic Day parade, one of the tanks accidentally fires a (blank) shot, causing 90% of the Lok Sabha to faint. I guarantee you will not be switching channels.
-Neo
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February 3rd, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Now reading http://neoindian.org/2010/02/02/why-it-is-meaningless-to-say-youre-proud-of-being-an-indian/ (via neo_indian)
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February 3rd, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Nice post. I totally agree with most of what you say.
But there is one other thing that I am not too proud of about us(and here I mean the entire humanity and not just Indians). Not because we haven’t done it, but because we are not doing it that right.
namely this whole war business. When will human beings wake up and realize that war and all that bloodshed is just not worth anything. Im sorry that your folks are in the army and you will probably not agree to all this.
But its still my opinion that there’s nothing that special about the concept of a country that you should tear apart other countries. What after all is a country? Its a group of people with a geographic boundary. Much like your family just at a larger scale. That doesn’t mean we go to war with our neighbors with guns the minute we don’t agree with them.. That’s probably because when it comes to families and neighbors, we are capable of getting the big picture. Just imagine what those very same martians looking down on the earth would be thinking when they see these seemingly alike beings wake up one fine day,pick up a gun and start shooting each other.
In a way I feel that all this patriotism is doing exactly what it shouldn’t be doing. By making us feel more Indian , its making us feel more not – non Indian, which makes it just so easy for us to shoot down a ‘non Indian’.
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Prateeksha,
Take a bow, you nailed it. Individualism is what governments and religions dread the most, isn’t it ?
-Neo
PS: You didn’t link to your blog. If you don’t have one, that saddens me.
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February 3rd, 2010 at 9:19 pm
This issue a tricky one
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February 3rd, 2010 at 9:29 pm
“Around the world, the more pathetic the condition of its citizens, the grander and more pretentious are the patriotic celebrations and the forced, fake statements of pride.”
Sad, but so true..
My thoughts on this taking pride business ..
http://srinidhicr.wordpress.com/2009/08/16/things-we-take-pride-in/
Wrote it on Independence day, 2009
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Sri,
The only problem I have with your post is the disclaimer in the beginning.
-Neo
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February 3rd, 2010 at 9:31 pm
[...] Why it is meaningless to say you’re proud to be an Indian [...]
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:37 pm
It has always been tragically amusing to me how people put in so much emotion behind being inside an arbitrarily drawn boundary on a vast piece of land. The whole concept of countries and borders seems very dated to me – almost as much as organized religion. People (well, rational people, at least) are shocked when Thackeray says Mumbai solely belongs to the Marathi manus. But I think the statement that India belongs to Indians is no less absurd but it seems to be the accepted norm (in all countries). That Pakistani chap a few miles across the arbitrary border is an enemy we must train our guns on because of exactly that – an arbitrarily drawn line in the sand.
Creating artificial affinity to pieces of land contributes to almost as much needless violence as affinity to religion or race or caste. The “My God is better endowed than yours – my holy book says so – agree with me or die!” is just as easily translated to “My country/state/city/Red America/Blue America/Real America/whatever is awesome and don’t you dare look askance at it unless you want to face my “. And bestowing these larger-than-life “mera desh mahaan” kind of attributes of that piece of land is just the same as bestowing “divinity” on a holy book. Once that book is “divine”, it cannot be questioned and rationale has to take a back seat to chauvinism.
OK enough ranting, almost time for Jon Stewart. Neo, I have been reading your posts since Anand pointed me to them about a month or so back and I have found them immensely entertaining (the fact your points of view on so many things like religion are so uncannily similar to mine does not hurt
).
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February 3rd, 2010 at 9:50 pm
totally absolutely agree..
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February 3rd, 2010 at 9:56 pm
@Prateeksha, I had not read your earlier comment before posting my reply, I guess I just repeated most of what you said
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February 3rd, 2010 at 10:07 pm
yep. but your comment was definitely better worded
. I have this debate often with folks around me and it was extremely refreshing to find someone thinking like me.
Most people just tell me that humanity would cease to exist and everyone would just finish each other off if we take down the defense at our borders. That to me is much like saying we’d all be dead if it wasn’t for the gun bearing body guard standing outside our house. That doesn’t seem to be the case though. We are multiplying just as healthily (probably a little too healthily for our own good. but that’s another topic all together). So it leads me to think that what we need is just some amount of open minded thinking and an improvement in the way we handle international justice , and we should soon be able to bring back our soldiers.
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Heh
Interesting Sanjeev. Lot of things to talk the next time we meet
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February 3rd, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Ironically the “mera desh mahaan” jingoism in India historically came about for a different reason than (for example) in Europe or elsewhere.
When Hitler proclaimed “Deutschland ueber alles”, he was appealing to a narrow sense of patriotic jingoism. On the other hand, most of the “nationalistic” jingoism promoted by the Indian government was for a diametrically opposite purpose. It was to wean mindsets away from narrow regional pride and think of themselves as citizens of the larger nation state.
It is a nice dream to think of a world without borders and I’d definitely endorse one when it happens. But I don’t see how it will happen. What is the roadmap for dissolving national boundaries? We are not even able to dismantle nuclear armaments, let alone dissolve national boundaries.
The reason for this is “never underestimate stupidity.” Dissolving national boundaries is a classic prisoners’ dilemma. Two countries wishing to dissolve boundaries (or dismantle nuclear weapons, for example) may find themselves more safer to betray the trust and retain their weapons, than go by the spirit of the resolution.
The game is far too complex to be amenable to a feel-good wish; although some generations down the line maybe we will have truly a single world and no one needs to be bothered by the accidents of their birth.
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February 3rd, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Exactly it is the prisoners’ dilemma. Until you introduce a third factor C which is external jurisdiction which promises the first country to default serious enough punishment that the second country will eventually learn to rely on the external jurisdiction rather than maintain its own army, the use of which will anyway result in C punishing you for it.
It might take some time for the parties to believe in C enough to let go of their own defenses. But I believe that its certainly worth the try.
The formation of C ofcourse has its own challenges, but is not impossible.
This model is the very same model that prevents you and me from keeping and using a gun in our house and instead rely on the Indian judicial system(It is infact a miracle that we are willing to place our trust in a system that is so corrupt but are not willing to even think that this is not possible at a larger scale.)
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February 3rd, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Yeah, but who will bell the C, if the power it wields goes into its head?
On a related note though, national boundaries are dissolving — Europe is the prime example. The EU now, practically functions as a single country. The EU has its own parliament, own court, own currency, etc. But they are able to integrate only because they see a world bigger than Europe and its competitive challenges.
So will the entire world be able to integrate the way Europe did? Wish I could jingoistically say “Yes!!”, but realistically, I’ll just say “Sigh”
BTW, I don’t think our judiciary is any more or less corrupt than in several other (including developed) countries. Bad apples are visible and good ones are usually inconspicuous. The sheer size of our country makes mode bad apples visible.
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Fair enough. I probably ended up sounding like one of them 60s hippies, you know the tree-hugging pacifists who just want “free love” (nothing wrong with that , of course, I am all for “free love”
).
I agree that it is an idealistic goal. However, whipping yourself into a frothing-at-the-mouth nation-loving frenzy does not make achieving that goal any easier. Even if we don’t eliminate boundaries, not thinking of ourselves as somehow bonded eternally to some stupid piece of land makes viscerally hating that guy across the border a little harder. “Mera desh mahaan” does not take long to morph into “Uska desh bakwaas” and by association “woh aadmi bakwaas”.
Or maybe we should just make a new boundary and put all the Thackerays, Kim Jong Ils and Karl Roves of this world behind that. Like Waters said …
“Take all your overgrown infants away somewhere
and build them a home, a little place of their own
the fletcher memorial
home for incurable tyrants and kings
and they can appear to themselves every day
on closed circuit t.v.
to make sure they’re still real
it’s the only connection they feel”
“they can polish their medals and sharpen their
smiles, and amuse themselves playing games for a while
boom boom, bang bang, lie down you’re dead “
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Agree.. it is easy to go overboard on both ends..
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Hi Sanjeev,
I’m glad I finally got you to comment – I knew I couldn’t be the only crazy guy on the Internet.
-Neo
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February 4th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Hi Neo,
I would have commented earlier but I was trying hard not to mess with that female:male commenter ratio that you have worked so hard to build up
.
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Sanjeev,
Yes, and besides, I don’t like competition for female attention on my blog. Now go away. Or, in the future, comment as Sanjana.
-Neo
February 4th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
You could have just used a female sounding handle.. Simple..
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:50 pm
i would have liked this post better if it didnt have that pretentious first quote. It was M.K. Gandhi who first popularized it anyway, that douche just rephrased it.
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:39 pm
almostinfamous: Are you referring to Gandhi’s “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” quote ?
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February 3rd, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Couldn’t have put it better.
Coincidentally, I was asked a question (“Is the new Indian less patriotic than before?” at a panel discussion at IIM B last week, and my response was that I had a definition problem with patriotism. Was it about some shallow display of parades, flags and military strength or has it changed to something else? The internet, for instance, has made some serious dents in people’s understanding of national borders, stemming from the uncomfortable fact that maps are not reality, not the truth, but just tools for political propaganda. There’s no actual lines drawn on the earth, is there?
My other problem with that question was about the definition of India itself. Is the 60 year old map (with some doubts in the J&K and Arunachal Pradesh areas) that the British left us with the one we are supposed to be patriotic to? Or is it the larger British India? Or perhaps a more philosophical “Greater India” that includes every place in the subcontinent and perhaps even parts of Indo-china.
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Krish,
So true! Plus with our meme-driven culture (some of those memes have been created by you
), India has morphed into this global, multi-national identity. An entire suburb of Houston has now been titled “Mahatma Gandhi District”. Perhaps our map of India needs to be significantly redrawn.
Plus I am curious about relative pride – are you more proud to be an Indian, versus say, Assamese, or a husband ? Does it change based on whether your wife agrees to share the remote ?
-Neo
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February 3rd, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Well, like most blogs, the comments here go like this…
‘Wow nice post.. I am in total agreement with you on this topic.. and similar blah blah!’
Anyways, when I was in 10th, the boards, there was a question to write an essay in Hindi exam among 4-5 topics..
I had started to write about ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’. Frankly, I couldn’t write more than 2 lines and end up in writing 2 pages on ‘Khel Kood aur Vyayam k faayde’ (The advantages of Sports and Exercising).
Still, you have every right to be proud of your birthplace. Every right to be proud of your nation, your language, your culture (even so-called culture).. The definition of being patriotic is different for anyone.. So it is not in fact meaningless to be patriotic.. I can write about 1000 drawbacks of our country, but still I am proud of what we are.
Opinions may differ. At least, to a small extent, we can write about being proud or not. That makes me proud. You might not be able to do this elsewhere!
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February 4th, 2010 at 7:18 am
> That makes me proud. You might not be able to do this elsewhere!
I have to ask, which country bans saying that you are patriotic about your country?
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February 4th, 2010 at 9:25 am
I don’t think by commenting here I can prove my patriotism. I don’t need to prove it actually.
From what newspapers and television tell me, there are several countries where you cannot just say what you want.
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February 17th, 2010 at 9:11 am
AB,
you are proud that you were born in india? what if you were born just outside the “Indo-Pakistan border”? Would you then become an India hater?
The only reason you are proud of India is because you are coincidentally born in India…
You are an Indian. Try to make things better where you are, that’s the most you can do….Trying to show your pride doesn’t help anyone except try to nullify your guilt about not doing anything valuable for the country….I of course don’t know what exactly you do, so I cannot comment on that…but this statement is meant for all the people who shout that they are proud of India and still don’t do anything actually useful for the country…
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February 3rd, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Well said. Especially the part about Kids throwing candy wrappers on the streets. Perhaps a whacking to those who defecate on the streets wouldn’t hurt either.
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Tastemaster,
I wonder how many candy wrappers were discarded at the Republic day parade.
-Neo
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February 4th, 2010 at 2:06 am
“Perhaps a whacking to those who defecate on the streets wouldn’t hurt either.”
Do you think people get a high out of defecating in public? They are forced to due to the urban mess that is India. So instead of treating the symptoms why do not we try to annihilate the disease it self?
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February 4th, 2010 at 2:44 am
@Ta Tvam Asi
Yes we can try to annihilate the disease. But how? Endless Rhetoric is what we have and what we see. Myself included. People who actually take concrete steps are stonewalled.
One of the best sanitary projects undertaken in Tamil Nadu is now in ruins. It was a public toilet system which promised clean toilets for close to free or a nominal charge (forgot). It is now just like the other ‘public toilets’ which can be triangulated a mile away without the help of a sniffer dog.
One solution is education. But again, our education system is not the greatest we can boast of.. especially in rural India.
A complete change at the centre and the state will help. We have seen the same faces in the Parliament for the past 30 years. A paradigm shift will occur only with fresh blood at the helm. Or we can continue ranting anonymously on blogs while the fat cats get richer.
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February 4th, 2010 at 3:13 am
I guess awareness is the only way to go but sometime I really am suspicious of the fact as to whether people in India really want development or just want to continue free loading as they have been doing for the past 60 odd years.
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:57 pm
My friends and I have discussed the very same thing many a times. But when it comes to patriotism, its supposed to be unquestionable. Its like God, you just cannot say bad things about it. But, its encouraging to see people questioning these so called norms. I, for one, would never work in a job that involved saluting someone, unless thats a nobel prize winner, and that too , probably only once. I would also never kill because some higher authority told me to. I wonder if army people are entitled to moral and conscientious choice.
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February 4th, 2010 at 2:06 am
Ritesh,
I’m not sure, but I think the Geneva convention and other rules allow them to refuse an order if required by a higher law.
-Neo
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February 3rd, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Oh by the way, here is my take on the stereotypical Independence day. My vent against unnecessary symbolism of nationalistic sentiments celebrated by people who don’t even realize what they are doing. http://riteshnayak.com/personal/?p=101
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February 3rd, 2010 at 10:25 pm
At the end of the day it doesnt really matter. People still spit pans on the road, auto drivers spit on the left and right as he drives, people pee in the streets. No one really cares and then all of sudden on Republic day and Independence day they all say they are proud to be Indian.
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February 3rd, 2010 at 10:44 pm
It’s nice to see more people thinking on these lines. Loved the ‘candy wrapper’ point. I know a lot of these “patriotic” blokes but somehow they are all studying or earning in USA or UK. Bunch of hypocrites.
PS: George Carlin did a good bit on the “I’m proud… ” thing I guess some of those have influenced you. I maybe wrong.
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Leo,
Yes, he did. So much of his work focussed on identifying and ridiculing the pretentiousness and faux-ness that has crept into (American) society.
-Neo
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Well said.. All are a bunch of hypocrites..
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:32 pm
Nice post!
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February 4th, 2010 at 12:38 am
Neo: Hate to say it but this sentiment is widely shared, and will be widely reviled too. From way back in 2007, see this exchange, when I made the same point. http://global-themes.com/2007/05/12/india-israel-bad-comparison/#comments My explanation is on comment 15 if you don’t care to read the entire exchange.
I am surprised you didn’t get more brickbats though.
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February 4th, 2010 at 1:37 am
Shefaly,
Are you jealous ? Shhhh, don’t wake anyone up.
-Neo
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February 4th, 2010 at 9:06 am
No, dear Neo, I am not jealous. A person can make an observation without an ‘interest’ angle to it, or a normative judgement, can’t she? Oh wait..
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February 4th, 2010 at 12:50 am
I agree, vehemently (if there is such a thing, accompanied by vigorous nods of the head and much chest thumping) True words.
The first thing that came to mind was the 1930 classic All Quiet on the Western Front. I agree with Krish Ashok, the entire country could do with a redefinition of Patriotism inspired by the way Japan bounced back after WW2. IMO, the term could mean everybody doing their jobs in better ways to benefit at least one’s neighbour. Show your love for your fellow human being by doing something productive, so that in turn, ultimately, the country, which is nothing but a massive group of people, could prosper. Waving flags and watching floats is for either jobless people who dont give a fuck, or for the totally naive who also dont give a fuck, albeit in a different way, and allow themselves to get swayed by each new meme that comes along, or get manipulated by vested-interest politicians.
Whatay post, man. Superb.
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February 4th, 2010 at 1:29 am
Guru Das,
Yes, it’s like “here, watch this parade. pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”. And I’m really glad you liked the post. It was difficult to write this one.
-Neo
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February 4th, 2010 at 5:41 am
If you’ve ever said that you’re proud to be Indian, read this: http://bit.ly/aHQMqf (written by @neo_indian)
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February 4th, 2010 at 5:43 am
RT @puneet86: If you’ve ever said that you’re proud to be Indian, read this: http://bit.ly/aHQMqf (written by @neo_indian)
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February 4th, 2010 at 5:53 am
food for thought:- http://bit.ly/aHQMqf
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:14 am
“What happened to the thoughtful, deep India ? ”
Which India are you talking about Neo?
-EE
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:42 am
Why it is meaningless to say you’re proud to be an Indian http://tinyurl.com/yjj4yu7
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February 4th, 2010 at 8:26 am
RT @PrabhuK: Why it is meaningless to say you’re proud to be an Indian http://tinyurl.com/yjj4yu7
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February 4th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
RT @puneet86: If you’ve ever said that you’re proud to be Indian, read this: http://bit.ly/aHQMqf (written by @neo_indian)
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February 4th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
I am proud that my ancestors were civic! They valued compassion, ideals and arts more than head shots and conquests. I am proud to be from a culture which teaches to respect not only humans but also other living things. I am proud to be from the land where Hinduism and Buddhism were created. I am proud that my ancestors were so accepting of people of different faiths. I am proud to be from the land which gave the world kamasutra and yoga. I am proud to be from Tamil nadu where the kings made some of the most awesome temples ever from rocks.
Well rite now India is quite fucked up, but that doesnt mean we should not be proud of our past achievements. We should always remember and be proud of our roots. We achieved greatness before. If it was possible before, it should be possible now.
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February 6th, 2010 at 12:33 am
I know it’s not my blog, but can I propose that this be declared as the best comment on this post and assume the matter as closed ?
I mean, can you really argue against such sound, logical points ?
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February 4th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Hmmmm…interesting read.
“But he’s not proud to be an Indian. He just is an Indian.”
Aren’t you a US citizen though? You should write another post on just “being Indian” v/s being an “Indian Citizen”….don’t know if you get comments/questions from people about that.
Apologies if I am offending you…that is not the intention. It’s just something a lot of us NRIs struggle with.
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February 4th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
Revati,
Are you a US citizen ?
-Neo
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February 4th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
No, I am in the “should I apply for a US Citizenship” dilemma. People tell me that it’s just like taking a “club membership” and doesn’t mean anything really but I’m finding it a very hard decision.
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February 4th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
It’s not like taking a club membership at all. I’m one of those who takes oaths seriously. You have to be able to swear to bear arms for the US if necessary – so I respect your dilemma.
But if it helps, remember that India offers you an “overseas citizenship of India”.
What tipped the balance for me was this – my son was already a US citizen, and I wanted our whole family to belong to the same country.
-Neo
February 4th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
neo:
So, citizenship is more than a club membership. And you take the oath seriously. Meaning.. you are not just an American, you are “proud” of being an American? I read a blog somewhere that such oaths and pride are meaningless..
February 4th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
hypothetically if there were a cricket match/soccer/war between USA and india, how would you want to win?
Follow your heart..
February 5th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Appreciate your reply. Thanks! Good point about everyone belonging to the same country.
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February 6th, 2010 at 7:24 am
Neo,
About ‘proud to be an Indian’ hullabaloo – IMO, one of the reasons why this aspect is stressed in India is because a lot of Indians are ashamed of their country. A country’s developmental potential can sometimes be gauged by the attitude of its citizens towards their country. If their attitude is shame and disgust then governments tend to use media tricks like the ‘mera bharat mahaan’ video to persuade the people towards pride and a general optimistic outlook. Of course, it is artificial and only works superficially, if at all (the tunes tend to be catchy though, I rather like them).
There are certainly aspects of India that I am proud of (you might prefer to choose a different term than ‘proud’) For example, the struggle for Indian Independence, which led to the formation of the Republic of India, and these events are celebrated during Independence day and Republic day. I do think that these are huge achievements especially given the history and diversity of the region.
Your ‘family members and friends serve (proudly) in the Indian armed forces’ are being a little unfair when they criticize people for their choice to be proud and showing it on facebook etc, because I really don’t think they are all ’sitting on their butts and doing nothing’-they are busy being parents, students, holding their jobs, trying to survive and amidst all this they remember to acknowledge the sacrifices of various people that led to India being a free republic (which is a very basic reason why we are all airing our opinions so freely and remain alive and in one piece – a comparison with Iran brings a good contrast). If your family members and friends in the armed forces think there are things that people can do in addition to showing their pride on facebook, then they should speak specifically and constructively of what they should be doing – may be even better, they should retire from their positions and give themselves the opportunity to do all the things that they think others are not doing.
I constantly come across Indians and members of the Indian diaspora who want radical changes in the country but are clueless as to how to contribute. Everyone seems to think that ‘we should be doing something’ but still expect the government and ‘others’ to transform the country; how we should focus on one set of things instead of another. We tend to be extremely self-critical about our Indian ways (you will notice this even among Indians who proclaim themselves to be proud as well as enjoy the parade) but I think we should add creative solutions to all our criticism and make it more goal-oriented, the goal being: coming up with how things can be achieved as opposed to merely pointing out what needs to be done.
It is useful to come up with creative ways of modifying our culture rather than being frustrated and beating your breast about not being proud to be Indian because it is really not any more useful than beating your breast about being proud to be Indian.
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February 6th, 2010 at 11:33 am
VK,
If you forced me to write a rebuttal to my own post, it would look a lot like what you wrote – except I’d be less polite.
Thanks for reading and posting your thoughts.
-Neo
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February 16th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I was going to put in my comments, and found that I agreed most with this poster. It is easy to shrug your shoulders and complain, it is harder to bring about a change. I think you(Neo) nailed it with what needs to change..
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February 6th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
well said and true .. a man who won’t litter is much more better than a vaucous ‘patriot’
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February 7th, 2010 at 9:16 am
on second thoughts… i read a few posts of yours and a comment somewhere where you talked about the pointlessness of bringing a child into the world now .. why you are full of heavy angst .. peace it man .. let the ‘patriots’ scream away .. ranting on anything won’t change it at all, have a mango and just smile at the coconut trees .. of course if you become the leader of the your local fascist .. you can go upto their governing council in a short time ..
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February 8th, 2010 at 8:22 am
The George carlin video is awesome
thanks. As always a great post. I can say I am proud to have sifted through a lot of garbage-ish blogs and found a gem like yours. It took patience 
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February 9th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
“..Saying that you are proud of being an Indian isn’t much different than saying you’re proud to be born on a Monday”.
I have a problem with this analogy. People born on a Monday do not share culture, customs, attitudes, language, music, humor – essentially, a lot of what make us human – anymore than people born at 4 pm. Citizens of a nation do.
(Yes, I know that India is so chaotically diverse, and a big stretch of the whole idea of a nation-state that one could argue about what it means to be an Indian, but that wasn’t your point.)
“..Being an Indian is just a fact, not an achievement to be proud of. Would you be less proud if you were born Romanian, or on a Tuesday ? You could say you’re lucky to be an Indian – millions of Bangladeshis would agree”.
Would Romanians be less proud if they were born in India? Considering how many Indians feel about their country, probably.
What if India was Glorious India – a fabulously wealthy country with a long record of human achievement, both past and present, flawlessly functioning government and infrastructure, beautiful people, and a fantastic quality of life — would it still be meaningless to talk about pride in being an Indian? Or should you just say you’re incredibly lucky?
You say lucky. I say pride. Absolutely. Merely lucky is what you feel when the doctor informs you that the lump in your armpit isn’t cancer. After all, it wouldn’t make much sense to say “you’re proud of your benign lump”. Why? Because it hasn’t increased your self-esteem. But being a citizen of Glorious India has. And really, that’s what pride is about — self-esteem. That feeling you get when you see hordes of humanity from the hellhole that’s the rest of the world queue up at Indian embassies desperate to get into India; when “Indian” is the most widely spoken language in the world, because after all that’s the language of human progress; when simply by being an Indian you always get treated better than other people when you travel abroad.
Is this pride justified? After all you were just born a few years ago, you haven’t really contributed to Glorious India. But that’s like asking if an attractive woman deserves to have higher self-esteem just because she was born with good genes.
Coming back to reality, India is what it is. And what you’re saying is “I can’t have my pride. Anyway, pride in one’s country is meaningless.”
I feel your pain my friend, but these are sour grapes.
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February 10th, 2010 at 9:33 am
If groups of people who share “culture, customs, attitudes, language, music, humor” and have high self-esteem could realistically claim pride, would the following bumper stickers make sense?
- Proud to be born in the Bill Gates family
- Proud to be born a Tamilian Brahmin
- Proud to be born as a white male in England in the 1930s
…
I have no doubt that some such pride exists – I am arguing that such pride is meaningless, or worse, arrogant.
-Neo
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February 10th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
[...] comment section, I’m sorry, I won’t look ahead with pride. The pride thing almost reminds me of Neo’s post on being a proud Indian. Stripey dear, you are wasting all the buzz that you’ve [...]
February 12th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
[...] Nitin have mentioned it as well since then) that associated the song quite appropriately to this excellent blog post by Neo-Indian [2] [...]
February 13th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Neo,
Just bumped into your blog…
Agree with your thoughts…Nailed it.. You know, may be slightly out of context,I feel the same when people congratulate and feel pride on reproducing…
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February 14th, 2010 at 4:47 am
I just watched the best movie of all time. It is called (and I quote) – “I Proud to Be an Indian”
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379818/
It has Sohail Khan beating up some skinheads in the UK. How this figures into patriotism isn’t very clear to my inferior intelligence.
Oh, yes there is a love angle. Humming U2’s “(Pride) in the name of love” to myself.
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February 16th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
BTW, I don’t think candy wrappers are thrown on the road because a parent hasn’t taught them better…its because of the lack of a better place to dispose of them! I’d also like to add that I’ve seen tons of Indians exercise a much better civic sense when they’re abroad..things take the backburner when they’re on home ground!
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February 16th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Yeah! What’s that all about? People even have a different facial expression when they get on the plane in the U.S. and when they disembark in India.
I have seen some good habits on throwing candy wrappers exhibited when I was travelling in 2nd A.C. from Mumbai to Nagpur. This couple travelling with their 4-5 year old… the mother puts the wrapper in the pocket of her jeans. I was so happy to see that.
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February 19th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
@shraddha1812 Read this post if you haven’t. http://neoindian.org/2010/02/02/why-it-is-meaningless-to-say-youre-proud-of-being-an-indian/
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February 20th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
I was born in the USA. Everyone here is so damn proud to be an American, it is ridiculous. And not because the US does so much nasty shit to ourselves and the world, my government does a lot of good as well, more for the world than for me.
I am not proud to be an american. I love loving in Holland, and I am proud to be a part-time Amsterdamer, and in the very near future, I am sure I will be proud to be a part of India, but nationalism just doesn’t work for me.
I am sure I will be asked all the time why I moved to India. It isn’t for the eve-teasing, or trash on the streets and pickpockets, it is a combination of the Indian people and India’s future place as a world super-power.
If someday I get to say I am proud to be an Indian, it will be because it was a choice for me, not because the bird that ate a cherry flew to india and took a dump and I was the seed
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March 11th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
James,
LOL. I think and hope that the varied nature of your experiences will make up for the inconveniences of living in a developing country.
India’s tagline should probably be: “India – don’t leave Earth without living here for at least a year”.
-N
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February 20th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Please read! RT @tantanoo: @shraddha1812 http://neoindian.org/2010/02/02/why-it-is-meaningless-to-say-youre-proud-of-being-an-indian/
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March 3rd, 2010 at 10:33 pm
So the point of the post was to felicitate the armed forces… So the intended recipient of that rudderless rage was the state and its civilians at their alleged lack of gratitude towards the men in uniform. I suggest you do as your uncle advises and watch the parade for starters since that is one of the many mediums through which we recognize their contributions towards national security.
And one more thing. They signed up for it. It seems you didn’t get the memo about the job description of the armed forces. Their courage is laudable but at the same time is an essential prerequisite to be recruited. If they feel that the country ought to bend over and go Oprah over them, then you are purveying the wrong type of advise. Enrolling in the army is to serve the country and every member should be motivated by the very opportunity to serve in it. If you’re looking for people to treat you as celebrities then you better hit the road to tinseltown, because you clearly are not cut out for the armed forces.
The nation appreciates their sacrifice just as much as it appreciates the sacrifice made by countless other civilians that are currently in Afghanistan, aiding in reconstruction efforts or the sacrifice made by employees of the Indian Post Office or just about anyone who contributes to nation building. Since you’ve admittedly recused yourself from making any effort to comprehend the effort made, your ignorance shouldn’t be an excuse to feign naivete at other contributing citizens of the country.
BTW random insertion of profanities in your rant does not make it any more effective than it would be without it.
It is evident that your rant was motivated by a deep sense of anguish over the recent attacks at Indian installations and citizens. The more responsible response would have been to create awareness of the issue and analyse the conditions they stem from. Rather, what you did was a cop out and just finger pointing and under the breath talking about the dedication everybody except the armed forces.
You, my friend, need a hug.
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March 3rd, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Hi Manny,
After reading your comment, yes I really do need a hug.
-Neo
PS: The point of this post was most definitely to not felicitate the armed forces.
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March 8th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Yup. Should’ve got one before you read the comment though. Preferably when you started school. Would’ve saved some space on the www as well as reduced your psychiatry bills.
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March 8th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Neo,
Call it an old wives’ tale, but I’m told the mark of a very good writer lies in the increasing number of malicious comments. Can I haz the first signed copy when you get that book deal?
Speaking of shrink bills, perhaps you could set aside part of the royalty as a thank you to the trolls?
March 8th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Manny
That is exceptionally rude. I can’t tell from your name if you are Indian or not. If you are an Indian, you will know the meaningless pandering that goes on in the country on how you should be “proud” to be an Indian.
There have been pretty meaningful discussions in the comments above you and you are the one who is exhibiting your dislike for the armed forces here.
From my seat here, it is you who needs a hug – and probably some help too.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
How completely true!! Very well said!!
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March 8th, 2010 at 3:58 am
I WAS BORN 5’5, DARK AND NOT THE BRIGTHEST ACT IN TOWN.
I WAS BORN WITH 10 SIBLINGS WHO NEITHER LOOKED NOR THOUGHT ALIKE.
MY PARENTS LEFT ME WITH NO WEALTH, CLARITY OR STRUCTURE. INFACT THEY CONTRIBUTED TO THE CHAOS BETWEEN US SIBLINGS AND BTW, BEFORE THEY LEFT US, THEY SIPHONED MOST OF MY INHERITED WEALTH FOR THIER OWN BENEFIT.
I TRIED, I FELL, I LEARNT, TRIED AGAIN, FELL AGAIN, LEARNT AGAIN ETC.
TODAY, I ALONG WITH MY SIBLINGS, DO NOT LIVE IN THE CLEANEST OF HOUSES, WE ARE NOT THE WEALTHIEST OF PEOPLE, OUR PRIORITIES ARE NOT THE CLEAREST, I AGREE.
BUT WHEN I LOOK AT ALL THE FAMILIES WHO WERE LEFT TO THIER OWN WAYS 65 YEARS OR LESSER, I FEEL “PROUD” OF HOW FAR I HAVE COME AND HOPEFUL OF WHERE I’M HEADED.
I WAS BORN 60 YEARS AGO. I HAD 350 MILLION BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
THE PEOPLE WHO GAVE BIRTH TO ME LEFT ME WITH NOT MUCH CLARITY OR STRUCTURE. MOREOVER, THEY SIPHONED A LOT OF MY INHEREDTED WEATH BEFORE I WAS BORN.
I TRIED, FELL, LEARNT, TRIED AGAIN, FELL AGAIN, LEARNT AGAIN ETC ETC.
TODAY AFER ALL THE TRYING, IM THE LARGEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD, DYSFUNCTIONAL BUT A DEMOCRACY (LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY NEIGHBOURS WHO STARTED THE SAME TIME), MY ECONOMY IS NOT TOO BAD (AFTER THE RECESSION SBI IS LARGER THAN CITI BANK), A MUCH LARGER PERCENTAGE OF MY POPULATION HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME AN ENTEPRENUER THAN IN MOST COUNTRIES MY AGE, A MUCH LARGER DIVERSITY OF POUPULATION LIVE IN RELATIVE PEACE WITH EACH OTHER (IN BELGIUM THERE IS A SERIOUS CONFLICT BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO SPEAK FRENCH AND PEOPLE WHO SPEAK FLEMISH, THEY CANT HANDLE TWO LANGUAGES) ETC ETC.
I FEEL “PROUD” TO BE PART OF A COUNTRY WHICH CAN LAY THE ABOVE CLAIMS AND I’M HOPEFUL THAT THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY WHO HAVE BROUGHT IT SO FAR WILL TAKE IT FURTHER TO BE ALL THAT IT ASPIRES TO BE. NOT JUST SOME SPECIAL PEOPLE, BUT THE WHOLE POPULATION AS A NATION.
SO, NEO, LETS TALK IN ABOUT (Hmm USA 1776-2010: 234 YEARS, INDIA 1947-2010: 63 YEARS, DIFFERENCE: 171 YEARS) 171 YEARS.
BTW, IF THE POINT OF YOUR POST WAS HOW FUNNY THE R-DAY PARADE WAS, SORRY, I’M WAY OFF THE MARK.
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March 8th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
I am sorry your CAPS lock is stuck
.
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March 10th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Your blog is addictive and insightful. Especially since I decided to leave India for studies and “better opportunities” and that makes me wonder about all such things.
The remarks which I often like to make to people who quote about India’s glory (like the post you linked to, for past glory) are that before the British came, India wasn’t even a single country. We haven’t been attacking anyone else for the last 5000 years because we were fighting each other. The people who make up Microsoft and NASA (heck, doesn’t NASA require you to be American citizens?) chose to leave India.
That dude who was a whiz in mathematics makes you feel proud of the land you were born in…. huh?
You know how they say that you should put your country before yourself .. and so on. I say F that. It should probably be humanity first (or not) followed by you.
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March 11th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
HI Mandar,
Well said, although I’m always a little wary of phrases like “putting humanity first”. I think humanity would be well-served if everyone took care of themselves without much fuss, violence or environmental damage.
-Neo
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March 10th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Loved your post….as for Lost ..love it too.
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