Am I proud to be an Indian?

(Somebody sent out a mail asking to state 5 things that I like about India and 5 things I hate. In reply I drafted 3 each. Written in mail on 10th August 2005)


Anyway... Three things I like about India

1. First and foremost, the name. We might have heard of it lots of times, but try this. Close your eyes. Say the word 'India' slowly a couple of times and judge whether you like the sound or not. For starters, compare with names like pakisthan, Mozambique, Mali and Chad.

2. The Diversity. Makes a very good study and documentary.

3. The Juggernaut size. I remember a recent forward of a gaint gaint gaint earthmover machine. Any huge thing or a miniature that is functioning well is a good reason to be awed. We are growing, what is it? the fourth largest economy in the world. A well-oiled machine.

Three things I hate about India

1. Dispossession of Ancient knowledge and wisdom: Somewhere along the line, we have left and lost all that was painstakingly garnered over the centuries by our ancestors. Be it Science, Spirituality, Religion or even for that matter Kama Sutra. We are now nothing but a copycat nation. There are few original instances, I mean.

2. People's behavior: I am not an enemy of humanity. But Indian people suck. Consider the civilized, posh, well-dressed white-collar employee meeting with a chota accident on a road. And 100% of times, he will join a no-brainer fight with the other guy in the middle of the road. It doesnt matter who is wrong and who is right. We just have to fight. Indians may be innately good, great, but what they do is pathetic.

3. Indian politics and my helplessness currently to do nothing about it