Monday, November 08, 2004
The Essence Of Being Indian
Who are Indians?
The teeming millions who litter a beautiful tropical country each day? Or, are they the people who think the stumbling block to salvation is an old mosque in central India that must be torn down post haste? Or, are they the people who are the brains behind a lot of innovation in technology? Perhaps even those who live the tradional life with so much ease...
We are a multi faceted bunch. I hesitate to draw any comparison between diamonds and Indians for many reasons. The least of which is that, diamonds are known for their clarity, which is sorely lacking among many of us. Will this essay be a tirade against Indians and everything we hold dear? Perhaps... I want to look objectively at the modern Indian and try to understand what went for as well as, against them. Why are we the way we are. Why do all successful Bollywood movies need at least 60-90 minutes of choreographed songs in them?
The God Fearing Indian & His Government
Most Indians (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh etc) are a God fearing lot. They spend hours each day praying for salvation. Indian Gods too are in interesting bunch. Almost all of them have some fallacies barring a few. They are womanizers, warmongers, drug users, alcoholics, gamblers... you name the vice and I can point out a God that has it. Indian Muslims are a little different from their counterparts in other parts of South and South East Asia. A little more conservative and hold on to traditions that have been left behind by many Islamic nations.
Now why do our Gods have these vices? Easy. Our Gods are mirror images of ourselves. We see our strengths and weaknesses in them. We use that rationale to help us with our day-to-day life.
Religion forms the focal point of our existence. In fact, we are taught Hindu mythology in school as well as university. Why no Muslim stories? How about Christian or Jewish ones? I was watching a quiz show on a popular English television channel. They are attempting to find the brightest kid in the country. Quite often the questions revolve around Hindu mythology... I have seen kids who aren't Hindu answer these questions with ease. Why is it that there are no questions about the Sunnis, Shias, Khojas, Protestants, Torah... the list is endless.
We had a Hindu fundamentalist government in the country. They tried to force the concept of the "Ram's birthplace" down our throats. This case has taken 13 years and still no verdict. Over zealous Hindu activists decided to tear down a 400 year old mosque since it was built on the land where the mythological king, Ram was born. The person who is the deputy Prime Minister of this country led this. Shocking! The only reason something like this can happen, is because, deep inside we think, it's ok to commit these atrocities.
Do I think the current government is any better? Well this is the government that was witness to one of the largest massacres. The Union Carbide incident, in Bhopal. Poisonous gasses leaked out of containers at the Union Carbide plant, in December 1984 (I was 10 then). The first day 8000 died... 8000. 20 years later, the ineffectual government has done nothing. 30-40,000 are rumored to be affected. Still born babies, babies with severe birth defects... the numbers keep growing. I am 30 now, and nothing has changed.
Indian politics and politicians are the scum of the earth... no wait; they are smelly pus on the ocean floor that scum forms on.
Shiv Sena, the leading political party, in my state. They are an over agro, over zealous, holier than thou, right wing Hindu party. They thrived through the 60's - 90's using the "Send all the Muslims BACK to Pakistan" logic. But my logically challenged friend, Muslims are not from Pakistan. Then started the tirade about Bangladeshi immigrants, then the Bombay for Maharashtrains (locals of the state). All these things have fallen on deaf ears over the last 3-4 years. The Indian voter is slowly becoming more mature. They are not likely to join in the vandalism of a movie theatre, just because it is showing a movie that talks about lesbian tendencies among women who do not get any affection from their spouses.
Shiv Sena has the possibility of being the most powerful political party in the state. They have a lot of powerful names and mass appeal. They can use that appeal to get more funds from New Delhi. The Congress cannot see beyond Delhi, that is their limited world. Bombay needs to be upgraded... is anyone listening? The SS need to drop their right wing approach since people do not buy the spiel anymore. Why burn down shops and thrash kids on Valentine's Day, but lay down the red carpet for the pedophilic Mr. Jackson? I fail to see the logic.
The Indian & Corruption/Civic Sense
What is corruption? The World Bank has tried, beginning by defining corruption as "using public office for private gain".
We are a corrupt lot. The ones who aren’t are corruptible easily. The bureaucracy in India is the center of corruption.
Today, in India every body takes the easy route of blaming the system. Who created this wretched system? We did and are part of it.
None of us blink an eye before paying off a traffic constable for unlicensed driving. We have no qualms about buying all kinds of things from the black market. We patronize smuggled goods and gloat about the good bargain. Tax evasion is a national obsession. None other than the salaried class, pay taxes properly in India. Even they make false claims to the extent possible.
We send to power people on the basis of their caste, creed, sex, religion, family and a million other criteria but never on their merit. We believe traveling ticket less in public transport is okay. We give 'bakshish' to the postman, electricity lineman, police-wallah, telephone man, milkman and all others as if it were our duty and their right. We compete to bribe the TTE for an undue railway berth.
We moan about municipal apathy but gleefully spit, shit and urinate on our streets. We laugh at people who use dustbins when streets are there to be littered freely. We moan about government’s inability to alleviate poverty but contemptuously shoo a hapless beggar away. We subjugate ourselves to the tyranny of bureaucrats, government officials, police and every other rowdy but never stand up and question. Instead, we growl for their mercy and patronage.
Such people have no right to blame anybody else.
Indians will continue under mediocre leadership till such time we realize that it is leaders who are to be led and not the other way round.
I had once received a speeding ticket when I was in the US. No questions, nothing. Just the ticket and the date for an appearance at the court. I showed up where the clerk asked me what went wrong. I said that, I had just bought the car (which was true) and did not realize the speed I was at (again true). Looking at my record, I was let off with a warning. It was that easy. Can I even imagine that in India?
The Indian & Scams
How many years can you think of that did not have multi billion rupee scams in India? The biggest I remember was in the 80's with the Bofors howitzer scandal, where a lot of politicians/bureaucrats made pot loads of money. Why is it that the government does not ask for the resignation from the SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) and RBI (Reserve Bank of India) Chairmen? How can the Central Vigilance Committee not spot all these miscreants?
We see scams in every industry. Starting from the Stock Exchange, Defense Purchases, Plantations, Agriculture, Customs, MLM...
We are one of the most corrupt countries and the opacity of transactions is minimal, just a little better than China and Russia. This is why so few people have so much of the money in India.
The Indian & Ethics/Honesty
You can kill a honest man, but not honesty.
On a regular basis we see people like Satyendra Dubey being killed for his honesty, or witnesses from the Best Bakery case changing their statement and in turn blaming the NGO who helped them.
Who are my Indian heroes? You would think, I would say, Dravid or Kartikeyan. No. My heroes are people who are honest and ethical, so I can be a little more like them.
TN Seshan: Changed the level of corruption in the election system in India. Read more...
GR Khairnar: He tried to clean Bombay of the slums which provide the mafia & politicians most of their earnings. Hero to some, villain to the rest. Read more...
James Michael Lyngdoh: Another CEC who tried to clean up the mess of the Indian election system. He is the torch bearer of the free and fair Kashmir elections Read more...
To name a few.
These are ethical and honest people. We unfortunately are not ethical or honest. Not even close. Why must we lie all the time? What purpose does it serve? We are a nation that is unredeemably dishonest.
The Indian & Biases
Nigger! Chinky! Mulla! Stupid Sardar!
These are some repulsive words/terms that we continue to use and think it's fine to stereotype and call people names just because some people are different from us.
We even have choice words for people who are challenged physically or mentally. Why? Can we not see the difference and appreciate that?
Everyday we see adverts on the telly, which tell young girls that they will never get married if their complexion is a little darker than the model, who is so light skinned that my wife thinks she isn't Indian.
Even matrimonials in the newspapers and website ask for "fair" girls... FAIR? We are brown people. In this context a fair person, particularly a woman, is widely considered in India to be better looking than a person who is not fair or light-skinned.
Breasts too seem to a point for contention. Girls with smaller breasts seem to find it more difficult than their counterparts who are better endowed. But that is not an Indian thing. This is a global obsession. An entire industry thrives on breast size.
Please do not mistake the light vs. dark skin to be racism, it's not. Racism is how I see African/African American or Asian people being treated vis-à-vis Caucasian people, not just in tourist destinations but all over the country. This is problem all over Asia.
Now, a look at sexism. Indians are as sexist as (my apologies for this) some Islamic countries can be. Women are not allowed to work, they are beaten, female infanticide, bride burning, dowry deaths, selective termination of pregnancy... Women do not get the respect they deserve in this country. They are EXPECTED to be slaves to the grind. They have 14-16 hour days and then have to give their spouses sexual fulfillment as and when they desire. There are very few women who are not abused in some way or the other. Physical, Sexual, Mental... Women are taught to be servile from day one. They are told that their job is in the kitchen.
A few days back at my friend's home, I came in from work and the ladies of the house were all under the weather. They all had the flu. The men were still at work tending the shop. They took a nap while I was there and I looked after the baby. At about 7pm, they walked into the kitchen and started getting ready for dinner. I asked them why they were over exerting themselves and their reply was that, this was their job. They have to cook for their men. I cannot understand this. I cook for my wife all the time. She helps me, but I don't like to see her busy while I'm lazing around... but, that's me.
Next we have the “classists”. The less I say about this, the better it is since I think I fall into this trap myself on a regular basis. I try to smile at beggars, sweepers and other people I consider not as fortunate as me. I see many of my compatriots ordering these people around and insulting them for no rhyme or reason.
Finally the “casteists”. India has many castes. MANY! I get shocked to see people who have been informed of the evils of the caste system, but choose to ignore it and make it a part of their lives. On a regular basis we can see the disturbing images of lynching in states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. All these violent incidents are based on the caste of the person. The higher castes lay claim to water, roads, land and everything else their heart desires.
My own relatives had a problem with a marriage since the boy was from a lower caste than the girl. The boy was shunned from all family gatherings and the children too were mistreated. They were often told that they were bastardized since they were of mixed caste. Considering my family prides themselves on their modern outlook, this was shameful and I am still saddened by the memory.
The Indian & The Shame List
01. Misconception of human intelligence or mental ability
02. Religious rivalry leading to blind accommodation and countless inventions of Gods and Goddesses.
03. Wide spread blind belief in God(s), fate, births, rebirths, soul liberation, reincarnations etc.
04. Unquestionable devotion and duty towards phony “Sadhus” and “Sants” (The frauds who pose as holy men)
05. Wide spread Superstitions
06. Gender discriminations.
07. Caste system, resulting from the concept of division of duty.
08. Ignorance
09. Illiteracy
10. Over population
11. Conventional thinking
12. Language problems
13. Moral corruption
14. Political corruption
15. Regional conflicts
16. Social and political chaos
17. Social discord
18. Disunity
19. Mistreatment of tribes
20. Skills and productivity are treated as alien concepts
The Indian & My Final Thoughts
Even though this essay is critical to the point of getting people upset with my thought process. But what I have written is the truth in my eyes. I love my country, but I want to see her do so much better. Better does not mean more money, or making sure that we speak better English or even conform to western traditions.
We need to introspect and look at the little ways we can contribute to change our country. We are bursting at the seams and we need a few good women and men now! even if you just make sure you don't throw trash from a moving car or spit on pretty much anything, or perhaps tell someone who is... then we have one more person to help out.
Do add comments. I'd like to see what you think about this.
--
Anupam, Hyderabad
The teeming millions who litter a beautiful tropical country each day? Or, are they the people who think the stumbling block to salvation is an old mosque in central India that must be torn down post haste? Or, are they the people who are the brains behind a lot of innovation in technology? Perhaps even those who live the tradional life with so much ease...
We are a multi faceted bunch. I hesitate to draw any comparison between diamonds and Indians for many reasons. The least of which is that, diamonds are known for their clarity, which is sorely lacking among many of us. Will this essay be a tirade against Indians and everything we hold dear? Perhaps... I want to look objectively at the modern Indian and try to understand what went for as well as, against them. Why are we the way we are. Why do all successful Bollywood movies need at least 60-90 minutes of choreographed songs in them?
The God Fearing Indian & His Government
Most Indians (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh etc) are a God fearing lot. They spend hours each day praying for salvation. Indian Gods too are in interesting bunch. Almost all of them have some fallacies barring a few. They are womanizers, warmongers, drug users, alcoholics, gamblers... you name the vice and I can point out a God that has it. Indian Muslims are a little different from their counterparts in other parts of South and South East Asia. A little more conservative and hold on to traditions that have been left behind by many Islamic nations.
Now why do our Gods have these vices? Easy. Our Gods are mirror images of ourselves. We see our strengths and weaknesses in them. We use that rationale to help us with our day-to-day life.
Religion forms the focal point of our existence. In fact, we are taught Hindu mythology in school as well as university. Why no Muslim stories? How about Christian or Jewish ones? I was watching a quiz show on a popular English television channel. They are attempting to find the brightest kid in the country. Quite often the questions revolve around Hindu mythology... I have seen kids who aren't Hindu answer these questions with ease. Why is it that there are no questions about the Sunnis, Shias, Khojas, Protestants, Torah... the list is endless.
We had a Hindu fundamentalist government in the country. They tried to force the concept of the "Ram's birthplace" down our throats. This case has taken 13 years and still no verdict. Over zealous Hindu activists decided to tear down a 400 year old mosque since it was built on the land where the mythological king, Ram was born. The person who is the deputy Prime Minister of this country led this. Shocking! The only reason something like this can happen, is because, deep inside we think, it's ok to commit these atrocities.
Do I think the current government is any better? Well this is the government that was witness to one of the largest massacres. The Union Carbide incident, in Bhopal. Poisonous gasses leaked out of containers at the Union Carbide plant, in December 1984 (I was 10 then). The first day 8000 died... 8000. 20 years later, the ineffectual government has done nothing. 30-40,000 are rumored to be affected. Still born babies, babies with severe birth defects... the numbers keep growing. I am 30 now, and nothing has changed.
Indian politics and politicians are the scum of the earth... no wait; they are smelly pus on the ocean floor that scum forms on.
Shiv Sena, the leading political party, in my state. They are an over agro, over zealous, holier than thou, right wing Hindu party. They thrived through the 60's - 90's using the "Send all the Muslims BACK to Pakistan" logic. But my logically challenged friend, Muslims are not from Pakistan. Then started the tirade about Bangladeshi immigrants, then the Bombay for Maharashtrains (locals of the state). All these things have fallen on deaf ears over the last 3-4 years. The Indian voter is slowly becoming more mature. They are not likely to join in the vandalism of a movie theatre, just because it is showing a movie that talks about lesbian tendencies among women who do not get any affection from their spouses.
Shiv Sena has the possibility of being the most powerful political party in the state. They have a lot of powerful names and mass appeal. They can use that appeal to get more funds from New Delhi. The Congress cannot see beyond Delhi, that is their limited world. Bombay needs to be upgraded... is anyone listening? The SS need to drop their right wing approach since people do not buy the spiel anymore. Why burn down shops and thrash kids on Valentine's Day, but lay down the red carpet for the pedophilic Mr. Jackson? I fail to see the logic.
The Indian & Corruption/Civic Sense
What is corruption? The World Bank has tried, beginning by defining corruption as "using public office for private gain".
We are a corrupt lot. The ones who aren’t are corruptible easily. The bureaucracy in India is the center of corruption.
Today, in India every body takes the easy route of blaming the system. Who created this wretched system? We did and are part of it.
None of us blink an eye before paying off a traffic constable for unlicensed driving. We have no qualms about buying all kinds of things from the black market. We patronize smuggled goods and gloat about the good bargain. Tax evasion is a national obsession. None other than the salaried class, pay taxes properly in India. Even they make false claims to the extent possible.
We send to power people on the basis of their caste, creed, sex, religion, family and a million other criteria but never on their merit. We believe traveling ticket less in public transport is okay. We give 'bakshish' to the postman, electricity lineman, police-wallah, telephone man, milkman and all others as if it were our duty and their right. We compete to bribe the TTE for an undue railway berth.
We moan about municipal apathy but gleefully spit, shit and urinate on our streets. We laugh at people who use dustbins when streets are there to be littered freely. We moan about government’s inability to alleviate poverty but contemptuously shoo a hapless beggar away. We subjugate ourselves to the tyranny of bureaucrats, government officials, police and every other rowdy but never stand up and question. Instead, we growl for their mercy and patronage.
Such people have no right to blame anybody else.
Indians will continue under mediocre leadership till such time we realize that it is leaders who are to be led and not the other way round.
I had once received a speeding ticket when I was in the US. No questions, nothing. Just the ticket and the date for an appearance at the court. I showed up where the clerk asked me what went wrong. I said that, I had just bought the car (which was true) and did not realize the speed I was at (again true). Looking at my record, I was let off with a warning. It was that easy. Can I even imagine that in India?
The Indian & Scams
How many years can you think of that did not have multi billion rupee scams in India? The biggest I remember was in the 80's with the Bofors howitzer scandal, where a lot of politicians/bureaucrats made pot loads of money. Why is it that the government does not ask for the resignation from the SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) and RBI (Reserve Bank of India) Chairmen? How can the Central Vigilance Committee not spot all these miscreants?
We see scams in every industry. Starting from the Stock Exchange, Defense Purchases, Plantations, Agriculture, Customs, MLM...
We are one of the most corrupt countries and the opacity of transactions is minimal, just a little better than China and Russia. This is why so few people have so much of the money in India.
The Indian & Ethics/Honesty
You can kill a honest man, but not honesty.
On a regular basis we see people like Satyendra Dubey being killed for his honesty, or witnesses from the Best Bakery case changing their statement and in turn blaming the NGO who helped them.
Who are my Indian heroes? You would think, I would say, Dravid or Kartikeyan. No. My heroes are people who are honest and ethical, so I can be a little more like them.
TN Seshan: Changed the level of corruption in the election system in India. Read more...
GR Khairnar: He tried to clean Bombay of the slums which provide the mafia & politicians most of their earnings. Hero to some, villain to the rest. Read more...
James Michael Lyngdoh: Another CEC who tried to clean up the mess of the Indian election system. He is the torch bearer of the free and fair Kashmir elections Read more...
To name a few.
These are ethical and honest people. We unfortunately are not ethical or honest. Not even close. Why must we lie all the time? What purpose does it serve? We are a nation that is unredeemably dishonest.
The Indian & Biases
Nigger! Chinky! Mulla! Stupid Sardar!
These are some repulsive words/terms that we continue to use and think it's fine to stereotype and call people names just because some people are different from us.
We even have choice words for people who are challenged physically or mentally. Why? Can we not see the difference and appreciate that?
Everyday we see adverts on the telly, which tell young girls that they will never get married if their complexion is a little darker than the model, who is so light skinned that my wife thinks she isn't Indian.
Even matrimonials in the newspapers and website ask for "fair" girls... FAIR? We are brown people. In this context a fair person, particularly a woman, is widely considered in India to be better looking than a person who is not fair or light-skinned.
Breasts too seem to a point for contention. Girls with smaller breasts seem to find it more difficult than their counterparts who are better endowed. But that is not an Indian thing. This is a global obsession. An entire industry thrives on breast size.
Please do not mistake the light vs. dark skin to be racism, it's not. Racism is how I see African/African American or Asian people being treated vis-à-vis Caucasian people, not just in tourist destinations but all over the country. This is problem all over Asia.
Now, a look at sexism. Indians are as sexist as (my apologies for this) some Islamic countries can be. Women are not allowed to work, they are beaten, female infanticide, bride burning, dowry deaths, selective termination of pregnancy... Women do not get the respect they deserve in this country. They are EXPECTED to be slaves to the grind. They have 14-16 hour days and then have to give their spouses sexual fulfillment as and when they desire. There are very few women who are not abused in some way or the other. Physical, Sexual, Mental... Women are taught to be servile from day one. They are told that their job is in the kitchen.
A few days back at my friend's home, I came in from work and the ladies of the house were all under the weather. They all had the flu. The men were still at work tending the shop. They took a nap while I was there and I looked after the baby. At about 7pm, they walked into the kitchen and started getting ready for dinner. I asked them why they were over exerting themselves and their reply was that, this was their job. They have to cook for their men. I cannot understand this. I cook for my wife all the time. She helps me, but I don't like to see her busy while I'm lazing around... but, that's me.
Next we have the “classists”. The less I say about this, the better it is since I think I fall into this trap myself on a regular basis. I try to smile at beggars, sweepers and other people I consider not as fortunate as me. I see many of my compatriots ordering these people around and insulting them for no rhyme or reason.
Finally the “casteists”. India has many castes. MANY! I get shocked to see people who have been informed of the evils of the caste system, but choose to ignore it and make it a part of their lives. On a regular basis we can see the disturbing images of lynching in states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. All these violent incidents are based on the caste of the person. The higher castes lay claim to water, roads, land and everything else their heart desires.
My own relatives had a problem with a marriage since the boy was from a lower caste than the girl. The boy was shunned from all family gatherings and the children too were mistreated. They were often told that they were bastardized since they were of mixed caste. Considering my family prides themselves on their modern outlook, this was shameful and I am still saddened by the memory.
The Indian & The Shame List
01. Misconception of human intelligence or mental ability
02. Religious rivalry leading to blind accommodation and countless inventions of Gods and Goddesses.
03. Wide spread blind belief in God(s), fate, births, rebirths, soul liberation, reincarnations etc.
04. Unquestionable devotion and duty towards phony “Sadhus” and “Sants” (The frauds who pose as holy men)
05. Wide spread Superstitions
06. Gender discriminations.
07. Caste system, resulting from the concept of division of duty.
08. Ignorance
09. Illiteracy
10. Over population
11. Conventional thinking
12. Language problems
13. Moral corruption
14. Political corruption
15. Regional conflicts
16. Social and political chaos
17. Social discord
18. Disunity
19. Mistreatment of tribes
20. Skills and productivity are treated as alien concepts
The Indian & My Final Thoughts
Even though this essay is critical to the point of getting people upset with my thought process. But what I have written is the truth in my eyes. I love my country, but I want to see her do so much better. Better does not mean more money, or making sure that we speak better English or even conform to western traditions.
We need to introspect and look at the little ways we can contribute to change our country. We are bursting at the seams and we need a few good women and men now! even if you just make sure you don't throw trash from a moving car or spit on pretty much anything, or perhaps tell someone who is... then we have one more person to help out.
Do add comments. I'd like to see what you think about this.
--
Anupam, Hyderabad
