When I was a teenager trying to mug up Indian history in order to progress through the so-called schooling system, I had confided in my dad ( a history buff) that it looks like India will someday become the United States of India and we will need passports to go visit relatives. Of course the comment was a result of frustration borne out of reading a long and tedious history book, but looking at the number of new states and territories in demand today, I feel it may not have been as far fetched as I had thought.
As if Jharkhand and Uttarakhand were not bad examples to set, now we are heading towards a divided AP. And while not delving into the debate of that particular state, I would like to say that they have no idea what they have stirred up all over the country!
Declaration of statehood over a hunger strike?! It was somewhat like parents giving into a child throwing tantrums. And here we have head militant outfits killing people and blowing up trains for years demanding the same in other states. Of course, one will say its the more Gandhian approach. I shudder to think what the new generation will be learning from this. "Mummy either I get that Nintendo or I am going on hunger strike!!"
And once again it's suspect just how much thought actually went into the separation of these states besides political gain. We seems to be continuing the legacy of our colonizers in dividing what we cannot rule. They split us into India Pakistan and we are splitting the country into even smaller bits.
But then again, except for NRIs, no Indian really ever introduces themselves as Indians. However, they are quick to ravel in all national achievements like in cricket and sports. Ours is becoming a spoiled country, the rich and the political getting spoiled for their choice and spoiling the atmosphere of the country while the rest who continue to struggle to survive are left to bare the burnt of divisions. May be if we stop behaving like children we can get down to ruling the country like adults!
As if Jharkhand and Uttarakhand were not bad examples to set, now we are heading towards a divided AP. And while not delving into the debate of that particular state, I would like to say that they have no idea what they have stirred up all over the country!
Declaration of statehood over a hunger strike?! It was somewhat like parents giving into a child throwing tantrums. And here we have head militant outfits killing people and blowing up trains for years demanding the same in other states. Of course, one will say its the more Gandhian approach. I shudder to think what the new generation will be learning from this. "Mummy either I get that Nintendo or I am going on hunger strike!!"
And once again it's suspect just how much thought actually went into the separation of these states besides political gain. We seems to be continuing the legacy of our colonizers in dividing what we cannot rule. They split us into India Pakistan and we are splitting the country into even smaller bits.
But then again, except for NRIs, no Indian really ever introduces themselves as Indians. However, they are quick to ravel in all national achievements like in cricket and sports. Ours is becoming a spoiled country, the rich and the political getting spoiled for their choice and spoiling the atmosphere of the country while the rest who continue to struggle to survive are left to bare the burnt of divisions. May be if we stop behaving like children we can get down to ruling the country like adults!
3 comments:
The other day even Ram Vilas Paswan was hopeful and staked a claim for "Purvanchal" state so that he can become at least CM as Nitish will be difficult to beat this is his strategem. If we listen to this non-sense we would indeed end up making all MPs CM of their constituencies, and MLAs as deputies! But I do hope we would not need to travel with our passports with in India. I don't think you need to do that in USA either ;-)
Shoot the people who call it Gandhigiri. I hope the day doesnt come when resorting to the so-called 'Gandhigiri' becomes a national concern. Even the Mahatama didnt favour the division of India and Pakistan but he gave in to political whims. Its history repeating itself. It all starts with a battle of sorts but if the Government acts fast and smartly, this turbulence can be abated soon.
While I have mixed views about carving out of new states - I certainly don't think Telangana is a good idea - but it is also a fact that states that are too large have a possibility of leading to administrative problems.
I however have some reservations about some of the later parts of your write-up.
> except for NRIs, no Indian really ever introduces themselves as Indians
I disagree with you. True that a not-so-insignificant number bash India at every possible opportunity (talk of Arvind Adiga who belongs to this bandwagon), and another team that only believes in Indian cricket and nothing else, but there are a lot of us who consider ourselves Indians.
If anyone asks me which part of the country I belong to, I never say Bengal, because I do not belong to Bengal. I say I belong to Meghalaya, thats where I was born, where I grew up, thats where I intend to die.
Also NRIs introduce themselves as Indians because of a host of reasons
1. it wouldn't make sense if they were to talk of Gujarat and UP. Not many Americans know where in the map India lies. Introducing themselves as Indians is the best bet.
2. There are a lot of NRIs who don't consider themselves as Indians. I have nothing against them. but their parents do. (In fact, I don't think NRIs have a moral duty to consider themselves as Indians. And I don't quite understand the hullaballo over all NRIs - when Sunita Williams visited India there was so much of hoi polloi - for God's sake, she isn't even Indian - her blood is only 1/4th Indian). I like the way our new Nobel Laureate dealt with this sudden national embracement.
3. There are NRIs who have left the country, but haven't quite got what they wanted in America - acceptance
4. There are NRIs who left India and carried with them a guilt
5. There are NRIs who are perfectly happy there.
As far as introducing myself as a Gujarati or Marathi goes, I think it made sense, at least till the last generation, where being a Marathi or a Gujarati served to identify you - rather than to use it to discriminate, people readily understood a lot you stood for, your culture, your expectations and so on, and it could even help to integrate. I don't think this argument is quite as valid in multi-cultural cities today, however, it may still be valid in smaller towns and villages.
I don't remember the exact words Shashi Tharoor used, but he said that the zillions of identities Indians give about themselves help to identify the "specialness" of a single individual among the 1 billion others. After all, we are not a country that speaks one single language, and eats one single cusine.
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