One of my friends' status message on facebook was a bit different from most others' on 26th Jan this time. It said something to the effect of, "Everyone suddenly gets a burst of patriotism on this day. It is all a farce." That was a reaction, I guess, to the many people's posts of patriotic videos and gloriying messages about India. Although, I jumped onto the patriotic bandwagon, letting the feeling creep and crawl over me, after I saw this message, I sat back.
"She is right! It is all a farce (nautanki)." I thought. But another friend commented on her status saying, "At least this day we feel that way. It is fine." Couldn't disagree.
I know at the root level I am patriotic and want to affect lives of my kin (fellow countrymen) in a positive way. Watching/hearing of any development in India makes me feel superior and proud. I am sure it is true of most of my friends and acquaintances too. Some are already contributing their bit to the society, some are planning, others help those who take initiatives. All on all, I know that the social mindset is changing and for good. Esp the ones who live out of India for a bit, value their motherland more; a majority of them at least!
There are a few points which a lot of people touch upon when talking "Indianness". Some of them are as follows (in no particular order):
1- We worship our actors and cricketers. We are crazy about movies and cricket.
2- We criticize the soaps on TV and yet watch them religiously.
3- We never arrive on time.
4- We have no queues/ traffic sense.
5- We criticize bribery yet be the first ones to use it as a "Get out of jail" card.
6- We save money for a better tomorrow forever.
7- We even bribe Gods, touch parents'/elders' feet before starting a task.
8- An average man can communicate in at least 2 or 3 languages.
9- Marking the beginning of any speech, we say, "I have a few words..."
There are more points like these. I'd recommend that watch this video. It is by Rahul Bose. Surely an inspiring one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bim_APQ_5xQ
The part from 6:20 minutes into the video esp talks about how we are unique. Most of those points were greeted with cheer as were some of the points before that. So how do we know if we have become a superpower (as we have been dreaming since the nuclear test at Pokhran) when we do become one?
Apart from the checklistable points mentioned not only in this speech but in most other speeches in this genre (India/Indianness/India Superpower), I have a clear one to watch.
The day we stop cheering loudly/ applauding for those precise points... the day we stop getting goose bumps on hearing patriotic speeches arousing our expectations... The day we stop looking at other nations and their people for their pride and duty towards their nations... That day we would have become a superpower because we know it is not a 'to do' anymore, but already a norm of our lives!
