Oct 26
Been a long time since I posted here so I am back after a pretty long time. Sitting at home is so boring, life is just too boring when you have not much to do. But it did give me a long time to ponder upon many stuff and that explains the title of this blog.
I have always wondered why there is no patriotism that is prevalent in Indians. When I look at other cultures especially the Americans and the Japanese. As I mentioned in my previous post while coming back from Delhi, Mr. Amir had an interesting story to tell.
One of his friends went to Taiwan on a business visit. He was there to meet a certain Taiwanese businessman to talk about the deal. Let us say he was Mr. A. After Mr. A showed his facilities to his guest he took his guest to lunch and an another Taiwanese Businessman say Mr. B joined them and then Mr. B took A’s guest to visit his facility and this process of one Taiwanese businessman transferring the guest to another Taiwenese businessman continued, the guest was confused and he asked the Taiwenese guy as to why was he introduced to his competitors by him. Mr. A, the original Taiwanese businessman told the guest ” We don’t mind whom you buy it from, what matters is that you buy from Taiwan and Taiwan alone”.
When I heard this story I was amazed at how patriotic this was. The Toyota story is widely popular world over.
After our Independence, patriotism was at an ultimate high. Possibly the highest that ever was. The British had banned flying the Indian national flag yet everyone had one. After Independence, a law was passed in the parliament that prevented Indians from flying their national flag except on 15th August and 26th January at their homes or offices and the flags could only been hoisted in Government offices. How different was this move from the law that the British had enforced on us? The Supreme Court in 2001 gave a landmark judgement which allowed Indians to do so. It took someone 50 years since the law was passed in 1951. In contrast, the Americans literally worship their flags. Was this stupid rule a major contributor to this? It is a matter of debate.
Isn’t this amazing at how we ourselves have killed nationalism. The divisions on the basis of religion,region,cast and sub caste further killed nationalism. Everyone is first a hindu or a muslim or a christian or a Bihari, Rajasthani or Gujurathi or a brahmin, kshatriya or an iyer, iyengar, mudaliar, marwari, etc before being an Indian. Maybe this is the primary cause. Look at the number of water disputes that we have in India between different states of India, the division of states on a linguistic basis was the most stupidest decision ever, maybe it was taken by the politicians for furthering their own political interests. We will never know.
We have always equated politics with crime and criminals and hence the common man doesn’t involve himself in active politics. What we need is not an politically active middle class what we need is politically aware citizens cutting across the classes. That is when the politicians have to actually deliver their promises that they make by dozens during the election season.
I think it is time for Indians to wake up and realize that if they sit quietly then they can forget about living in a developed nation because India will not develop if you and me sit idle doing nothing. Ask yourself would you want to contribute to your nation becoming a developed nation. If your heart answers YES then go out and reach people and let them know. This is an effort on my part to reach out to so many Indians out there on the net. This is my bit. My question is
WILL WE????
November 1st, 2004 at 4:55 pm |Quote|
After Independence, a law was passed in the parliament that prevented Indians from flying their national flag except on 15th August and 26th January at their homes or offices and the flags could only been hoisted in Government offices. How different was this move from the law that the British had enforced on us? The Supreme Court in 2001 gave a landmark judgement which allowed Indians to do so. It took someone 50 years since the law was passed in 1951. In contrast, the Americans literally worship their flags. Was this stupid rule a major contributor to this? - is what u say.
I think that the govt. passed this law because many people did not know how to respect the flag. and people still do not. it is not necessary just to hoist the flag and show that one is patriotic. what is however necessary is that people respect the flag while hoisting it. so a flag code was drawn. even now after the jindal incident when the media blew the issue out of proportions because of the involvement of the future politician and industiralist family, one can only hoist the flag underthe porper jurisdidction of the flag code.
i dont think comparing oursleves with a bucnh of crap from america is the answer. wht one has to understand is that democracy in america is so much different than in india. here have the chance to have our opinion be categorised in a third party. there its either one or two. like bush wud say u r wither with us or with them. here ican be with neither. its stupid i think comparing america and india on political grounds. its downright naive.
and if u think the country is not patriotic then i think u have lost ur mind, wht is normally seen as patriotis is jingoism false prestige of the nation. i think every single citizen of india believes in the good future of india. despite the braindrain i thin india will succceed. i don have to flash my patriotism in the public eye to show that i a mpatriotic. ur opinions are fuckign narrowed down. i am patriotic. its inside of me. i dont have to show it outside.
anyway the reorganisation of states has helped in some ways and has been a pin in the ass in some others. but it is important to realise that in a demo cracy one cannot expect ot have a decision which will favour every fucking person in the country. when we take up demoicracy we take up this maxim - WE AGREE TO DISAGREE. i think thts exactly why u and i have diagreeing opinions on the smae topic coming under one blanket. its very difficult to get the whole country’s support on any issue except if u were in america. there ppl are fucking stupid to belive tht iraq is a dveil state. but thts another topis lets not get into tht.
anyway my point which somehow got lost in the middle there is that, obviously there are good and bad decisions but not in a democracy. there will always be grey areas. which are best kept grey. making them one solitary color will make it an anrachy. we certainly dont want tht.
November 1st, 2004 at 6:40 pm |Quote|
Nikhil, I think you misunderstood my whole point. My whole point was that a majority of Indians are not patriotic, nowhere have I mentioned dat u need 2 show off 2 be considered patriotic. I think you say that there was a fear that the flag would not be respected. I disagree in 1947, patriotism was at its peak. No one can deny that. And if you think that in 1947 when after so many people had given up their life to ensure independence for us, the flag would be disrespected I disagree strongly with your assessment. I think thats an insult to all those who took part in the Indian Freedom Movement, that people who had given up their life for a flag would not know to respect it. Thats crap.
2nd point u made was that we shouldnt just follow the americans. But i beleive in taking good things from every single person. I will give u a simple example, I had been to R-mall to see Hungama the movie- at that time the national anthem was played at the beginning of the movie and I found people starting to stand when it was about to end and those who were standing were talking and fidgeting. If you see any game played in the US, the american anthem is played at the start of it and every american stands up and recites the anthem. Do u think that if we played the national anthem people who stand up at the Wankhede Stadium when India takes on Australia.
I think you missed the whole point I made so I decided to get my point across to you. Like you said, I know in a democracy we agree to disagree. I was talking about the division of states on linguistic basis was a bad thing, because what it has done today is split us on the basis of the state to which we belong to. Mumbai is considered to be a cosmo city. But look at wat the Shiv Sena seems intent on doing.
Just dont think that everything that Americans do is wrong. I know some of their policies are sick. But dont ignore some of things that is good with their system. Like you said you cant expect a democracy to be working at its best. So i think you cant just ridcule the american system because they have made a bad decision on Iraq. And the americans beleived wat the bush administration dished out to them. Just the same way as the shit that is sometime fed by our politicians.
Try to take good things and ignore the bad things. I know it is difficult to do so but thats way it should be.