I love India. I love the people, the history, the colourful clothes, the wonderful food, the ability to adapt to adversity, the "middle class" values espoused by all (rich and poor), the natural beauty, and everything else in between. When I saw the tri-color unfurl for the republic day celebration this year, inspite of the comic march past put up by the diamond district guards, I got tears in my eyes. I still cannot listen to desh raag without crying, and cannot talk about the freedom movement to my daughter without feeling a lump in my throat.
Yet, I am of the firm belief that improvement comes with recognition of one's defeciencies. I am not sure that we fully, openly, recognize and talk about all that is not well in India. That is one of the first vices of India - the belief that criticism of the country is unpatriotic and blasphemous, especially if you are one of those who have shunned its sacred soils and sought the comforts of the more developed nations. Sure, the NRIs compare India to other nations with possibly more money, less population, etc. However, there is truth in their complaints about the roads, the pollution, the airport, etc. And many of those do not need rocket scientists for them to be fixed. We cannot separate ourselves from the corrupt politicians and the bereaucratic government for ever.
The second vice is our willingness to "adjust". True, that our ability to adjust is one of the wonderful things about us. I was able to host 22 relatives in my studio apartment on a student budget, and sleeping on the floor, or using a single bathroom, never came in the way of us having a very memorable and wonderful time. Yet, we don't need to adjust to the protruding nail under the brand new table, the expensive curtain that doesn't fully cover the window, the light switch placed in the far end of the room in your dream home, and other such atrocities that you pay through your nose for. Why don't we start with that toilet seat that always slips to the side and exposes just that sliver of germs on the rim? Have you ever seen one that doesn't do that?
With all the advancements we have made, let us learn to take well to criticism, and demand more for our money, and India will be an even better place to live in.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
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2 comments:
I enjoyed reading your blog. The entry "Appalam Sendai" is really cute.
What you identified as India's "vices" are no big issues at all. I do not believe Indians conflate cricism of their country with lack of patriotism. Perhaps you get this impression from popular media that there's too much chest-thumping going around and too little of introspection. But the media itself is a mediocre institution and is not a good barometer of people's attitudes.
The other point about "adjusting". You get what you pay for. I'm skeptical that you'll have reason to complain of being shortchanged if you pay the rupee equivalent of the same number of dollars you'd pay for the same service or goods back in adopted country.
Sikhi,
Bangalore is no longer cheap - especially if you opt for branded items that are supposed to have higher quality. However, even those branded items are not "guaranteed" quality.
Examples:
1. I have a flip flop ($5 more than what I would have paid in the US)which lost tension in the straps and now slips to the side, exposing the foot sole to the road.
2. When my daughter tried to climb a chair, bottom foothold gave away. I don't know what the chair cost - but judging by prices I saw at Lifestyle, it was not cheap.
3. I bought a shoe rack that I paid $20 for, and is much flimsier than the $12 version I have back home.
4. I bought a kids shirt for $15 - easily $5 more than what I usually pay in the US - and the color ran in the collar smudging the pretty print.
In addition to having paid more and having got less, none of those stores will let me return a used item.
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