Now that all of India is soul searching, and blaming politicians for where we are at. Not just on terrorism, but almost everything else, is it not time to look into our own hearts and see whether we ourselves have become self serving selfish people ? So it is good to listen to P Sidhu’s point of view – who had a great romantic view of his ‘mother country’ which was shattered on his first visit. I do not share his views completely, but there is truth in what he says. I think we are changing :
“First of all I am a Canadian born Indian who has spent alot of time in India. Before I ever went to India my opininion of Indian people was based on my interactions with Indians living in Canada, both Canadian born and Indian born. What I had come to realize about our people is that they will do just about anthing to make a buck regardless of the morality behind their actions as long as they can get away with it. Before I had ever gone to India my beliefs about the country were based soley on the 1960`s to 1980`s bollywood movies that I grew up with, not to mention my parents stories about the India that they grew up in. So I always assumed that Indians from India were honourable and moral people. My first trip to India shattered this illusion quickly. A country were it almost impossible to get Government service without paying some sort of bribe. The people have a massive inferiority complex to the white race and have forgotten who they are. The vast majority want to be western and are throwing away their culture. Getting to the point, the country has always been divided and the caste system doesn`t help. Indians believe that some are better than others and so naturally assume that it is right for some to have so much while others have nothing. The country was sold long ago. It is overpopulated and may of its poor will simply die out as food is running out due to depletion of the ocean life and water shortages in the near future. Some of the money will trickle down, but not much. The poor will simply die out. Sad, but true. The rich and middle class will survive along with a smaller poor population that will function to serve the middle class and elite.”
I was born and brought up in India and moved to US just 4 years ago.. Its fairly easy to see the “real India” once you are outside the shell. I completely agree with what you quoted here.. the caste system and the inferiority complex which was so ingrained in my very system became painfully visible and I hope that I have gotten rid of it. It is still frustrating to talk to loved ones (friend and family) for whom it’s like a “matter of fact” way of life..
I tried blogging about it, lecturing them about it… doing everything I can to make them see what I see, but with no avail.. If I cant convince the people I know, how do I convince random strangers to see a person for his deeds not his caste/dialect/religion/region/nationality/color/status ???
It pains me to see the same inferiority complex in the media too, where every actor dreams of Hollywood and denigrate Bollywood..what the heck!!
The reservation system and other caste specific jurisdictions/laws are partly to blame for it.. what a way to promote equality by favoring the minority classes!! It widens the gap even more.. we dont need Mayawati to give reservation to lower castes (who is promising reservation to upper castes if she comes in th center.. wtf!).. we dont need Manmohan Singh (he’s more of a tech person.. let him be the finance minister).. ironically we need better orators like Obama.. who even though have done nothing yet, can bring a nation close together… we even need someone like Bush who take actions (even though they are bad).. we need some one with a spine.. someone who can roar.. some one who can kill.. yet be the harbinger of peace (someone like Aslan).. is it so difficult?
“What I had come to realize about our people is that they will do just about anthing to make a buck regardless of the morality behind their actions as long as they can get away with it”
Nail on the head. My realisation came the other way round. I grew up in India and came to US after my education. The contrast is stark. If they can get away with it Indians will do whatever can be done.
Hi Shekhar,
I write to you because you almost always Post my letters on your blog.
This letter is totally different. I am planning a book entitled, “RajuK’s blueprint for a new world” where the following ideas would be at the core. But seeing the seriousness of the current situation, I cannot wait for the book to be completed, hence am writing this letter.
Here is the theme. Imagine the world is going to be attacked by aliens. Hence we all have to come together. The aliens do not speak our language, so none of us can join them. To the aliens, all earthlings are their enemies. No, this letter is not science fiction.
The caste system, the nationality, race, etc, all differences between humans have to go.
Since we have to all unite, and the current superpower is USA, USA will play an important role. Every human life (American or non-American) is precious. Most people may want to pick UN (United Nations – (get it, all nations are UNITED)) instead of USA. But lets face it, USA and many nations ignore UN frequently, hence I picked USA. And as you must have guessed, since we all eligible for social-security, we will all pay our taxes to the center of the world (USA for now).
American social-security will be available to all humans. Free health-care for all. Free basic food, shelter and clothing for all. Malls all over the world will have a government stall which will give free basic food like dal-rice and macaroni-cheese. If you want some fancy food, then, you can buy from restaurants, just like they exist today.
Here is the core concept. People who want to just survive, can do so at government expense. People who want to succeed can work hard to climb the social ladder. Making money will be a game. This core concept will be grilled into every kid from kindergarden onwards. Greed will be downplayed in society. Chasing women or landing a good husband will also be a game. People will be taught to have faith and pride in themselves. Your selfworth comes from who you are and not the eye-candy in your arms, ie not from who is your girlfriend. In other words, all have to play the game of love and war fairly. This is the true interpretation of All is fair in love and war. And no, by war, I do not mean a bloody-war, but a sport like competition.
Some people may say, if you want to make life a sport, then people cheat in sports also. I agree, people cheat in sports today, because sports are big money and prestige. I have explained how we would down-play money above, by making it a game, and by re-inforcing in kids that their self-worth is a given, since they are humans, so please dont let your self-worth come from how well can you throw or catch a ball!
After you upload this letter on your blog, it will start people thinking towards a new world. It may not have an immediate impact, but I must write this book in the hope that, if not in my life-time, then maybe 50-100 years from now, the world may pick it up to prevent apocalypse.
Thank you.
i totally disagree. i am indian by birth and live for 34 years . i have live in canada and usa and my openion about indian living in canada is that they are regressive living in 60’s and are living in this false pride /illusion they surround them self with that we are the country of saints.i am not saying that india and indian’s living in india are perfect but much better then the
whole of north america.
sudo mentality, living like frog in a pond.
whats wrong is blaming politicians for whats happend, we choose them to run our country and protect us. we are paying their salaries and all the comforts. if they don’t do their work properly we have right to blame and fire them from their jobs.
i am not blind about issues india have but i am hope ful that we the people will rise as one force and show the world what this country is made up of.
Jay Hind, i am feeling very emotional about this blog
i beg stop thrashing my country, usa / canada is not better then us we are very differnt even to compair.look what a big deal black /women president in usa and in my country did it ever came to our mind that many of our president was from minoritie and we had the most powerful women prime minister.
i we will not feel proud of the people of our country who else will.
its time to unite and look for solutions
There is no doubt that India is the spiritual heart center of this earth, and little do you ignorant clowns realize that the actual physical spiritual axis of the world is located in India as well. Lets see if you can find out where.
Do not judge this book by its cover. It’s a camouflage thrown over by the design..the maya, and the true beauty and value of India is visible only to those advanced souls who realize that human evolution is seldom equal to physical and external factors. The true beauty of India lies in the fact that it allows for its subjects to be grounded no matter what..even the beggars of India are more at peace than the richest of men in the developed nations. The hawkers and beggars still sleep tight on the footpath. Yes, there is rampant corruption and a dilapidated infrastructure, but it is a testament to the adaptation of the human being how Indians still live with so much inner peace in relation to the developed nations. You see some surface negativity..but fail to go deeper. This is where your inferiority lies. This design is much more complex than you can comprehend..it is not a race towards glass buildings and huge roads. The only reason India is descending further is because of this new breed of Indians who are losing connection to their roots, and their weak minds fall prey to the glamour. And do not forget, India will give you what you give it..so if you are a victim of corruption or something..you deserve it.
I have seen the world as well, and there is no doubt in me that India is the light that will lead the rest of the world as it already has begun to do. It just needs the proper leadership.
But P.Sidhu….
I can say the very same things for Canadians!
ha!
and more…
Sidhu…what’s your state of mind? what you actually looking for? you attract just what you look for dude…see things differently
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you are either at the top or bottom!
Hum Honge Kamyaab !
Sure, most of what is said here is true to some degree or other. Caste has been divisive. A fast buck made dishonestly is cherished – here as everywhere else in the world. How does one explain Enron, suspension of the Canadian parliament for petty political gain, the present credit crisis etc? Aren’t they also caused by people who will do anything for power and to make a buck and they were not Indian.
The fact also remains that India – warts and all – is progressing, in spite of its failings, corruption, poverty and in spite of its governments. Doesn’t this also say a lot about the Indian people and their capacity and determination? Sometimes its easy to miss out the larger picture. Things are not always just black or white.
Regards
HI!!
I am a 16 year old from Delhi!!
The recent attacks had almost a movie like effect on some parts of my brain that are less visited,,
I followed news till late at night and switched on the tv first thing next morning…bet i was never as interested in watching news..
The first thing that needs to be debated is the role of Media……i remember once there was this reporter standing somewhere…. with a hand grenade not more than 10 feet away from him..Drenched in sweat he was asking his cameraman to zoom in and repeatedly told the viewers that the grenade was unexploded…After every few seconds he’ll tell the viewers ,,,,,, Khabar har Keemat Par..
There was this debate on some channel once that discussed the role of media ….All editors from major channels were there ..(this was the time when the murder of a teenager girl had created ripples..another example of how easily we forget and forgive)..Now a senior lady news editor asked her counterparts that if a man is trying to burn himself alive what should be the reporter’s priority ,to try and save him or to look for a better view to cover it….And i was Shocked that 7 on 10 of them said that saving the guy’s life was not a media persons responsibility….!!
Each and every thing abut the whole episode was on tv for us to watch as well as for the ones who did it !!!!……
But the million dollar question still remains how do we do away with terrorists….I fail to understand why are we trying to kill terrorists without understanding that thoughts cannot be murdered ,,or bombarded upon that thoughts cannot be killed or done away with.The only thing good enough to counter or to take the place of a thought is A THOUGHT!! Mahatma Gandhi was not successful because he talked about Peace and Non violence He was just a man who was basically good at his profession that is a good lawyer ….All his philosophies of turning the cheek on getting slapped would have been ridiculed much earlier if they had not been given with enough logic and reason.
I am quite sure that the guy who was at Taj killing people could easily have been in an institute studying science if and only if his brain could have been seeded with enough reason and answers when he most needed them.Being a teenager i see many of my counterparts doing things that our parents had warned us against when we were kids for example i often wonder why do they smoke or consume alcohol when they know it will kill them ..eventually and what i make out of it is that maybe the one who got them to smoke gave them a better logic than their parents…..
Terrorists are like directionless marks on a piece if paper …..neither will trying to erase these help nor will a change of pencil..what WILL help eventually is a SCALE…!!!
We need prevention not cure …..Bullying the bully will never help…
I Know and sincerely feel myself that yes it is the time to say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” but somewhere i am also aware that after all “An eye for an eye can do nothing better than making the whole world blind”.
As far as the role of religion goes in assisting or in countering terrorism goes Kabir had once asked “Does a goat know its caste or
religion? When its slaughtered, by bali or halal, then it finds out whether its Hindu or
Muslim.”……….
Kartikay
This is a country where the majority loves it when the young Krishna says “Main nahin makhan khaio” while the butter is stuck all over his face.Jaisa Raja waisi Praja ke Jaaisa Bhagwaan waise Bhagat.
Probably the toughest post on your blog shekhar I have goosepimples all over my body after writing that. Be judicious to post it.