Like most of our generation , I grew up loving my country. Getting goosebumps when I heard or sang the National Anthem.
Patriotism is kind of our 'thing' you could say. From Bollywood to Cricket, from Tandoori chicken to Pani puri, from unnecessary honking in traffic jams and racing on the relatively empty roads to the abysmal traffic regulations, from Taj Mahal and the beaches of Goa to the beautiful monsoon in my city Nagpur. I have loved and and been proud of them all.All the more Patriotic and Indian now that I am a NRI :P
And I have defended them in every situation , people ( read my husband :P and a few friends ) have always been surprised and questioned my opinions .
Bollywood .... Why does Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaenge make you all glassy eyed and giggle ? Why does Rang De Basanti give you goosebumps ? Bollywood movies have too many songs, they complained.. too much 'Nautankie'. I told them to watch Black,Tare Zamin Pe, Rang De Basanti,Three Idiots. Movies like them make it worth it :) I told them we weren't all about dancing around trees and tear jerkers. ( Though I do enjoy the odd dancing around the trees and tear jerkers all the same, and the more songs the merrier :D )
So there I am, a proud Bollywood crazy Indian.
Cricket... The nervous tension, the jumpiness and nail biting of the first T20 finals is still fresh in my mind. The elation and joy was boundless when we finally won. Indian cricket team is so unpredictable they said, why do you bother supporting them , they ask ! Because victories like these make it worth it. And besides they can't always win, they need to be chivalrous towards the others :P And my best comeback was, ( well one that I was quite proud of anyway :P ) I am not like the fake fan's who only stick around when they win, I am a true fan,, sticking up for them through their wins and losses.
So there again, I am a proud Cricket crazy Indian.
Indian Food... SPICY is the word for it. Tandoori chicken and Biryani, Pakodas and Bhajayas, Panipuri and chats, mango achars and aloo gobi, ladoos and jalabies.
Why is Indian food bombed with Spices ? Why are the sweets so freaking sweet ?
Only one thing I say to you, Sorry to know your taste buds are dead :P
And so again, Proud Indian Foodie I am.
Traffic ... Why is there so much disorganized traffic ? Why do you honk so much ?
Because riding and driving like it's a obstacle maze is fun :P
And I honk because that's how I communicate with my fellow travelers, simple :)
Beauty much ? .... Why does the air in India stink ? Why is it so unhygienic ? Um mm ... my defense .. Well on the up side, we are pretty immune to common illnesses and our stomachs can handle pretty much anything :P
And for a Stinky , unhygienic place that they make it out to be, we have Taj Mahal, and the beaches of Goa and the beautiful monsoon in our very own city Nagpur that filled my heart with joy every time.
And then they say something that I can not defend.
Why is India one of the worst countries for Women to live in ? Did you really feel safe in India ? Is the girl child safe in India ? And I have nothing to say, no excuse to give, no defense to offer. How can I ? How can a place truly be your home if you do not feel safe ?
Because even if one woman falls prey of such vile acts, even if one child is robbed of it's childhood and in many instances it's life too, it does not deserve to be defended.
I am ashamed of the place women have in India, it's not a home if it isn't safe , still it's home to many women living and fighting the danger every day of their lives.
I am ashamed of the numerous men who choose to open their mouths to only barf out ridiculous rubbish.
I am ashamed of myself , being a NRI feeling somewhat relieved to have escaped the danger of living in India and who is extremely fearful for the women she knows and doesn't know who carry on with their lives mingled with fear and hope for a better future.
I am ashamed that we forget every time and carry on without making a safe home for our children.
I am ashamed to give up on you, India….
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