Advantage India !!

When my Working-Visa in US ran into trouble and my return to India was inevitable; a friend called to console and said ‘he was so sorry’. The usage of this expression which is used as commiseration at a grave loss was offending to my patriotism.

After this incident I was gripped with the fear that I will behave like many others who stay in US for a very short duration compared to the number of years spends in this country. Yet, they come here and click photographs of cows sitting in the middle of roads, weird English names of small shops, dangling electric wires, poor kids depicting the language of deprivation and post them on facebook. They go to vegetable market and faint. They search for the shops and seek gol-gappas made in mineral water. They cringe and flinch, to separate themselves from the less fortunate never-have-been-to-foreign men and women. Hunh!!

All such fears proved baseless. It was home coming. I remember my cousin asking why I fold my hands when I say ‘namaste’ even now; I have stayed in US for too long for this ethnic and humble greeting. I took it as a compliment.

All said and done when another friend asked me the advantage of being in India, the salient good features… I was dumbfounded. I could not think of one.But then I realized India is a way of life, a thought process, a feeling. In fact, I find the cliché good and bad about us that they show in movies like ‘Outsourced’ nasty.

Back in Jaipur, at the railway station, dad left me and mom with luggage to go and check the reservation list. When I realized his reading glasses were with me in my purse, I ran after him. When I reached the notice board I saw some three men looking hard at the list, trying to find ‘Sankhla’ for an old man who forgot his glasses. And I knew I was back in my land. It’s a hard to describe sentiment.

It’s a warmth or comfort or feeling of home turf or confidence of finding my way through, I am not sure.

And yes, I crib and complain. I whine and huff. I refuse to agree and comply. I find the need of change. I see evident avenues for improvement. I find some facts appalling.

I am still a very proud Indian.
Happy Independence Day!!