Sunday, December 11, 2005

We are the World!!??

Nowadays every second person one meets on the Bangalore streets is white. By white, of course, we mean white/cream/yellow/brown/black and a few shades of gray in between. Anyone who isn’t Indian, out to “experience” the great Indian whatever-they-think-it-is, and stopped in Bangalore by the lure of a dirt cheap (by their standards) KFC or Benetton.

Most of them settle in pretty well, smack their lips like the “Southies” over a idli sambar, boogie the nite away at some random pub, and enjoy their time.

However, met someone a while back, who has, or at least had, a decidedly myopic approach to India. It was all “dirty, and ugly, and he actually wanted to go elsewhere, but landed up here by fluke”. Lovely European intonations, very musical, but the words were unpalatable. Remember being a bit irritated at his views about this place.

So, it came as a horror as I walked down Shivanagar Market area this morning, with people throwing buckets of mucky water on the roads, in everywhich way, to find myself muttering “bloody Indians!” and other expletives that would make a sailor blush.

Does this make ME a un-patriot, or is it merely a growing testimony to an era of people whose allegiance is only to themselves?

3 comments:

Kay said...

Niether - just part of a generation of people who are not blind to the flaws of their own culture and social legacy.

Progga said...

An interesting question. I think perhaps the fundamental connotation of 'patriotism' has changed. Less unquestioning glorification, more of a balanced view.

DreamCatcher said...

Hey we all have warts some pronounced some well hidden under the pretext of patriotism/'culture'/etc. but warts none the less. In a country thriving on deep caste and religious divides it would take a long while to get balanced. Don't beat yourself up for saying it. Next time wait up and ask the person why he/she did that and how they would feel if you returned the favour...