[nukkad] Happy Independence days - some stray thoughts ..

["Indian Rediff" <>]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tip of the day:  Get your Bollywood fix here:
          http://www.mumbai-central.com/mboards/#bollywood
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy Independence day to all.

The cynic in me wonders ... 

Is there anything to be happy about? Is India really better off as an independent country? Do we deserve our democracy and freedom? Sitting in America - I can see that even though the Yanks are cynical about USA - there is ONE thing that they value above all else - their freedom. I came to this country as a Democrat (left leaning) and as time goes by I am falling into the rut made my innumerable desis before me - leaning more and more to the Right. I have still never voted Republican - nor (I hope) will I ever.

But I wonder, still I wonder .. 

What would happen in the US if (say) New Hampshire (whose state slogan is 'Live Free or Die') decides to break away from the Union? Will we have a convenient scapegoat in Canada or Russia whom we can blame for everything that happens? Is it possible that we would have die-hard NH'ers who fight for their freedom? Will terrorism be as rampant here as it is in India? 

Could it be, I wonder .. 

Maybe India does not deserve her freedom? Are we mature enough to handle all the responsibilities that come with being a democracy? Have we treated the Kashmiris rightly in the past 54 years? Did Bangladesh really need to be 'liberated'? Was the refugee problem real? Or was it just human migration patterns (just like the population of Indians in the US has doubled in the past 10 years)?

And then I think about fortunes, and wonder .. 

How lucky a country is USA? That they have 1/10 the population density of India and still complain about the immigrants coming in? That they have the most abundant natural resources int he world and do not have the responsibility to use it responsibly? That they have the temerity to dictate what the world does? That they have been through TWO world wars and not suffered even 1/1000th the damages that the rest of the countries did?

Honesty and integrity and dignity of labour, makes me wonder .. 

Are Indians as a breed or community honest? Do they work for the betterment of themselves? Or do they work for the betterment of society in general? Is it possible that the laissez faire atmosphere of the US has made Indians spectacularly successful - only because selfishness is promoted here? The worship of Mammon is not condemned? Wealth is not something to be embarassed about? That there are no Dawood Ibrahims/Chhota Rajans lurking in the background with shady requests for protection monies? Is it possible to transplant at least SOME of these features to India and get the innate abilities of Indians to work hard and be successful going? Or are we so steeped in the past that the first thoughts of work invoke shadows of the desire for easy money - leading to corruption? Are we inherently jealous of the success of other fellow Indians? Could we make a fresh beginning?

A VERY pensive Indian .. wondering .. 

-- 

_______________________________________________
FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com 
http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup 

Talk More, Pay Less with Net2Phone Direct(R), up to 1500 minutes free! 
http://www.net2phone.com/cgi-bin/link.cgi?143 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Subscribe [Unsubscribe] send a blank message to 
        nukkad-list-request@mumbai-central.com 
with the word 'subscribe' ['unsubscribe'] (without quotes) in the Subject 
of your message.
The list is archived at  http://www.mumbai-central.com/nukkad/archive.html