To Be An Indian

Each time I witness people rushing into the incoming trains on the platforms of Mumbai stations, my heart sinks in disbelief. They jump in like cattle, all one can hear is the screams and thumping of their feet as they rush in, not because they enjoy it but all they want is to get a place to sit and for  most people a place to stand while going back home after a hard day’s work.

We are the second largest population in the world almost accounting to 1/3 and to see people behave sometimes like animals in should not surprise me but yet I am in Shock and Awe.

 I question myself all the time, whose fault is it? Our Fathers or their Father before them, Our fore fathers didn’t really see it coming, over flooding the population of India making it the second largest in the world or should I blame the government’ s in its inefficiency in provide basic necessity to its people. Making us live like animals and then tax us for living like animals.

Questions on the world’s population on planet earth is a serious issue but I rather not talk of it at the moment but ponder on little thoughts that visit me every.

Why is it most European countries are better off than the Asians? Why it is most Asian countries don’t care for their people? Why is it we are looked upon as a liability rather an asset in our own countries?

I would understand if they were rich if they had oil like the Arabs or if they were sitting on minerals mines, but they neither have oil nor are they sitting on diamonds. But yet, they provide their people with more than basic necessities, making them live a dignified life. This is one reason why most Asians would give anything to get a visa. We all want to live a life of self respect and with dignity.

A friend of mine who is in love with a Caucasian, for people who don’t know what the word “Caucasian” means, it’s a term used for people who are white. I didn’t know the term myself until he enlightened me on the term is planning to move in with him.

I first thought it would be more agonizing for her to shift to this country and understand its cultural but when he was her and they moved around the country, He said it’s going to be hard for him as well.

There have always been many instances, where he witnessed people stare like zombies, beggars following them or young idiots pass comments on motor bikes.

It sometimes got him angry, jealous, embarrassed or at times depressed.  I guess most Indians including me, maybe is a certain way, never can accept change or things that are different to our way of life. I wonder is it this behavior of not accepting change that has made us different from the west.

Why is it that we want to go to west and they very reluctantly would come here or just out of curiosity brave the courage to see our lands?

I believe we forgotten how to live. People rush, rushing and speeding towards their work place. We are like ants and like true to their nature we follow a set of rules, a pattern similar like them. We work, gather and multiply. The ones who don’t follow this cycle are looked upon as an outcast.

Is it this reason - work, gather and multiply, that compels us to be ruthless toward each other, or is it our survivals instincts of our ancestors that have made us into social animals. We can no longer kill on another but we can make them starve or bring financial burdens onto their door steps.

We live in a false belief, that India is known for its multilateral culture and hospitality. However this is far from the truth. Our men take pride in scratching their groins, spitting, shoving, elbowing and eve teasing on the roads. They teach their children to litter, do not follow traffic rules and words like “Please, Sorry and Thank you” are out of their dictionary.

Our government rushes to save face when it comes to international issues concerning Indians but yet ignore the cries of thousands within the country. The rich are far away from the issues of common man day to day life. The poor are not too bothered in changing their way of life. The government is busy trying to get elected again.

I wonder if anyone out there understands how disheartning it is  that no one really cares …..