Understanding Indian Psyche

Melting Pot of Civilizations, Salad Bowl of the Orient, Emerging Superpower : These are phrases which are hardly unknown to anyone. Even if you are an ignorant bozo, you might have definitely come across these collection of words. To cut to the chase, these are new bynames with which India is referred to these days. Under this global recognition and megalomaniac veneer(which the services industry has created thereby catapulting India to the global platform)exists a different India : An India where citizens of one state are reluctant to mix with natives of other states; An India where the palpable chasm between the northern and southern states are rapidly widening(with politicians adding fuel to the fire); An India where politicians foment anger in the name of religion; An India whose citizens do not respect the National Flag - So much so that I was ridiculed once(in US) by fellow so-called educated Indians, when I stood up while the Indian national anthem was being played; An India where corruption is rampant; An India where the young generation refuses to understand the essence and value of freedom; An India where the word "patriotism" has lost its meaning in the darkest corners of a labyrinth;An India where the
guardians of our state intend to control the flow of human traffic by erecting virtual porous sieves - to separate "Marathi Manoos" from the "Bihari Bhaiyyas"; An India where the country unites only when it wins a inconsequential cricket match or when a oblique reference to Pakistan has been made.

In this write-up, I do not intend to hurl my pent-up anger towards my fellow countrymen. But, I do intend to bring to light some behaviors of us which are beyond my comprehension.

Case in Point: The same person who does not even think twice before spitting out a mouthful of red betel leaf(paan) on roads and heritage monuments in India would never indulge himself/herself in the same act in US. And, I have seen highly educated people in India conscientiously litter monuments despite standing next to a trash can.

Case in Point: In BayArea Diwali mela, I have witnessed my impassive and frivolous countrymen savoring "chole bhature and dahi-papdi" without paying any heed to the Indian National Anthem that was being played at that moment. And I am not talking about a few ignominious souls but a good size of the attendees. These same individuals would be the first one to stand, in order to pay respect to the "Star Spangled Banner(US National Anthem)" as if by doing so, Uncle Sam would expedite their Green-Card processing.

To me, disrespecting National Anthem is tantamount to criminal offense and if I were given the power, I would scrupulously prosecute each and every one of the culprits to the fullest extent of law. What is even more disgraceful is that these are well-educated technocrats who are the torch-bearers of progressive India. On the contrary these are the same people who do not have the slightest regard for their National Anthem. If that is the fallout of a world class education I would prefer to remain a hobo.

It really makes me wonder what prompts this paradigm shift in behavior when we start living in a foreign country. Does it mean, in India, we deliberately indulge in these kind of activities without the slightest fear of retribution or does it mean that we are scared of the stringent regulations, strict martinets in the form of cops and the specter of deportation in the alien lands? My guess would be the later.