i the proud indian

Wrote this on March 20, 2012, but just kept it on my desktop- you see, the wifi had timed out by the time I could upload this post :)

But i am determined to share this thought with you, so here goes.......

March 20, 2012: I am at Terminal 3 at IGI airport and i feel like i am in one of the best airports in the world- this is domestic departures, by the way. Its so impressive. Just so good!

Just now a group of some 40 men, women and children went past, with "thaila" and tin cans and "gathris" on their heads- their women wore shocking pink saris with shiny sequins and the children kept on shouting with joy and exploding with "amma re!" sounding shouts and just ran on the carpeted walk to the gates in their shiny moccasins and plastic flip flops. As I can see they are travelling by air, and that speaks so much for itself.... the men had big holdall looking things on their heads and wore dhoti kurtas, with salt and pepper stubble and sinewy hands which have worked hard in the fields and farms.

Well, we use to read a fairy tale where one princess wanted to marry a man who was at once the richest and the poorest... so she found a man in tattered clothing who was sitting on a golden throne in a palace and she proposed to him. That was a fairy tale, but in my lovely India, this actually happens. 

All these shocking pink saree clad women and the dhoti clad men and the semi clothed children shouting with joy are rich in their enthusiasm to enjoy whatever life throws at them- the group I saw had no hangups at all. And here I sit and keep looking at my hair wondering whether I am presentable or looking like I have tumbled out of bed! Its five in the morning, you see!

This is why I love India. Its all there for us to see... we have no pretentions. We talk and blaspheme our country and our people whenever we can; we spare no one. We are not shy to talk about how bad we are; we are also very proud about how good  we are. We love to make ourselves heard; and we love to hear our own voice too! Wish I could change this bit.... wish we could look at the good side and help others recognize how we can make it better for all of us.

Other than this, I adore my country the way it is. The dusty leaves, the true natural flower fragrances unspoilt by hybrid cultivation and the raw eagerness of the people far outweigh the negative aspects like corruption and politics.Why cant we just take this enthusiasm and and spread it so far and wide that every negative vibe gets smothered in its warm embrace and turns around to accept the good things just waiting for us?

OK, now my free trial time is getting over. The wifi will snap in a bit and I am not going to buy more time! so see you later.

I LOVE MY INDIA.

Cheers!