Thursday, October 18, 2007

Patriotism?

I proudly flaunt two flags on my dashboard, and while many think I am just too lazy to get rid of the "independence day hangover", I really enjoy having them there... and the other day I decided to see how many others actually did the same. Can you believe it - in a 20 min drive, I passed not one, not two, but an unbelievable 13 cars with the Indian tri color on their dashboards!

Is this patriotism? Is this just a fad? I don't know, and frankly, I don't care - but I know one thing for sure - when Yogesh and I first started buying flags to put on our bikes on Independence Day, people almost seemed amused!

I get very upset when I used to see many Indians almost taking pride in criticizing us as a nation. They didn't feel upset about the poverty and corruption, and the state of politics here. They didn't feel sad when we lost a cricket match. They felt vindicated! It was almost as if they were glad that they could call us a wretched nation! Why? Is this the hangover of centuries of foreign rule, where we were told over and over again how we were meant to be ruled over? How we could never be a proud independent nation?

Things have changed now, for sure, led by a generation that is used to being proudly Indian! No wonder there are so many beautiful tri-colors flying high!

1 comment:

Urvee said...

Most of us have patriotism its just we do not express it.

I feel sad when people at time of I-Day n ReP Day purshase flags with enthu but following days you'll see the same flags lying on roads - Now thats not patriotism