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10 Things That Make Me Proud To Be Indian, 10 That Make Me Sad

India, my wise friend wrote the other day, is a land of contrasts and contradictions. It is a land of peace and war, of love and hate and many other emotions. You can spend a lifetime and be none the wiser in trying to understand India’s vast complexities. This subject can therefore easily make a book. I will try and compress it into a few pages.

Love us or hate us, like us or leave us, the one thing anyone can ill-afford to do, is ignore us. Not when one in every six human beings is an Indian. Here are the ten things that make me proud to be Indian and ten that make me sad.

Image courtesy http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4788644/ 1. Living in a democratic country, chaotic though it may be

714 million Indians have just completed the process of electing a new government. That is the about same as if the entire populations of the US, Russia, Japan, Germany and the UK were to decide to go to the polls together. This will give some perspective to those readers who have never been to India and know little about this country.

It is a matter of great pride that no matter how chaotic this country, as Indians, we are free to kick our leaders out (or re-elect them) every five years, unlike authoritarian regimes which may show quicker progress but at much greater human cost. For me, the free tortoise wins over the dictatorial hare anytime and always. Women at an election meeting Image courtesy http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/

Connected to this is the fact that the other legs of a democracy – the judiciary, the media and the executive are relatively free and healthy. I use the word “relatively” seriously as there is no such thing as absolute freedom, even in the torchbearer of democracy, the US. I think it is great to be part of the world’s largest democracy.

India has also survived a brief flirtation with dictatorship in the 1970’s when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. Mercifully, I might add. Image Courtesy http://www.indiajournal.com/ 2. An emerging global economic, scientific and technological superpower

It is evident to only a few just now. But make no mistake, India is headed towards superpower status. And it could happen sooner than most think. I would wager another 50 years at the most. It is already the fourth largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). PPP takes into account the standard of living and the cost of living of different countries and is considered more relevant than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is just the sum of all goods and services produced in an economy.

India has a strong and growing middle class which is put variously at between 200 and 300 million. It also has a young population (median age 25 years) with needs to fill. Both factors point to good things to come. One must also keep in mind that the “middle class” as defined in India is qualitatively different from the “middle class” of the prosperous West.

In terms of scientific and technological achievement, India has contributed vastly to the growth of the Information Technology industry worldwide. From data processing, the Indian IT sector is moving up the value chain to software development and beyond. The distance between Silicon Valley and Bangalore is reducing.

India has one of the world’s largest pools of trained scientific manpower. It is also a significant player in the Pharmaceutical industry worldwide and ahead of many developed nations in space and missile technology. India is only the fifth nation behind Russia, the USA, Japan and China to launch a lunar mission. A Houseboat in Kerala Image courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/10429032@N08/2125837354 3 A Diverse Environment

We are blessed with the best Nature has to offer. Mountains, beaches, deserts, forests, rivers, wildlife and birdlife, to name a few. You have to drive on the highest road in the world to realize the natural beauty and heart-in-your-mouth excitement that is on offer as you cross three mountain passes over 17,000 feet high. Or the joy of lazing in a houseboat in Srinagar or the backwaters of Kerala, while the aroma of fresh fried fish wafts over you and the beer sits nicely around your belly. 4. A culturally vibrant, diverse and hospitable people

To begin to understand India, one must understand its diversity. There are 22 official languages and over 1600 dialects spoken. Nearly 650 different recognised tribes reside across the country. Keeping this cultural diversity alive is part of the challenge ahead, especially given the ever-increasing lure of westernisation.

Travel around India and you will realize that language, dress, food, facial features – virtually everything, is excitingly different between regions. Most visitors to India would also agree that the people are hospitable and open their homes and hearts to foreigners quickly. Another great plus in my book. Chicken Tikka Masala Image courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrcrash/206270250/ 5. Indian Cuisine

Ironically, most foreigners identify Indian cuisine with “curry”. Nothing could be more erroneous. With its original Aryan and Dravidian cultures, churned by the influence of visitors and invaders from Central Asia and Europe, food habits and cuisines have evolved over the centuries in India.

The end result is a variety of cuisines – some region-specific, others influenced by the availability of certain ingredients; and yet others evolving from religion-dictated Do’s and Don’ts. If you throw into the mix the exotic spices native to this land you get, arguably, the best food available in the world – tasty, inexpensive and (mostly!) healthy.

Tandoori meats and vegetables, Kashmiri wazwaan, Hyderabadi biryani, the delicate flavors of the Hilsa fish revered in Bengal, or the melt-in-your-mouth fish moilee (a favourite with natives of Kerala and the Konkan coast). All of these and more make for a Gourmand’s feast. Food for the palate and the soul!!

And surely one must not forget that the British consider Chicken Tikka Masala to be their national dish! Hilsa Fish Image Courtesy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ClupeaIlisha 6. The Indian Armed Forces

Among the finest institutions this country has produced are the Indian Armed Forces. When tinpot generals have anointed themselves as Presidents for life in various parts of the world, we can be proud of our Defence forces. The Republic Day Parade, Delhi Image Courtesy http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/in_pictures/7210526.stm

It is the world’s third largest standing army comprising over 1.1 million men in uniform. This institution is totally apolitical and professional in its approach. Its values are largely intact, though how long it can remain isolated from societal values in general, remains an open question. It is also a symbol of the secular nature of the country as people from all over come together to make this organization. 7. The Indian family unit still survives

Despite the many pressures of globalization and westernization, the Indian family unit still survives, especially in the rural areas. In the cities, families have become more nuclear with the younger ones moving out in search of a better life. It is not unusual for unmarried, earning young adults to stay with the parents. Conversely, parents are usually expected to stay with their children during their twilight years. Single parenting is still uncommon. 8. The intense desire for education

Everyone but everyone in India wants their progeny to have as good an education as they can afford. So whether it is a humble daily wage earner whose son is in a municipal school or a scion of the country’s rich and famous being educated at Harvard, the desire to provide the best education burns brightly. The fact that the value of education is recognised augurs well for India. Logo of IIM Calcutta

I am proud also of the education provided by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Managements (IIMs) which can boast of standards equal to the best in the world at far less cost. Products of these institutions now head global organizations and play a major role in organizations like NASA. Indians are familiar as doctors and scientists in many developed countries. 9. The ability to accept one’s reality

The Indian reality is one of stark contrasts. Mercedes cars jostle for space alongside rickshaws. World-class homes nestle cheek-by-jowl with shanty towns. And yet it seems unlikely that India will ever experience a bloody revolution as seen elsewhere in the world.

There is something in the Indian ethos that makes a person accept his lot. He finds it easy to come to terms with reality even while he dreams of a better life for himself and his children. In a way it implies a helplessness to change our fate - very different to Western thought.

10. The Indian woman

She is the loving wife,and doting mother, the well-groomed, highly articulate super-juggler, balancing her home and professional life.

What makes me proud of the Indian woman is her great dignity, and her commitment to the institution of marriage and family.

Her natural grace, softness, body structure and skin tone make her an epitome of beauty..