Indian Amartya Sen gets Nobel Prize in Economics; Sunita Williams, whose father was an Indian, makes the record of spending maximum time in space; Bobby Jindal becomes the Governor of Lousiana; Norah Jones wins Grammy; Sanjay Malakar proves India’s mantle in American Idol. In short, India shining all the way, even in space...But scratch the surface a bit and do a soul searching and you will see the hollowness in the presence of “Indians” everywhere.
Columnist Ketan Tanna writes, “We Indians seem to suffer from the tiresome system of being unthinking way in which we appropriate any achiever with even the most tenous connection to the motherland as Indians.” Diyas are lighted and crackers burned in a small village in Punjab, because their one grandfather’s onetime neighbour’s grandson, whose body, soul and heart are Indians, according to them, has been elected the Governor of a small American state.
Perhaps such instances make us feel bigger, better, first world, and truly global. AS Historian Ramchandra Guha says, “There is something lopsided and imbalanced in all of this.......It is nothing but pathetic insecurity and an inferirity complex.” It seems that the rudderless trans-national middle class, in their keen urge to join the rat-race and prove themselves make relations with anyone they find, anywhere in the world. Professor Mushirul Hassan, our Vice-Chancellor too agrees and he says, “It is a way of saying, we have arrived. And when there is not enough persons in India, you look outside.”
There is not so much as a privkle of “shamefacedness” at the fact that India has done little to further their careers or their talents. To say the least Naipaul, Sunita William, or Bobby Jindal are as much Indians as Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi are Italians.
What’s even queerer to note that the same very people, who open their heart to those “INDIANS”, object to Sonia Gandhi’s nationality. While we miss not even the slightest opportunity of adulations for overseas success on whomsoever, we can claim as our own, we never really think of millions of those whom we condemn to failure. What’s even more embarrassing is that much greater achievements within the country goes unnoticed or is downplayed. But once the West gives its seal of approval, the drum-roll just won’t stop. Not many people, for example knew R.K. Pachauri a year ago. But after the Organization that he heads got the Nobel Prize, he was everywhere, all News channels and papers, Page3, etc. Even Mother Teresa became “Indian” only after she got the Nobel Prize.
We often overhear the stories of negligence of our sportsmen in domestic circuit. Hockey players often complain for lack of recognitions. They in fact sat on Dharna for their “rights”. Few months back, some of the Indian athletes, who are also railway employees, were found escorting vehicles in New Delhi Railway station parking area.
Media is, in a big way, responsible for such stupid “lopsided” behaviour. It announces like an obituary that Ustad Bismilliah Khan has died and that the President has expressed his grief. But when Anand Jon, a Silicon Valley born faishion designer is accused of paedophilia, News papers give half page coverage to it. Some of the News channel goes on to the extent of showing “Vishesh” on the issue.
We seriously need to think and reflect on what the Indian achievers across the pond think of the country, before rolling red carpet for them. How much Norah Jones consider herself Indian? And moreover, we should learn to appreciate the next door small heroes, for their contributions towards building the nation.
