In today's jet-set world of spam technologies and cyborgs, a manhunt begins. To hunt the real identity of a nation, which dates back to time immemorial. The hunt sounds easy to naïve ears-just narrow down on one suspect and crown the other with a scepter as the "brand" of the nation. But to a more seasoned and adept mind, this particular hullabaloo causes more creases on the forehead than the fake "wrinkle-free" khaki trousers bought from an expensive retail complex.
Bharat was happy with Bapu but India needed a "Father of the Nation" ala USA. Bharat was happy with Ambassador Novas and Fiat Padminis but India required Skodas and Maybachs. Bharat woke up with pleasure, chanting hymns and offering prayers to Sun God but India wakes up groggily to DrDres and Metallicas.Bharat was content with muris for breakfast, boiled rice for lunch and chappatis for dinner but India needs cornflakes for the morning hunger, pizzas and burgers and hotdogs (why does the list seem endless?) for their afternoon snacks and steaks, beans and 'Chinese' for their dinner tuck. At this point, some Little Johnny would stand up, blurting out a question with such astuteness, as if the query dealt with his paternity. "But don't you think this metamorphoses is just a step towards globalization, or maybe, modernization?" Before anyone could even blink, forget about understanding the superfluous inquiry, some Alec Smart would exclaim, "Is there a need, in the first place, to moult, when the nation in concern (the real name hasn't been identified yet, remember?) lugs a humongous legacy, almost making it stoop while it walks?"
Well, the ice has been broken. Yes, almost parallel to the global-warming, this search has also heated up. "Why not?" and "Is there a need?" now seem to be the root of the issue. But first things first. "Why not?" because most people usually muddle up the concepts of 'modernisation','globalisation' and 'westernization' and can hardly distinguish one from the other. But to someone, who knows the intricate details, the differences are as distinct as maybe, between, Capitalism and Socialism to an economist. Therefore, the utopian thought of 'India' being a foster-child of "modernization" and "globalization" vanishes promptly. But, yes, "India" might have inherited its genes from a global phenomenon called "Westernisation".But deciphering and dissecting the cause I not the issue at hand just as Dr.Watson said, "Motive is not important; what is important is the crime." Therefore, keeping our heads still and tracked, let us restart discovering the real 'selfhood'.
So. who actually thrives the bitter frost? Bhartiyas or Indians? Who is the real target of the cross-border terrorists? Bharat or India? Why are the eleven world-conquerers, shirt-flingers and jelly-eaters called 'Team India' and not 'Team Bharat'? Why is there a mass consensus on 'India Shining' and no voters for 'Glittering Bharat'? Why does the Constitution pledge begin with "We, the people of India,...." And not with "We, the people of Bharat,.." Incidentally, Article I Part I of the Constitution talks about christening the nation and it states, "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of states." Now, now, does it raise an eyebrow or two?
But while questioning the character, one query that keeps lingering in our minds is - what has the nation done in the past few years which would not only determine its future but also to establish its identity?
No, here we specifically do not want to discuss issues like "unwanted rise in citizens"(read: cross-border infiltration) or the coach-captain bickering or for that matter, the budget deficits.
The nation in question has not been able to cope up with numerous issues like population, pollution, illiteracy, and the works. But these topics have been much hammed about. What we exactly need to understand and analyze are core issues, which normally people forget to evaluate.
How many of us are actually aware of the number of domestic companies that have gone bust in the last decade? How many of us are aware of the "FPP-III"(Family Planning policy 3) programmes run by the Government? How many of us are attentive to the advent of the "cyber criminals" in our nation? Hardly some. And that is what I address as the core issue - a sound knowledge of our mistakes and shortcomings and the passion to explore beyond the horizon.
For certain, we all recall the last time when a bar dancer was arrested for having mafia contacts. We certainly remember the exact number of inches the shirt goes up every time a female tennis player of our nation serves to save the pride of the nation. We fondly retain the statistics of beatings our cricket team has taken in the past few years and the number of times a certain politician has visited the "relaxing and somber palms" of a jail.
Why does this exaggerated irony exist in our society?
The problem lies in the way we are. We are poor implementers. Say, in a World Discussion Forum, we would definitely top the charts. But when it would come to implementation, we would stand nowhere. And that is what I address as the core issue.
Instead of dissecting it like toad in a Zoology laboratory, if we realize our follies and straight away ban it from happening again in the future, only then can we proudly declare ourselves smart.
Time and again, we have showed our strength to the world. We have not only tested spunky missiles but have also shown our growing strength in the commercial and product markets. Our brands have reached the level, which is the same, if not more, than that of the so-called "kings of the market". Our entrepreneurs have made money and fame when the others were busy making it to some list or chart. Our products have gained an enviable reputation when others were kicking each other's stomach for market share.
What I am trying to say is that we have the inherent trait to make an impression and retain it for long. But we often lose track in keeping those traits under control. We know where to start, how to go about it but we do not know where to stop. The brake pedal in our car seems to be utterly dislocated. It is not non-existent. It is simply misplaced. And in the years to come, we need not innovate or discover elements of prosperity. We merely need to locate it and then track it accordingly.
When I was in junior school, I often used to crib about the subject "History" and its relevance in my life. Now, after almost after 8 years, I realize its importance. Unless we are clear about our history, our visionaries, our leaders and the different situations they and our nation underwent over the years and the way they came out of the muck, we will not prosper and go ahead.
As a nation to prosper, we need no educators, no leaders, and no cricketers. What we need are guides, who will properly channelize our thought process in the right direction and warn us about the "drains and potholes" in our conduit.
The guides would be able to educate the people and not make them literate; they should teach people to have a vision and not sight; they should cremate doubts and not create them - in short, they should be the torchbearers of a better tomorrow.
Once the tomorrow is made , then comes the reverberating query of the identity. Why, India?
Probably, we are more accustomed with the term 'India'. Probably, we are more used to this name. Or probably, we want to be just 'Indians'. But as someone had correctly said, "A layman's Constitutional view is that what he likes is constitutional and what he does not is unconstitutional.", we might also love to sit down and rethink that being a 'Bharatiya' is matter to be felt more proud about than being an Indian. Because an Indian drinks coffee at Barista, watches movies at multiplexes and wears thongs but a Bharatiya drinks tea from a small earthen-pot, watches nautankis and tamashas and wears dhotis. It is now your call- to see, analyze and conclude who portrays Bharat more realistically- a Bharatiya or an Indian. And then the next time, when 'Team Bharat' beats its arch-rival, do not be surprised to see the jat-muscleman from Bollywood tear open his shirt and shout, "...kyonki I am proud to be a Bharatiya!!!"
About the AuthorAbhijit Bhattacharya The author is a Marketing professional in the field of broadcast media for more than 9 years now.
He was born in Kolkata, where he finished his hig...Read Morefirst published:April 10, 2006, 16:20 ISTlast updated:April 10, 2006, 16:20 IST
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Twins. Born apart. India and Bharat.Or should it be Bharat and India? The charade is more complicated and confusing when one sits down to contemplate that between the two, which is more "real"? Or probably, which one does he truly represent? The interrogations may be varied with a plethora of facts put down on a table like popcorns in front of a couch-potato but the solution still seems elusive, if not solitary and unique.
In today's jet-set world of spam technologies and cyborgs, a manhunt begins. To hunt the real identity of a nation, which dates back to time immemorial. The hunt sounds easy to naïve ears-just narrow down on one suspect and crown the other with a scepter as the "brand" of the nation. But to a more seasoned and adept mind, this particular hullabaloo causes more creases on the forehead than the fake "wrinkle-free" khaki trousers bought from an expensive retail complex.
Bharat was happy with Bapu but India needed a "Father of the Nation" ala USA. Bharat was happy with Ambassador Novas and Fiat Padminis but India required Skodas and Maybachs. Bharat woke up with pleasure, chanting hymns and offering prayers to Sun God but India wakes up groggily to DrDres and Metallicas.Bharat was content with muris for breakfast, boiled rice for lunch and chappatis for dinner but India needs cornflakes for the morning hunger, pizzas and burgers and hotdogs (why does the list seem endless?) for their afternoon snacks and steaks, beans and 'Chinese' for their dinner tuck. At this point, some Little Johnny would stand up, blurting out a question with such astuteness, as if the query dealt with his paternity. "But don't you think this metamorphoses is just a step towards globalization, or maybe, modernization?" Before anyone could even blink, forget about understanding the superfluous inquiry, some Alec Smart would exclaim, "Is there a need, in the first place, to moult, when the nation in concern (the real name hasn't been identified yet, remember?) lugs a humongous legacy, almost making it stoop while it walks?"
Well, the ice has been broken. Yes, almost parallel to the global-warming, this search has also heated up. "Why not?" and "Is there a need?" now seem to be the root of the issue. But first things first. "Why not?" because most people usually muddle up the concepts of 'modernisation','globalisation' and 'westernization' and can hardly distinguish one from the other. But to someone, who knows the intricate details, the differences are as distinct as maybe, between, Capitalism and Socialism to an economist. Therefore, the utopian thought of 'India' being a foster-child of "modernization" and "globalization" vanishes promptly. But, yes, "India" might have inherited its genes from a global phenomenon called "Westernisation".But deciphering and dissecting the cause I not the issue at hand just as Dr.Watson said, "Motive is not important; what is important is the crime." Therefore, keeping our heads still and tracked, let us restart discovering the real 'selfhood'.
So. who actually thrives the bitter frost? Bhartiyas or Indians? Who is the real target of the cross-border terrorists? Bharat or India? Why are the eleven world-conquerers, shirt-flingers and jelly-eaters called 'Team India' and not 'Team Bharat'? Why is there a mass consensus on 'India Shining' and no voters for 'Glittering Bharat'? Why does the Constitution pledge begin with "We, the people of India,...." And not with "We, the people of Bharat,.." Incidentally, Article I Part I of the Constitution talks about christening the nation and it states, "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of states." Now, now, does it raise an eyebrow or two?
But while questioning the character, one query that keeps lingering in our minds is - what has the nation done in the past few years which would not only determine its future but also to establish its identity?
No, here we specifically do not want to discuss issues like "unwanted rise in citizens"(read: cross-border infiltration) or the coach-captain bickering or for that matter, the budget deficits.
The nation in question has not been able to cope up with numerous issues like population, pollution, illiteracy, and the works. But these topics have been much hammed about. What we exactly need to understand and analyze are core issues, which normally people forget to evaluate.
How many of us are actually aware of the number of domestic companies that have gone bust in the last decade? How many of us are aware of the "FPP-III"(Family Planning policy 3) programmes run by the Government? How many of us are attentive to the advent of the "cyber criminals" in our nation? Hardly some. And that is what I address as the core issue - a sound knowledge of our mistakes and shortcomings and the passion to explore beyond the horizon.
For certain, we all recall the last time when a bar dancer was arrested for having mafia contacts. We certainly remember the exact number of inches the shirt goes up every time a female tennis player of our nation serves to save the pride of the nation. We fondly retain the statistics of beatings our cricket team has taken in the past few years and the number of times a certain politician has visited the "relaxing and somber palms" of a jail.
Why does this exaggerated irony exist in our society?
The problem lies in the way we are. We are poor implementers. Say, in a World Discussion Forum, we would definitely top the charts. But when it would come to implementation, we would stand nowhere. And that is what I address as the core issue.
Instead of dissecting it like toad in a Zoology laboratory, if we realize our follies and straight away ban it from happening again in the future, only then can we proudly declare ourselves smart.
Time and again, we have showed our strength to the world. We have not only tested spunky missiles but have also shown our growing strength in the commercial and product markets. Our brands have reached the level, which is the same, if not more, than that of the so-called "kings of the market". Our entrepreneurs have made money and fame when the others were busy making it to some list or chart. Our products have gained an enviable reputation when others were kicking each other's stomach for market share.
What I am trying to say is that we have the inherent trait to make an impression and retain it for long. But we often lose track in keeping those traits under control. We know where to start, how to go about it but we do not know where to stop. The brake pedal in our car seems to be utterly dislocated. It is not non-existent. It is simply misplaced. And in the years to come, we need not innovate or discover elements of prosperity. We merely need to locate it and then track it accordingly.
When I was in junior school, I often used to crib about the subject "History" and its relevance in my life. Now, after almost after 8 years, I realize its importance. Unless we are clear about our history, our visionaries, our leaders and the different situations they and our nation underwent over the years and the way they came out of the muck, we will not prosper and go ahead.
As a nation to prosper, we need no educators, no leaders, and no cricketers. What we need are guides, who will properly channelize our thought process in the right direction and warn us about the "drains and potholes" in our conduit.
The guides would be able to educate the people and not make them literate; they should teach people to have a vision and not sight; they should cremate doubts and not create them - in short, they should be the torchbearers of a better tomorrow.
Once the tomorrow is made , then comes the reverberating query of the identity. Why, India?
Probably, we are more accustomed with the term 'India'. Probably, we are more used to this name. Or probably, we want to be just 'Indians'. But as someone had correctly said, "A layman's Constitutional view is that what he likes is constitutional and what he does not is unconstitutional.", we might also love to sit down and rethink that being a 'Bharatiya' is matter to be felt more proud about than being an Indian. Because an Indian drinks coffee at Barista, watches movies at multiplexes and wears thongs but a Bharatiya drinks tea from a small earthen-pot, watches nautankis and tamashas and wears dhotis. It is now your call- to see, analyze and conclude who portrays Bharat more realistically- a Bharatiya or an Indian. And then the next time, when 'Team Bharat' beats its arch-rival, do not be surprised to see the jat-muscleman from Bollywood tear open his shirt and shout, "...kyonki I am proud to be a Bharatiya!!!"
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