India vs Bharat- as I see it
Sitting here miles away from India’s shores, I was ruminating over the conundrum that is India and couldn’t help being amazed at the country with so much diversity in all aspects of life; surviving and marching on with an indefatigable spirit into the future. On my recent visit to India I was struck by the duality of the country. The name ‘Bharat’ that draws on an imagery of the sight, smell and sounds of a rustic India with villages tucked away in remote corners, still living in the 16th century, very traditional and cut off from the rest of the world. ‘Bharat’ also brings to my mind the colorful Rajasthanis and their culture mixing with the vibrant images of the Howrah bridge and Calcutta, old Delhi and the temples and traditions of southern India, safely ensconced in their own islands of culture, amalgamating with the rest of the country.
On one side there is the complexity and diversity of our culture, its richness subtle and varied, with mystique thrown in. On the other hand I see ‘India’ the vibrant, evolving, transforming and challenging nation with new dimensions; at times questioning the archaic values and traditions yet dependent on each other. It appears like a constant struggle between two distinct attitudes to life with opposing tendencies-one being a materialistic, hedonistic, and atheistic life, in its journey towards modernization while the other is entrenched in old traditions and spiritualism of a very cogent and anchoring Hindu philosophy . A stark distinction but co-existing in the fabric of society, like an inseparable ying-yang; often leading people into apostasy on one hand, at the same time drawing others more into its mysticism, to deal with life’s incertitudes.
What stands out about existential life of a galloping modernization is its burgeoning middle class, globalization, free markets, increased employment, higher cost of living and expendable incomes. The paradox is the dark side sometimes overshadowing it, the poverty, political violence, degradation of culture, despair and a growing gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. The demagogue and malfeasance sometimes winning over the pragmatic and straight-forward style of functioning, often disrupting progress the country is headed for, begging for changes in all fields.
India’s individuality on the global front is its originality and its diversity, a melting pot that appears to be brimming over, yet contained and sustaining repeated onslaughts on the political and economic fronts. Breaking free of old shackles, throwing challenges to a rapidly changing world and declaring that it is a democratic nation to reckon with, a nation with an indomitable spirit that cannot be undermined and effectively carving out a niche in the world.
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Dear Krishnan,
Thank you for stopping by and reading this...and also liking it..
It just seems so much more beautiful and diverse from here...A conundrum , a chotic country but with so much diversity assimilated in it...It doesnt stop amazing me..when I compare it to where I live now..
Nothing like our roots :) :)
Thank you much!
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Dear Blizz,
You had beautifully un-vieled the graet panorama that is India while the natives are busy segmenting their constituents in to caste,class and religion and it surely appears the vision of Bharath is only visible to those that view it from the sky. A great rendering on your motherland that enlightens even those that stayed behind ! Your write reminds us of what we have missed all along.
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Hi Sue,
Thank you for those nice words... Am glad you liked it :) :)
Thanks for stopping by.
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Sujatha,
A very insightful and well written blog. Cannot argue with anything you wrote.
Enjoyed it very much.
Sue
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Hi Vish,
Nice to see you here. Yes ...I am an eternal optimist too and am trying to see the brighter side of things for India and the world..
I agree with what you say...sometimes when there is repeated onslaughts everyday with problems and harassment then it is hard to continue keeping the equanimty... a sense of hopelessness takes over and we wonder if things are ever going to improve..
Realistically speaking like you say there are so many problems facing life...Prices of essential commodities going up leading to hardships and making even surviving hard for people..The world over the problem exists currently..
Here in the US due to rising cost of living and high gas prices and food prices more and more homeless people are taking to the streets since they cannot afford housing costs..the situation is getting grim with recession and unemployment..
Hopefully in India our economy will fight through these problems but I still wonder about the have-nots and how they are going to make it...Its is cautious optimism!!
Thank you so much :)
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PF,
Nice to know that...Thats a nice situaton to be in...having best of both the worlds.. :)
May the force be with the the Bhandias :) :)
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Hi Keshav,
Thanks a bunch for reading this
You are right it is incomplete...I started writing it with great patriotic fervor and then towards the end it fizzled out...
I had originally intended it to encompass the problems India is facing too and give a detailed description...main thing is I ran out of time :) :)
Thank you :)
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Blizzie
Being the eternal optimist that I am,like you I am hoping we emerge winners.But sometimes its difficult to sustain the positive vibe when one is confronted with the sheer inequity and the scale of it.Till very recently the undertone was indeed positive across classes, but the commodity and oil price rise of the past few months and the general display of wealth by the new rich in urban India has definitely turned the tide for the negative.The next year is indeed going to be crucial for the country.If you ask me right now my recommendation on the country is a cautious hold, which I am hoping does not turn to a sell
vish
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Blizzie,
I live in Bhandia
In a town on the outskirts of Mumbai...that has the best of both worlds...I guess rather than havin India take over Bharat...
...we need more Bhandias ta flourish!
To come close ta our own desi utopia...
As ye rightly said...we continue ta march ahead sans the bania rate of growth...in spite of everything!
PF
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Hmmm... Liked what I read, found myself nodding at the apt turn of phrase and carefully selected adjectives....but seems incomplete.
This one seemed liked an excerpt from a larger body of work, didn't start from any logical point and didn't lead anywhere either.
More like random musings?... :-))
cheers,
Keshav
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