Am I a changed man ?

by on 12. Nov, 2002 in Everything

Okay, so I am guilty of not posting here in almost a week now and even my Mom sent me an email asking why I hadn’t written anything new :-) I tell you, that really takes the cake !

So what makes me sit down and post at 12:48 am, fighting sleep and ignoring the ache in my body from the gymming session this evening ? The answer to that perhaps lies in what happened today.

But before I get into that, I must tell you about what I did last week. Apart from going to the temple for Diwali on Monday, working on an assignment to turn in on Wednesday, and generally ensuring that Umang was getting closer to putting up a good performance for our own Diwali show this Saturday the rest of the time, I also happened to attend the Diwali show put up by Ashoka [the undergrad Indian association which has been around in Wash U for 12 years now] on Friday and I have to confess that it really was nothing short of superb. I was reminded of my own undergrad days and all the really good times we had being part of Saarang at IIT Madras :-) It makes me want to say, “Oh, those were the best days of my life” but I am not going to do that because it makes me feel like some pre-historic dinosaurus.

So today in my meeting with the Olin School chaps to sort out some of the final details like the programme schedule, I was appalled to find the callous attitude that some of us Indians seem to display about the Indian national anthem. I had to hear things like “Oh, it’s unnecessary” and “a waste of time – we are just celebrating, not being patriotic.” I stuck to my guns of course and it continues to remain on the schedule but as I later thought about it, it struck me that a sad fact is that many Indians just dont feel for their nation what I do. Such Indians are in fact, a most peculiar kind of race – they are not proud of their country, they ape the white man and are embarassed about singing their own national anthem.Why is it that we Indians are apologetic about being Indian ?

And why is it that I find myself getting so charged up about this ? Why am I so much more emotional about these matters than the average person and, myself about 3 years ago ?

Which brings me to something else – why do I find that I am a changed man ? When I used to be a person who avoided all conflict earlier, I almost revel in it now. I used to be everybody’s friend but now I have enemies. I used to be a man with infinite patience but now I flare up easily. I spare no one of my anger. Have I really become so much more belligerent ? Or is it that I care a hoot who likes me and who doesn’t ? Am I seen by the people around me as being childish ? Is it the mark of maturity to never show emotion ?

As I decide to wind up for the day and go to sleep, I think I already know the answer to all the questions.

I am a changed man.

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This post was written by who has written 136 posts on Things Ravi Pratap Is Up To.

  • http://www.rpmduplex.net/ravi/BoozeLog viggy/booze

    I agree with your views on singing the National Anthem. I think any festival, esp one like Diwali, we Indians celebrate is also a reflection of the Indian ethos, much as the National Anthem is. And I think it is silly that Indians cant identify themselves with their own National Anthem! I have been appalled myself, and I think that would be the reaction of anyone who feels for the country. I think more people are embarrassed simply because they _dont_ know it.. well, they could atleast “ape” the white man for good things like knowing one’s own national anthem!
    but I dont think this attitude is necessarily the norm. A lot of Indian functions I have been to, the Indian National Anthem was sung, and even at the Indian undergrad association here, Ashoka. It may just be that these people are ignorant of such things :-)

    As regards with emotions, someone told me this once: “sensitivity * sensibility = constant ” :-)

  • http://www.cyberknet.net/ Scott/CyberKnet

    I think I would need to know what Diwali was to really comment… but still, I applaud your endeavour.

    I personally feel that there should be some limit to patriotisim, and to be perfectly honest, I feel that a lot of americans are very much over the top. However, that said, I know that a lot of Australians are exactly the opposite, and that seems to be the syndrome you are describing here.

    I am proud of my country, proud of my heritage, and proud of our accomplishments. I do not take it to the point of insulting other countries as do some people. I feel that I have a good balance of patriotism, pride, and humility. It doesnt seem like this takes any effort on my part… so why are people usually so far at the extremes?

  • Nuts

    Patriotic? Hmm…i think the issue is that people equate patriotism with nationalism…and we have plenty of that going around post-Sept 11th. I don’t see it as a ‘waste of time’ singing the national anthem…however, I think we need to put things in perspective. While I may not have an Indian flag in my car, not yet…I am however, not ignorant of the things the Indian govt does in the name of being ‘Indian’….I think a disenfranchised tribal will probably not have the same feelings towards the national anthem…and i am not sure that means that they are not patriotic….their reality is different than mine.

    More than patriotism, I am scared of nationalism of any kind..that says that one race/ethnicity is superior than the other….

    that said, I think the indians you encounter here have had all the privileges that the indian state offers…and perhaps too much of the individualistic attitude…and confidence in the ‘american dream’ to even think of singing the national anthem….Regarding Indians as such…I think you shouldn’t let the junta you encounter in b-school skew your perspective! there is a minority out there who still believes in the concept of pride in one’s heritage but one that is honest and truthful…

    i see change in positive light, a signal the growth of one’s perspective….and besides, you cannot be everyone’s buddy! if you ain’t got someone who doesn’t like you, there is seriously something wrong with you, dude! :-) even the prez of USA knows that :-) so long as you don’t start calling people ‘evil’ or the members of the ‘axis of evil’…you are fine, dude!

    so here’s to change! :-)

  • http://manjunath.blogspot.com manju

    Singing your national anthem is a way of showing your true identity. But where and when?? I certainly wouldn’t mind if it is sung everyday as it had been in my school. But singing it on a occasion like diwali makes the festival much narrower.

    If the issue is singing our anthem on the occasion of diwali( I hope it is… if i’m not mistaken), I would prefer to be quiet. Remember, christmas and new year and even valentine’s day isn’t celebrated only in the west or just by christians… its celebrated all over the world. Why is it so? B’coz it’s not associated with a particular country…. so diwali shouldn’t be associated with India alone. By not associating it as such, we’ll be making it global………. this is the only way to teach the white man his own lessons.

  • http://ravirao.net/ ravi

    Welcome back to your blog!

    Also, because of the privacy issues, my blog is now offline, and I post friends-only “protected” entries on LJ. Feel free to rm the link to it, from yours :)

  • anuka

    am forwardg a stupid mail which is in circulatn these days – chk it out & gv comments I shall update u with mine too soon enough.

  • anuka

    I have always wondered who is the “adhinayak” and “bharat bhagya
    > > > vidhata”, whose praise we are singing. I thought may be God! Our
    > > > current National Anthem “Jana Gana Mana” is sung throughout the
    > > > country. Did you know the following about our national anthem, i
    > > > didn’t. To begin with, India’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana
    > > > Adhinayaka, was written by Rabindranath Tagore in honor of King
    > > > George V and the Queen of England when they visited India in
    1919. To
    > > > honor their visit Pundit Motilal Nehru had the five stanzas
    included,
    > > > which are in praise of the King and Queen.(And most of us think
    it is
    > > > in the praise of our great motherland!!!)
    > > >
    > > > In the original Bengali verses only those provinces that were
    under
    > > > British rule, i.e. Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat,Maratha . etc. were
    > > > mentioned. None of the princely states were recognized which are
    > > > integral parts of India now – Kashmir,Rajasthan, Andhra, Mysore
    or
    > > > Kerala. Neither the Indian ocean nor the Arabian Sea were
    included,
    > > > since they were directly under Portuguese rule at that time.
    > > >
    > > > The Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka implies that King George V is the
    lord
    > > > of the masses and Bharata Bhagya Vidhata is “the bestower of good
    > > > fortune”.
    > > >
    > > > Following is a translation of the five stanzas which glorify the
    King:
    > > >
    > > > 1st stanza (Indian)People wake up remembering your good name and
    ask
    > > > for your blessings and they sing your glories.
    > > >
    > > > 2nd stanza Around your throne people of all religions come and
    give
    > > > their love and anxiously wait to hear your kind words.
    > > >
    > > > 3rd stanza Praise to the King for being the charioteer, for
    leading
    > > > the ancient travelers beyond misery.
    > > >
    > > > 4th stanza Drowned in the deep ignorance and suffering, poverty
    > > > stricken, unconscious country? waiting for the wink of your eye
    and
    > > > your mother’s (the Queen’s) true protection.
    > > >
    > > > 5th stanza In your compassionate plans, the sleeping Bharat
    (India)
    > > > will wake up. We bow down to your feet O’ Queen, and glory to
    > > > Rajeshwara (the King).
    > > >
    > > > This whole poem does not indicate any love for the Motherland but
    > > > depicts a bleak picture. When you sing Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka,
    > > > whom are you glorifying? Certainly not the Motherland. Is it God?
    > > >
    > > > The poem does not indicate that.
    > > >
    > > > It is time now to understand the original purpose and the
    implication
    > > > of this, rather than blindly sing as has been done the past fifty
    > > > years. Nehru chose the present national anthem as opposed to
    Vande
    > > > Mataram because he thought that it would be easier for the band
    to
    > > > play. It was an absurd reason but Today for that matter bands
    have
    > > > advanced and they can very well play any music. So they can as
    well
    > > > play Vande Mataram, which is a far better composition in praise
    of
    > > > our dear Motherland -India.
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > Wake up, it’s high time! Vande Mataram should be our National
    Anthem.

  • Sriharsha

    i love the United States bcos it made me realize how much i love my INDIA! coming to the meaning of the national anthem, i too felt so bad about Mr.Nehru’s decision to chose that song for our national anthem. after i read the whole article i started believing that it was the truth. the national anthem doesn’t look like we are praising our motherland.