Anyways .. this is not the first couple I met there are many others ...one lady I knew .. I was surprised when she said " No I m an American .. I don't visit india and I have nobody there..But my dear friend ..does that make you an American??
well this is nothing BUT hypocrisy ..every person ..whomsoever he/she might be not necessarily Indian .. should feel proud to disclose his/her identity in real terms (origin of birth)..
there are many instances if I start narrating it would be like no end .. I m surprised by the parents here too ..who sometimes don't bother what the kid is saying or trying to be when they hide their real personalities..
..like a mom of teenager talking to me and I accidentally asked daughter something in Hindi she stared at me as if I spoke french..and said "I dont know this language ..I jus speak English .. and also I m born and raised here I looked at mom ..she said" no we do speak hindi at home but these kids don't bother I m planning to put her in some "Bal Vihar "classes run by the hindu temple ...
she was actually embarrassed..by her daughters statement..
.. then there are parents here too who make it a point to teach kids their mother tongue and try to keep in touch with India taking them to regular vacations...
to my mind this is all in environment we live in ...if we are shy of disclosing our identity .. wht will kids do?
Like I had a business client
I met him couple of times at work.. to me he appeared to be Spanish ..with his looks and name..
I happened to get in conversation with him one-day .. he said he is an "Indian "but the third generation.. he never visited india but his grand parents were Indians and then parents ...were indians too(born and raised in US) ..but they also never visited india ..and he has seen india in Bollywood movies only (with english sub-titles) but knows about its culture and history..and yes he knew exactly where it is located on the globe :)he said proudly
I was glad to hear that ..Good !!..
I tried convincing him to visit india and should see the country personally and not jus movies ...
...
it doesn't matter what name you keep or what accent you use or even you even change your looks but be proud of your nationality and religion ...
indian flag
The tri-color flag means
Saffron
The top layer this color signifies courage and selflessness. India has a history of brave and loyal freedom fighters. Saffron indicates the strength of this nation and its will to give away all for the benefit of its people. Saffron is also the color of cloth worn by holy men of india since ancient times.
White: the middle layer this color signifies peace and truth. A nation with diverse ethnic and cultural groups. Rich history, 22 officially recognized languages and more than 300 dialects. Some people think there are only 15 official languages because the language panel on indian rupee banknotes display the denomination of the note in 15 of the 22 official languages of india.
Green: the last layer the color signifies prosperity and fertility. A country ahead in every field and industry. Has names and people known for their achievement all over the world, a country that gives the best brains and population to almost every other nations’ success. A success that isn’t shared by most.
Chakra: the wheel in the center. Very well known as Asoka chakra taken from the Asoka reign pillar signifies justice. The 24 spokes signify 24 hours of a day.
Proud to be An Indian
19 comments:
in this era clashes of ethinicities people will soon realize who they are i.e. their original identity...they just confused, for now
:)..of course it
of course proud to be what I am. :)
A lovely post Harman and I always believe that it is our upbringing which makes us what we are! A proud individual with own identity or a borrowed personality belonging nowhere:)
Harman,
I agree with you that one should never forget or feel shy of his or her roots. However I also believe that once you adopt another country as yours, it is appropriate to be fully true to that country. It has to be a happy mix of both.
Take care
yes, we must be proud of being an Indian, no matter where we live or what we do...and people like those you mentioned will certainly realize one day that they are wrong....
Absolutely, very well put! I respect your sentiments.
Well I can understand what you are saying, But if someone doesnot want to be called indian then why call them, They dont deserve to be called indian.
It is a irony most indian feel ashamed of it , alsthough i dont know why .. I have british citizenship but I am indian first always ..
Bikram's
...... and to think that Alex Haley tried to trace his roots by digging and digging till he had to go back 7 generations to find that his forefather's name was Kunta Kinte from Africa.
I an sure that all those who deny their roots have a secret desire to visit their homeland.
This is an excellent post!
Most people when they see me do not know what ehtnicity I am. Been called Moroccan, Arab, even Portugese, LOL!
However I'm an Indian. My parents are incredibly proud of their roots and we all visit India on a yearly basis. I travel to India without my parents so I can discover India for myself and I absolutely love it! xx
@makk
yes they r super confused!
@rahul
yes very true!
@jack
may be ..but never forget your roots!
@irfan
true!
sooner or later they will realize ..but hope its not too late.
rachna ..thanks!
@bikram
yes they feel ashamed for no reason ..I can see that ...
mad people!
@haddock
so true ..and look at these losers no love for country!
@halima..
so good!I respect that!!
Wow that was an amazing post! Well done, Harman, keep up the good work, Jaihind!
I don't see anything wrong in not wanting to associate with your roots or vice versa. Each to their own. It's like religion...if one person wants to follow a religion, so be it as long as they don't force everyone else to do the same. As for the girl you mentioned in the post, I honestly did not see what was wrong with that...she was born and brought up in the US, she is American first and the ethnicity comes next.
Personally, I've never felt connected to India or to the culture ever. Despite having grown up there. I love the food but that's about it. The only connection I have with the country is the immediate family and the few friends. I am however a proud Australian and feel patriotic towards my country and would do anything to defend my country. I never had the feeling of getting goosebumps while singing the national anthem back in school in India but I do get goosebumps singing and listening to my current national anthem.
It's a personal thing but I don't expect everyone else to conform to my views. And in the same way, I wouldn't appreciate people telling me I had to be proud being born an Indian.
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