Friends, I am as much an Indian as anyone else in the world. I have always felt proud to be part of this country which is the best and really remarkable in many aspects. However, nowadays, I am finding it very difficult to say ‘I love my India.’ Do you want to know why?

 

India is economically progressing like never before. What this means in reality is that thousands of swank buildings, constructions and shopping malls are mushrooming all over the country. The net worth of Industrialists and property owners is matching dizzy heights. At the same time, the divide between the rich and poor is also widening at the same pace. Crime, especially financial crimes are taking place at such a speed that one feels that ‘alarming’ is not the right word to describe the situation.

 

Earlier, we used to hear news about rape and molestation in deserted spots or in confined spaces where chances of detection were nil. Now, women are groped and clothes are torn off in full public view and even media presence. We really have become a bolder and daring country.

 

When I was in my teens, parents used to be respectable people and social values were not the butt of jokes. I just saw a TV advert of a reputed mobile brand where a father is scolding his 20 year old son on his unkempt and dirty ways of living and the son, instead of apologizing to his father, starts listening to FM on his mobile phone. The message of the story “Apni Suno, listen to yourself and do what your heart wishes. Care a damn if your heart tells you crap.” I am 28, but seeing all this, I feel that I am an outdated person who still believes in the defunct Indian values. (I like to speak against social injustice or inhuman practices like dowry and caste discrimination but I somehow fail to relate to those who thinks that disrespecting parents, chasing chicks and calling virginity lack of opportunity is the best way to being modern and hap. How far do we need to go? Two kids, 8 and 10 rape a five year old. A 7 year old kills his 4 year old friend and throws her body in a ditch to avoid detection. 14 year old school student shoots his friend dead at point blank in the school premises.( a feat which even a seasoned criminal will be proud of) teenagers love to shoot sex videos and exchange them through MMS (thanks to the technology revolution that high resolution cameras are now affordable toys for everyone). Those who have money know that they can get away with anything and everything because money is law in the land of Rama. If that was not the case, then how come the grandson of a retired naval admiral (a man of honour who is supposed to have served the country patriotically?) mows down 7 people including 5 policemen and his car (the famous BMW which adorned tonnes of newsprint over the years) became an unidentified truck.

 

Our neighbouring countries are continuously stepping up their efforts to occupy more of our land. Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and North-East are being neglected because they are somewhat under New Delhi’s control or maybe because they don’t have enough voters to make a difference to national politics in the manner of a Gujrat or a Maharashtra. I guess, the day when they will no longer be under the Indian flag and their fate will be something like POK or Tibbet, that day our rulers will wake up and start diplomatic eyewashes trying to reclaim the land.

 

We are concerned about the Ram Setu and even I support preserving our cultural and religious heritage but are we concerned about the Ravana Raj prevalent all over India?

 

17 states of our country are already witnessing some or some other form of extremism and terrorism but the most daring and successful one has been the gundaraj in Maharashtra. There is not only the danger of Bhais but a bigger threat is that of God’s men and patriotic people. Moral and social police is all over Maharashtra. They will abuse and beat couples celebrating Valentine’s day but they would not even sympathize when a handicapped girl is gangraped in a moving train or when young girls are taken to task and are the reason of ‘pleasure’ to a free mob of goons for several minutes. The militants say that they want to prevent North Indians from entering their lands. Who the hell is the authority to decide which Indian goes to which part of the country? I would rather support freedom of movement and residence in J&K to non-Kashmiris. However, given the pathetic state of affairs and the mentality that these people display I really wonder if anyone would willingly go to that area and its just a mutual requirement that someone goes to work in another area. The most disturbing fact is that the criminal who is masterminding all this is actually being honoured and provided patronage by the state government and police. Needless to say anything more.

 

There is so much to complain about and so much to talk about but I just want to ask only this question.

 

I really love my country and I want to always feel proud of it. I am proud being called a Delhiite but I would love to be referred to as being an Indian. I want to say ‘I love my India’ and my India is the one that stretches from J&K to Kanyakumari and from Burma border to the Sir Creek. I want to say the same thing in Tawang, Chennai, Mumbai or New Delhi. Being a Hindi speaking ‘NORTH INDIAN’, am I allowed to do so? Is my India existent anymore?