And yet, here’s the simple truth about me…. come rain, hail, or storm, I will always stand in respect for the national anthem and the national flag.
I have been told, for quite some time now, that I am not Indian. I’m not Indian because I don’t follow one particular religion. Because the clothes I wear are hardly ever traditional. Because I don’t talk in a dialect or accent peculiar to any corner of this vast country. Because (some say) that I don’t have features resembling the natives of any region.
But not only this, I have been told I am not Indian, because I don’t follow one said culture or traditional practices. Because my upbringing has not been in a particular set of social dos and don’ts and even if had been, I have made my own and choose to follow them instead. Because I don’t believe in stereotyping, or judging a person by her appearance, or even in following the well known practice of no non veg food on tuesdays. Because I don’t believe in living in any prescribed way but exercise my right to freedom of expression. Because I don’t believe that Indian women or girls HAVE TO behave a certain way and live a certain way. But most of all, because I don’t (ever) give a single thought to what people may think. In a country dictated by ‘Anu aunty kya kahengi’ and ‘our neighbours were asking about your result’ and ‘Sharma ji ke chache ki bahu ki behen ki ladki ne MBBS pass karliya’ I choose not to care about what xyz people might think about xyz decision of my own life.
And yet, here’s the simple truth about me. I ‘may’ not seem Indian to some, but I grew up all over India and witnessed, first hand, the many different cultures this great country offers. I have stayed up nights praying for the life and health of all the soldiers that safeguard our motherland. I may not follow particular cultural practices, but, come rain, hail, or storm, I stand in respect for the national anthem and the national flag. I may not have a regional or Indian accent, but I am fluent in Hindi, have studied Sanskrit and know enough words in regional languages to survive and thrive in any part. And yes, coming to that, I may not worry about what other people may think about my decisions and way of life, but I can adapt to any and every part of this great nation.
But yes, if being Indian is all about stereotyping, all about living under societal pressure, and all about breeding mediocrity where mediocrity thrives and no original idea/act/initiative can possibly survive ; where the government will always be ‘corrupt’ and bribing the only way to get anything done; then yes, I’m NOT Indian. I’m not a ‘sone ki chidiya’ living in a gilded cage.
I guess the only thing ‘typically’ Indian about me is my inability to ever be on time. And I would rather NOT be an ‘Indian’ in that aspect.
