Incredible India

During school days, we had a mandatory pledge every morning in the assembly, which goes on like this... "India is my country; All Indians are my brothers and sisters; I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage..." We grew up with this pledge and each and every day I recited this pledge, I felt proud of being an Indian. With all the innocense of a growing student I respected each and every aspect of my motherland.

I still love my country, but am not proud of Indian anymore. Am sorry to say, in my 35 years of experience, I gradually saw the ugly side of India. Now, India is made up of Indians, and am sorry to say the kind of dishonesty, corruption, narrow mindedness, and exploitation I see in India, I am really not very porud of ourselves anymore.

Consider this scenario: A highly modernised domestic airport, which is at par any international airport. "Premierre" check-in counter of one of the leading airlines of India. A lady taking her boarding pass and by mistake she leaves her mobile phone on the counter. She leaves the counter, realizes her mistake, and comes back in less than 5 minutes for her moblie phone. The phone is not there. Whats worse, when she calls up her number from a fellow passenger's mobile she finds it "switched off"! Now, who could have taken it? Either the person who checked-in after her, or the executives working at the counter? Is it a matter of pride, that a person who is checking-in at a Premierre counter of a leading airlines (which means he/she is a frequent flier with quite some points aquired on his/her membership card) or an executive working in a leading airlines actually turns out to be a thief? Is it a matter of pride that you cannot even trust a fellow Indian...a well-to-do Indian. Now this theft is definitely not for "money"? This theft is definitely not because of "poverty"? What will you call this? And how can you be proud of a country where this happens. I lost my moblie, am not sad because of that. I am sad and hurt because I lost it inside an airport where you have affluent people around you, and one of them had stolen a mere Nokia 5800 just because a forgetful fellow passenger has left it at the counter by mistake?! This is Incredible India, and this is Incredible Indians.

Scenario 2: I had applied for a voter's ID card in 2006 (actually after my marriage and a lot of initial travel after marriage, I first got the opportunity to settle down in one place where my entire family took the trouble of spending one whole day in the nidst of utter chaos and madness to get our photographs clicked for our Voter's ID card). And we were fortunate that some election was around the corner and the local political parties were very enthusiastic in getting our names in the voters' list. Anyways, as luck would have had it, though others voter ID cards reached on time, as a "special" case I did not get mine. After a lot of follow ups and a couple of rounds in local administrative office I got my name updated in the Voters' List, however even then I didnt get my Voter's ID card. Thankfully I could cast my vote by showing my Passport as Identity proof. Now when I went there to cast my vote I saw them tick my name against a photocopy of my original Voters ID Card! When I asked them where would I get the original one (obviously if they have the photocopy, the orginal one has to be existing somewhere!), my question obviously went to deaf ears. After almost 4 years, I lost the hope of getting my volters ID card and honesly, didnt mind that much. (I would probably be a very bad example of the adv campaign of Jaago India Jaago) Day before yesterday, a person came to my house all of a sudden. My father-in-law told me "he is the same gentleman who helped us in getting our Ration Cards done". I thought him to be a "social worker" initially when he came and told me that he will "help" me get my voters ID card. Only later i realized that his help is not "FREE". Anyways I didnt mind. He told me I have to pay 1200/ for the ID Card (obvisouly with my limited intelligence I coudnt understand why) and his "charge" would be 500/! I gave him 1700/ and guess what...he gave me my card the same day!!! I was "speechless", just failed to understand why I had to pay 1700/ extra to get my ID card which I should have got 4 years back! After this, I am sorry, but I cant be "incredibly" proud of "Incredible India"...no matter how much my favorite actor Aamir Khan wants me to.

These are my recent personal experiences. I can write a book if I rise beyond my personal loss and talk in general terms. The basic honesty is missing amongst us Indians. Am not saying everybody is dishonest (I know I am not, and I know there are many like me), but majority of us are...irrespective of caste, creed, and bank balance. And a Nation which is not Honest, starting from its leaders to the followers, can never be Numero Uno for me...no matter what the recent progress of our country is, I am not a very proud Indian, though I would love to be one.

Jay Hind is what I belive in, but we will WIN only if we WIN over our core dishonesty...and it is definitely a long way to go...as a NATION. Til then, Jay Hind is only in my dreams