Welcome to India....!

Mangalore, 15 th Aug2010
I have a bunch of Foreigner friends...gym to home is more like it. All these girls come to either study ( like doing research on some specific subjects of theirs..) or land up in Mangalore on work. So they are grown ups, and matured lot, who take their work as well as life seriously. Some times we go for trek walks instead of working out. As we were trying to avoid the pot holes, and at the same time being careful not to step on the trash on road sides, and let not the traffic come on us..I was wondering...I have grown up here in this country seeing all this and still feel this all is such a pain. Being outsiders.., more than tourists, these foreigners are leading a life of locals , then how they may be feeling about my country? They go in rickshaws to work, put up with our men staring or trying to touch them, they handle in a dignified way, than saying it is eve teasing in buses, eat the food served in cafeterias, with out much fuss, water, power or bad roads, mosquito's, flys or rats, I never heard them making it a big deal. I saw them applying creams and lotions to avoid insect bites, and also try to grab mineral water in places they can. But other than that they seem to me like normal Indian citizens, which they are not! On the contrary I have seen folks from our own families, coming to their home land from foreign countries along with their kids to make them know about their ancestors, cousins, relations , culture, in one word to show them their roots. But what do I see...either they stay in some star hotels, or resorts..if not..., and if they have affluent relatives, stay with them, but keep complaining about each and every thing...! About life in India and people in particular! True to their worry and fuss, their kids fall sick soon enough, and they end up blaming India, and people ( their own unfortunate families, "The country cousins") living here! They no doubt carry mineral water bottles , all types of sprays and insecticide's and pesticides( ha..ha) which can surprise even the fumigators, but still due to lack of resistance they fall sick, and the whole trip becomes a sad one. They talk with their kids in hushed tones, ...this is India, and this is what they said and expected to happen, to make their country cousins feel apologetic or shameful !They are our own siblings who were born and raised here, spent all their youth, and due to their good fortunes, sent either on jobs, or went abroad to study, continued living there, for better life and established their life and future in foreign countries.Good for them, and we are proud of them..but are they proud of their country and their fellow country men? Why this step motherly attitude towards their own mother land? Is it not the same India they have been born and raised? This always puzzled me, and to make it worst These foreigners handle their India trips better than our own fellows. I could not but had to ask them how they handle it so well, when our own people coming from out side are not able to. How our own nieces and nephews think India means, sickness, or they will be in sad state, or most of the Indians are poor and needy! How true I felt..., when these friends of mine said, the problem is not the youngsters but their parents who should have put nice thoughts and good values about India their country! Kids just follow what is been told and taught! When these foreigners come to India, they know what to expect and so they take everything in the right stride, so enjoy a lot instead of sulking and happily spend the local money which in conversion fetches them much more value, so they have a better life than in their own country!! So are you teaching them that India like other countries has every thing and you are proud to be an Indian? If you do so, these kids would not be so scared and take it in a better way when they visit next time. After all these kids are known as Indians where ever they are, and they eat Indian food, see Indian movies, and enjoy them better than people living in India! I am not saying they should not take care of themselves when they come to India, and actually they must! In fact I do that myself like being careful while eating in public places, and drinking mineral waters etc! I lived in United states, paid taxes there, and keep going every year even now. So people ask me don't you miss USA when you are in India..Hm...I simply don't compare I feel. The minute flight lands and I see outside, and know OK..this is my reality, this is India..welcome to India, I am an Indian, and here I am in my own country with an identity! I remember when we went shopping with our family in US, the shop owner an Indian asked..so are you guys from India? which part...? My family from US immediately answered showing us, " they are from India, but we live here" ha..why one need to be so defensive? Come on..how ever it is, what ever it has..India is India, With its cultures, cuisines, colours, crimes or corruptions!! ...Can we change it? May be not! Though its racing towards advancement it can never be another USA( I think!) ..ha..so if we cant change it, why don't we acceppt it, join and enjoy it, with pride and smile and tell every one specially the younger generation..this is mine, yours and our country..Welcome to India.