Common cause

During a recent after-few-drinks discussion, I was once again involved in a rather passionate debate related to being Indian.

I would say the general theme of the debate was that Indians do not have a common cause to rally around. How the many states where people are “fighting” for their autonomy have nothing in common to be called one country, India.

I was and am strongly against this idea and I feel compelled to blog about it even after spending my well-earned-whisky-buzz arguing.

Do we need a common cause? Don’t we have many common causes? Isn’t being Indian our “common cause”? Don’t we all cherish our democracy? Don’t we all enjoy the freedom and the right to vote? Don’t we all take great pride in our country’s achievements? Don’t we feel enraged and frustrated when our government fails to act against terrorists? Don’t we feel the pain and suffering of our countrymen suffering due to terrorism, natural disasters, poverty, crime and exploitation? Don’t we celebrate our cricket team beating Pakistan in the T20 finals? Don’t we relish the many different flavors our cuisine offers?

We do. We do. We do….you get the point.

Another line of argument I heard was if one was given the option of being an American citizen rather than an Indian citizen, they would pick the former. Yes, I agree that would most likely be the case. But aren’t we confusing opportunity with patriotism? I think we are. I have put few naturalized citizens to this test by asking a simple question “If India and the united states went to war, who side are you on?” Answer that question for yourself and that should help you separate opportunity from patriotism. It is a pretty extreme question but it makes the point.

Oh here is another argument. States like Assam, Arunachal are forgotten by central government and everybody else so why would they stay in India? Fair argument but when has central government done anything for anybody? India’s recent growth has been in spite of the government (like a friend of mine puts it very well). People who chose to tie their hands to the chairs and wait for central government to untie them are still sitting there or woke up too late. Kerala, my home state, rich in natural resources, intellectuals, education, 100% literacy, water, natural beauty, shipping ports, spices has fallen behind Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh because labor unions, communism and protectionism pulled back every time progress was made. I remember my dad telling me how Kerala could have been the “textile capital” of south India or all of India if they had welcomed textile factories instead of protesting at its gates. Else, what is the explanation for Kerala with vast green fertile lands with plentiful rivers, backwaters, lakes, sea and 100% literacy be taken over by Coimbatore and Tiripur in Tamil Nadu?

There I go…digressing again. So closing note to stop my rambling.
We are Indians and love India. Got a more sincere common cause? Jai Hind!