Guwahati’s Shame? Nation’s Shame? Or Humans’ Shame? July 14, 2012
Posted by Akriti Bahal in Feelings, India, shameful acts.Tags: ashamed, shock
4 comments
An appalling incident of disgrace took place on the streets of Guwahati on 9th July. The sounds of “Please help me” filled the street, yet the apparently inaudible shrieks failed to even move the butts of the city dwellers. A 16 year old girl, after attending her friend’s birthday party was on her way back home when she was molested by 30 men (well, men? The term is surely not apt for such creatures), verbally abusing her, chasing her, hitting her, were these symbols of cruelty. Finally, the girl was rescued by a reporter who happened to cross the area and called the police.
Okay! Most of the people have read about this, and most of us might have just digested it with a cup of chai, while some of us would be enraged. Alright ! What next? You are angry, you are abashed of the shameful incident, but what’s the point?
Has the standards of human beings fallen to such filthy levels that we see such shocking incidents almost daily, with a different victim and in a different city, but in the same country? Or is it the anger in the individuals that has risen to indeterminable level?
My hatred is specifically with such men, who transgress the criterion of being called a human, but filthy creatures. What do you think of yourself after all? Not left with any shame? And family? No respect for your family even? How can you go ‘home’ after performing such opprobrious acts, to your family? Eat? Piss? Or even shit? Or do you think bathing yourself in some Gangajal is gonna clean all your sins just as it moves through your body? Well, then let me tell you that even ablution would burn off with the filth contained in you.
And the problem with our country is, such people are usually not punished severely under the court of law, under other circumstances such incidences keep inundating the tables of the law enforcers, but with no effect. Is it too late to expect that humans are a superior class of animals? Well, in fact animals even have a sense of realization when they do wrong (not that they do any such filthy acts), but humans don’t.
Maybe then all I can say is, such humans are just a class of psychopaths who deserve only two things, either entombment in a mental hospital or death.
In the end, they may not receive an adequate punishment in the eyes of law, or may not even feel the slightest of compunction, but in the eyes of God, you are sinners, who have no pardon.
And to them (again) –> Stop being a stigma on the human class !
Satyamev Jayate #7: I have been a victim of domestic violence ! June 17, 2012
Posted by Akriti Bahal in India, Satyamev Jayate, Struggle.Tags: Domestic Violence
4 comments
“I am superior, I provide for her, and it is my birth right to beat her up.” says activist Kamla Bhasin, in this week’s episode of Satyamev Jayate, as she wittily comments upon the idolized society of today.
It is a patriarchy that we have always been living in, where men are taught to be the superior ones, and they consider it as their right to cow down the ‘supposedly’ inferior class, the women, either by verbal abuse or physical abuse. As rightly educated by Ms. Bhasin, the real problem lies with our societal teachings, where, since childhood, a boy is taught to be above the opposite gender and the girl is always taught to adjust, be it in festivals like Raksha Bandhan, where even that little brother, who still feeds on his sister’s earnings, stands up to claim that I am your protector (and again the society quells the sister, the self-made independent sister, as inferior) or in festivals like Karva Chauth, where wives (only wives) fast for their husband’s (their owner’s) long life. The problem is with our culture, where the term life partner or husband is designated as ‘pati‘ (as said in Hindi), which means ‘owner’. When they are given the titles of owners then they will innately be accustomed to treating their wives as slaves; it’s an owner-slave relationship that they follow. And whose fault is it? Our ! Our adjusting attitude (which basically arises as pressure from the girl’s family) ! And our cowardice to raise a voice !
In this patriarchal society, where men consider themselves as God, hit their wives and proudly admit that they do so, are we really leading towards development, towards growth, rational or otherwise? Or does the statistics of 84% violence on women, only depict a large vacuum? An emptiness of humaneness, a void for sensitivity. ‘I think the culture has played a major role in de-humanizing the men. Patriarchal culture encourages a false notion of manhood, and suppresses humanity and kindness in males’, says Ms. Bhasin, and I completely agree with her. In a survey asking men whether they ever exercised violence on their wives, they openly (and to our shame, proudly) agreed that they did, and reasons : ‘My wife had been sleeping till 2 in the afternoon, so I hit her’, ‘We work, so we except our wives to take care of our homes, and children, and when they commit a mistake, it is our right to beat them’, and many more. Well, it’s a shameful reality, a reality which leads us to one question, are we ready to adjust and keep enduring this pain (which believe me, will keep increasing because the actions will keep on festering), or slap back, just like Shanno did, and fight for equality? I think the latter is what we all want, because even though we, today, may term India as a nation where women are superseding men in every field, but the reality lies within the homes, within the brains, which still feeds on outmoded thoughts and functions with superannuated actions.
Like everyone, I would also conclude the same, that there are only two solutions to this problem. One, and which is really required (although, at the same point, quite unlikely to happen) that men’s thinking need to change. They need to respect their partner and treat them as equal and not as slaves, because whatever rights you have got, she has got as well.
Two, women need to be stout, to be able to raise a voice and fight back. Forget, the notion of you being inferior and you need to adjust, you too are the breadwinners of the day, so you have no reason to feel inferior or be suppressed.
Women! We are strong, we earn, we are stand on our own feet, we are equally independent, hence we are equal ! Believe in that; I do.
IITs: We want a separate exam ! June 16, 2012
Posted by Akriti Bahal in 2012, Education, India.Tags: IITs
10 comments
The big question doing rounds these days is, should IITs be allowed to hold a separate engineering entrance exam as opposed to the Union Government’s decision to conduct a common engineering entrance exam for all institutions?
When even the internal bodies have conflicting opinions on this, as among the IITs, IIT Kanpur and Delhi oppose the decision, while the remaining five claim to be on board with the Government, then the masses surely have a lot to say, with widely differing views, of course.
With regards to the curiosity and taking into account my engineering background, I conducted a small survey (mostly among the people whom I know) to get an idea of what people (of different ages and different backgrounds) think. As I had thought, and as it is with our country, people who are not really related with the field or an issue that does not concern them, usually are insouciant towards it, and hence don’t have a say for it. And so was the case, where people who couldn’t get enough of their everyday problems, found it cumbersome to get involved in ‘other’ matters, (‘Other’ matters? The country’s matters!) and just came up with ‘I really don’t care, since I have no linkage with engineering at all.’ Well okay, then even I don’t have a say in XXXXs (just to remain discreet) are a minority group and should be made eligible for the minority quota (actually I do, but anyway).
But, I did find quite a few sentient people, who did have a say and didn’t hesitate to express their opinion on it. Of course, a former IITian, he had to say that ‘IIT is the most prestigious engineering institution in our country, which has its reputation not only here, but also throughout the world, hence what they can incorporate is only the cream and that to sifted cream, because it’s the world reputation that they hold.’ Another man, whose son tried into the IIT, but couldn’t get through, expressed, ‘IITs seem like a separate body of institution, they seem out of reach to most of the students, but they do have other exams for which they feel capable of, which again boosts confidence in them. Making the engineering entrance exam as a common one, not only creates extra pressure on the child, since it would be an all-institution exam (including the IITs), which is enough to scare them off, moreover what if the child isn’t able to do well in that single exam, are there any other exams which he can look forward to? No! Hence, his year gone.’
Good points, we have here, but there were many who supported the inclusion as well. For instance, according to my teacher, she feels, ‘No doubt IITs are the esteemed institutions, but who is taking that tag away from them? They will still remain the same. The smarter lot will anyhow get admission in them based on their performance in the test, which obviously will be outstanding even if IITs have a separate exam or a common one.’ Acceding to this opinion, my mother, too, feels that a common entrance exam will only help to reduce the pressure on the child, and not endanger the quality of the students it intakes. Although, my father is in the favor of having a common exam as well, but he made a good point, ‘What if due to some unforeseen circumstances, the child isn’t able to show up on the exam date, then what? No more exams. The single exam gone and the child has to wait for one whole year.’ Well, I agree to that point.
Finally, coming to my opinion, I think what I have gathered here are sporadic pieces of opinions, which can be combined together. Personally, I agree with the Government in having a common engineering entrance exam, but only to a certain extent. What I believe is that if in most of the countries in the world, SAT is the exam required for undergraduate study, and GRE/GMAT for graduate, then why can’t it happen in our country? For instance, Stanford, Harvard, Cambridge, all are the dream institutions of most of the students, aspiring to study abroad, all of them have these common exams, based on which they decide the merit of the applying student (there are other criteria too, on the basis of which decisions are made, but let’s not go into them, for now). There are no Stanford entrance exam or Harvard entrance exam, so why in our country? Can’t our education system be so flexible as well? Moreover, just having a common exam is not enough, what more is required is what is asked in the exam. I think, apart from the concrete subject knowledge testing, the student’s logical thinking must also be tested, and of course, English too! This will not only improve the student as a whole, but also help in preparing the child for a more worldly environment, which is usually required in these prestigious institutions (IITs, to be specific). Lastly, I also think that just like the rest of the ‘worldly’ exams, this common exam should also be held on regular basis throughout the year, and there should not be just a single ‘do-or-die’ day for the exam. This will not only help the student to get acquainted with the exam in the first go, and increase his possibility of doing fairly in the second go (without wasting a year), but also this increased strike rate in the exam will help in increasing the standard of education of our country even more.
But, everything can’t be as simple as it may seem, they certainly do encounter some problem or the other, and similar might be the case here also. So, I am not the central body, the Government is, hence they have to decide. I can just express my opinion, and that’s all I had to say.
Satyamev Jayate #6 June 10, 2012
Posted by Akriti Bahal in Feelings, India, Life, Satyamev Jayate.7 comments
Yet another inspiring episode of Satyamev Jayate marks its close. “We can fly”, as today’s theme rightly states; it couldn’t have come at a better time.
In our country, disability, whether physical or mental, both are looked upon with a tinge of disgust. Treating them with equality is a far off question when what resides inside most of us is repugnance and pity, and the feeling that they are incapable of fighting with the rest a.k.a “the normal people”. Iniquity in the field of education, where children with disability are rejected in the first go itself, is a major run down for our country. As duly said in the show, that providing them education is the first step that will lead to them being employed, which will ultimately help to improve the country’s economy only. So, we keep blaming our country, our fate, for the poor economy of our country, but who is really at fault? I think us, all of us; our thinking which never really grew out of the microcosm that- what will this poor soul be able to do? Oh dear lord! God has done injustice to him. Well, they don’t require our pity, they are stronger than we are in striving for their life, and they thrive better than us (there are countless number of Sais, KKs and Ketans); and they aren’t asking for any special treatment, all they ask for is equality.
Another thing that I saw in the show was their fighting spirit. At the point when most of us would have lost hope on our lives, they not only stood up, but also ran, embracing their life and accepting everything with full strength.
Fighting spirit, most of us give up on it very easily. I lost a competition, oh I’m no good, I won’t participate ever again; I don’t have anyone, my life is full of misery, oh I’m giving up on it, I’m committing suicide; I scored poorly in an exam, oh I can’t do anything, I’ll just conceal my apprehension with ‘Fuck off! I don’t wanna do it, do anything’. C’mon! These are just petty things, which can change easily, but only if you want it to. I think we should learn from them, because unfortunately we are “normal”: we are coward, we scare easy, we give up easy and we lose our temper easy.
Going through a similar situation, this is what I wanna say to my friend as well. They are the ones who have some form of disability, yet they carve it into their strength. What’s wrong with you? An intelligent, “normal” ( 
), self-sufficient guy, who can do anything that he wants, again only fighting spirit is what comes into play. Just try to see through, everything is fine, all you need is to get up and run, but you’ve gotta run, nothing would come by just lying on your bed. I can understand what you’re going through, but believe me it is just nothing once you are determined. I’m always there to pick you up, but for that you need to, at least, sit up from your bed.
I learnt something today, wanna pass it to you:
कैसे आकाश में सुराख़ नहीं हो सकता
एक पत्थर तोह तबियत से उछालो यारों |
(And I would be waiting for you, with my sport shoes on, so that I can push you fast-faster-fastest, as you run!)
Satyamev Jayate #1#2#3#4#5 June 3, 2012
Posted by Akriti Bahal in Corruption, Feelings, India, Patriotism, Politics, Satyamev Jayate.11 comments
Okay! Cut the crap, I can’t wait till 4th June (which is tomorrow) for my exams to get over, because what I saw today was exactly what I have always wanted to raise a voice for.
Today’s episode of Satyamev Jayate dealt with everything that we often read in newspapers every now and then, and yet choose to close our eyes towards it. Uh, well actually we all are lackadaisical enough that we close our eyes to everything that happens around. But, the truth is, things are happening are they need to change. To bring in this change and awareness among people, the valiant Aamir Khan with his ‘Satyamev Jayate’ has stepped forward for a one-on-one combat with the evils prevailing in the Indian society.
But, the problem with India is that if you step inside a quagmire to clean it, it clinches your leg so tight, trying to pull you down; most of us give up then, and only a few heroes survive it. One same thing, I came across in the newspapers yesterday, stating, ‘Aamir Khan should apologize to the doctors for besmirching their image.’ (For those who missed the last episode of Satyamev Jayate, it handled the corruption prevailing in the medical field, among the doctors, with nicety.) After reading such a thing in the newspaper, I had immediately thought, what would he do now, would he apologize? Oh please, he shouldn’t do that for whatever was exhibited on the show and the way he handled, it was perfect. We all know what evils are prevailing in the society, we all know who all are corrupt, yet we just choose to be silent, and when one guy begins his quest, trying to eradicate them, if not eradicate then trying to make the people aware towards them, then we point a finger toward him? Well, whatever. Aamir Khan handled those fingers quite well today, in the beginning of the show, giving a pellucid answer that- ‘My aim is not to tarnish anybody’s image, my aim is just to create a society where everyone can talk about their problems and sufferings openly. My aim is to make the people aware, so that what happened with some of them, doesn’t happen with the rest of us.’ *Impressed* (Yet, again.)
Okay, returning to today’s topic of discussion, it revolved around honor killing, morale policing in the name of gram panchayats, khap panchayats etc., and inter-caste marriages. The highlight of the episode was Aamir Khan’s encounter with the khap panchayat of a village of Haryana. It’s funny how one can be so complacent with themselves and their decisions that they start considering themselves as self-made-leaders.
Some part of the conversation between the members of the khap panchayat and Aamir Khan was-
On of the members proudly said that, ‘When youngsters, in their passionate thoughts, commit the crime of breaking the rules of the ‘samaj’ and ‘parampara’, then we simply punish them, we don’t charge their lives, we just simply punish them.’
To this Aamir Khan very humbly questioned, “I just want to know for my own knowledge, do you have the right to punish anyone, in the eyes of law?’
Their reply, ‘In law, gram panchayats, khap panchayats have been given no right at all, but when we see that our ‘parampara’, our ‘samaj’, is being hurt, then we think it is the right thing to do.’
Aamir Khan promptly said, ‘But, we have judiciary in our country to make the decisions.’
One of the members retorted, ‘Judiciary is judgmental, it doesn’t give justice’ (‘nyaay‘). Even in England there is no written constitution, and everything is followed according to their ‘parampara’, and that’s how it has been going.
To this Aamir Khan, very rightly remarked, ‘But, this is not England!! We have a written constitution!! The judiciary is responsible to take the legal decisions and not anyone else.’
Okay! One, what is “samaj” after all, and who makes it? I think it is made by the people, its definition needs to change with the changing times. Moreover, if they can make comparison with England then they must also know that they follow their tradition in which every individual has a complete right to his/her life. I don’t think there are any boundaries to the word ‘samaj’, and nobody can go on a killing spree in the name of setting the youth right. If the constitution defines a person of age 18 as an adult, then it gives them the right to make decisions about their lives as well.
Two, who gave you this right, anyway? Nobody!
You are no Robin-hoods, so please don’t be hounds too.
Lastly, hats off to the “Love Commandos” as well!
My First Experience With Voting April 15, 2012
Posted by Akriti Bahal in 2012, India, Patriotism, Politics.9 comments
As the city enjoys the pleasant weather and the unexpected shower the follows, with the cool breezes disseminating a new splash of life away from the mundane heat; the city also steps out, today, to cast votes (at least some of them do) for the MCD elections.
Anyway, not much of a “party-political” person myself, but what it was for me was a FIRST TIME – with Voting! I feel big already (no, not in size, but in senses and maturity!).
In this place where preoccupation is your second name, your best friend as well as your enemy too, I had never really stopped to realize that “twenty” years had actually passed, or maybe I just closed the eyes, each time, to the very thought of it.
I remember how I used to go with my parents, as a kid, to the same voting place as I went today. It used to be a sort of game, clicking on the button, getting that ink mark on the finger, and then telling my school mates that, “See, I too have cast the vote.” And today, I have a “real” mark for my own vote.
Ambivalent feelings inundate my heart. I don’t wanna grow old so fast. I wish time could turn around, so that I could freeze it and keep my childhood, the best time of my life, with myself forever, because the life that lies ahead is harsh and very hard, and I don’t know until when I’d be able to withstand it.
Anyway, till I deal with my tribulations, happy voting!
Because I Was Too Busy Too Care January 27, 2012
Posted by Akriti Bahal in Humaneness, India, Sad, Satisfaction.Tags: Humanity
6 comments
How many times do we find ourselves present in a place of commotion and we actually act for it? How many times have we stood up to support a cause to bring in any change? How many times have you stepped up for others, if your aid could be the one that could change a person’s life?
Of course you don’t remember, because you were too busy to care.
We all do stop by traffic signals every now and then and we all, surely, do come across young kids begging with wounded and bruised hands. I agree that’s a different sort of business that goes on in our country, but have you ever stopped to humbly ask any one of the little souls; maybe have a complaisant conversation with one of them? Who knows, out of his innocence and ‘love for chocolates’, he might just end up telling you what goes on behind the scenes. Did you ever get down of your luxurious car to do so? Oh! Maybe you were just too scared of the rash Delhi roads to get out. Okay, understandable! I sympathize with you.
India. Winter. The hot tea. And the tea stalls. Yes, I know you get the very picture of it, we all Indians do. As much as we love to bring in the Indian-ness by binging in on a cup of strong hot tea (or I should say, a glass of strong hot tea) from a tea stall, that much we also like to ignore the things that goes around us. Yes! Yes! You would probably speed up your car to specially reach your favourite tea stall, get served by a chotu, but you would never care to even give a second thought to talk to the kid, trying to make him cognizant of the wrong and thus,saving him from child labour. Have you ever stopped to spend a minute of your precious time to do so? Or, probably it was just too cold for you to act. Okay, justifiable enough.
Living in a country like ours, where everyone is on a run, a different form of F1 race is seen on the roads everyday with new participants signing in each day. When the number of participants increase to a myriad, so does their racer-cars, and also does the road accidents. How many of us have actually come out to help a victim of an accident? Or maybe, you just considered it as just-another-histrionic-event and sped your car away from it. Of course, you were in a rush to reach home as you were missing your favorite TV serial -a better dramatic deal. Fair enough.
Then, can we say that humanity still dwells inside us? We easily expostulate for what we do or just say, “Who cares?!”
In one way or the other, we are always carping and find excuses to blame someone or something. How many times do we actually act? Sometimes Yes, Mostly No! Because most of us are just Too Busy To Care. We feel for the issue, imbue the commotion, we even feel inspired to do something, but most of the time, that inspiration loses its way in our packed, no-time-to-think, no-space-to-breathe, BUSY schedules.
Realizing, I can say that if I had stopped to help the tenuous woman in rags who abruptly fell on the road, maybe out of undernourishment, then maybe humaneness still existed, at least for her it did. If I had politely reacted to the kids begging near the shopping complexes, and hadn’t angrily rebuffed their presence when they touched my arm, then maybe mankind still persisted for some lots.
Palpable feeling.
And It won’t go without any events of healing.
Yeah This time.
Because everything is disseminating into the air.
And this time
I am not too busy that I won’t care.
India – It’s a One Day Drama here. August 7, 2011
Posted by Akriti Bahal in Anger, India, Patriotism.9 comments
Ever got the privilege to witness those local MLAs’ moment of hullabaloo, those expressions of pride on their faces? And for what? Of course, their seminal issues! (Yeah, right!) Their major accomplishment of bringing the LPG gas pipeline to their locality. Bringing in underground telephone lines. Why? Don’t feel these are huge enough? Okay! Okay! Let me tell you even more paramount accomplishments. Decimating the already “finely” constructed road, and getting them re-builded. (Wondering that it is still good, considering atleast some work is done? Wait! Scamper your thought here, let me put it this way.) Defacing the already “finely” constructed road only in front of their houses (mansions, rather) and rebuilding it (and that too, not once or twice, after every fixed interval of time), and this doesn’t end here, it comes with an afterglow. The whole road (their road) is decorated for their “success bash”.
Continuing with their laurels.
Remember the “hugely successful” Common Wealth Games 2010? (yea! yea! I’m not here to salvo the very respectable Mr. Suresh Kalmadi and his achievements, we all are very well aware of that, already. Yeah, filling your pockets over the maximum limit is surely worth to be called an achievement!) Anyway, remember how Connaught Place was cracked and crashed with the speed of light, only to make it appear B-E-A-U-tiful for the “foreign” gentry, which by the way hasn’t been completed even till now and CP is still crashed. Even huger, remember how the roadside beggars and the homeless people were cleared away from the roads with the blink of an eye, to find clean roads decorated with plants everywhere. (ya! I know it’s a good thing, making your place presentable for the guests but, what about abiding by that change later on too? Can’t we always be so presentable? The beggars are back on the roads again, the flower pots have vanished and we are back to being “normal” again. Infact worse.) But, the in-charge people always prefer to keep their eyes closed, and carry on with their gala of celebration.
Caught sight of a similar thing yesterday. The passage crossing for the Keshavpuram Metro Station had been under contruction for ages now, which finally completed yesterday. And like it is a usual scene in India, less work more time, less requirement more material, obviously, it was the same here too. Until yesterday, this passage had been a private “rest house” for all the sleazy kind of people, which was converted into a decorated piece of art, with all the simmering and the flower pots, yesterday. Build under the orders of the Ashok Vihar MLA, of course it was a moment of pride for him and so there had to be a carousal. And so it was, yesterday. Guarded by millions of policemen, clearing off all the Rickshaw valas, that place looked nothing less than a carnival, with songs like Nanha Munna Rahi Hun pouring into my ears. But, like any other person, I was so sure that the moment the Sun sets in, the party would be over forever, and the newly made museum-of-jokers would be converted back into a “bedroom” for cheesy people, (obviously, which would, thereby, help to increase the unpleasant activities) and that’s what exactly happened, today. (Maybe, now it’s my moment to feel proud, after all I had already predicted it. Haha. But, disgusted at this sight too, at the same time.)
Tried to capture it. (Not so clear though, as it’s done rather covertly. But, just a moment of I-Told-You!)
(Wish I had captured what it looked just 24 hours before! Totally contrasting.)
Well, that’s India. Don’t know how we can change it, till the major part of our population continues to be occupied by such “learned” people. But, there’s one thing we all surely can change. Have you got a chance to visit BhartiVidyapeeth “Deemed University – A School of Distant Learning”, lately? (Yeah! That’s what it has been converted to, now. But, that’s not my point of concern at the moment.) Where I’m trying to point at, is the Plantation Drive just near the Paschim Vihar East Metro Station. It’s a really good start but, it seems rather sparse there, and we all can help to make it dense. Not necessarily there, we can plant a seedling anywhere and then who knows it can be a start to make our country presentable always!
Plant a sapling, nurture it into a tree! We would definitely be contributing to Earth as well as our country. That’s my chore for Friendship Day. A friendship with Earth (and to the land where I belong, too)! Hope you include it in your errands too.
~Happy Friendship Day.
NRIs – Indians at Heart? August 3, 2011
Posted by Akriti Bahal in Anger, entertainment, India.11 comments
Why is it that you forget your Indianness as soon as you’re given a chance to leave your country? Are we all desperate wolves in search of “foreign” air?
No! I’m not giving out any orthodox views here, as I, myself, am a strong supporter of modernization and very well understand the corruption going on in India, which leaves most of the youth only waiting for that one chance to just pack their bags and run away ( and I being one of them). But, running away leaving your earthiness (or I may say, your down to earth attitude), is it right? I think, the snobbish behaviour towards the rest of the Indians is not required, after all India is always going to be your home country and you’re always going to be an Indian (no matter how hard you try to mix in with the West).
After the “privilege” of a dinner muster, last night, the first word I could utter from my “estuary” (yea, just trying to add a bit of touch, of the man - the NRI man) was Pretentious. Not going into too much personal stuff, but the man had come to India to marry a relative of mine (second marriage you see, so obviously both the parties have children). Now I personally knew the children of my relative’s, and the condescending nature of the NRI didn’t surprise me to that extent but, I was dumbstruck at seeing the change in attitude of the children (yea, they were going to settle down to America, so what?), the girl had become a complete drama queen.
What left me thinking was, what makes them feel superior anyway? I mean, I understand you’re going away, but look at the girl (not to mention the older people), she is just 13 and she behaved nothing less than 23 (this time).
And not to forget the man, throughout the dinner, sentences like I can’t even imagine what being poor is, is it really true that in some places in India people work only for food and no money is given at all, in America is it like, and Blah Blah Blah, were pouring into my ears. (Ahh! I think my ears have fever now!) I mean just when I was about to salute him at his lack of awareness about the pace of development of India, he gave me another reason to smirk, So both the husband and wife work nowadays in India? Oh! it’s a mini America forming here. Now, this is a thing worth doing hats-off for.
Dude, in which century are you living?
Anyway, I am exposed to both snobbish and down to earth NRI friends and relatives. Basically I feel it is a question of their upbringing and ego which plays a role in their attitude change.
And in the end, we can always choose what we want to be, a snob or a humble person.
