People who tend to portray India must expand the frames of references of understanding India ( rather Indianess) beyond and besides the patriotism of the Western construct -which is all about real estate veneration and praising a few great leaders from various realms and defining a specific identity. Whereas, India is neither an idea, nor a concept nor a easily definable homogenized identity.
Once this is understood broadly , then the observation of the nation happens through 360 degree perspective.
Honestly speaking, I embarked on a very ambitious project of writing a philosophical novel during the second phase of Covid-19 with a long story involving most countries visible on the planet including all small islands.
Though the vague concept incubated in my mind when I had a very narrow escape from a second major accident in 1991 at Delhi.
While toying with this idea I did manage to study (and have kept that work in abeyance with all info lying in many of my note books and harddisks) in bits and pieces each country in terms of its geography, culture, traditional practices, languages, religious practices, food habits, behaviour patterns etc.
Geographical contours of most countries are the children of fate of those nations with extended or shrunk territories through their destiny undergoing myriad metamorphosis in their journeys over a period of time under multitude of influences , impacts and ideologies that have shaped their identity.
But what makes certain countries into great nations are some intrinsic value systems, adaptability, aesthetic sense, witnessing without inhibition like a passive sky every climate or atmosphere of joy and jubilations, supressions and sadness.
Some nations have certain phases of greatness and some of deep troubles.
There are certain stark realities and striking features which leave an undeniable mark in the life of earth.
Israel and Japan for their remarkable resilience, Greece for its ability to veer away the Western mind from its Abrahamic institutionalised religious restraints. US for its smartness in importing talent pool from all over the world and manipulating the power dynamics not only through military might but also investing heavily on R&D and publicity.
I could pen down easy brief descriptions of other nations but India is totally different in that it is a vibrant, lively, dynamic soul carrying the legacy of pride of ancestry and huge hope for the future.
It defies most common frames of references for normal minds to grasp.
It is one nation where even a beggar will smile and come forward to help unlike the West where the absence of a specific brand of tissue paper can lead a person into depression.
The vibes and vibrations of Indianness can never be taken out of any Indian anywhere. They are impregnated with immense spiritual vibrations, cultural values, aesthetic ornamentation in every aspect of traditions and arts, the manifestation of natural variety in everything from the spread of Thali meals to multiple languages to different attires.
Bharath matha cannot be homogenised. Without homogenisation the West cannot perceive.
Indianness reflects in its individuals a spontaneous offer to help without inhibition etc. ( Of course, there are many exceptions as well ).
Not because I am an Indian but because I am a sane humane being that I love this land where I enjoyed with equal ease reading Ramakrishna Paramhansa to Vivekananda to Aurobindo to Ramana Maharishi to JK to Osho. For, all of them imparted us wisdom that transcended religiously codified belief systems to grasp the real meaning of life in terms of its intrinsic values.
In the past few years there were some debates and discussions on Idea of India, Idea of an Ideal India, India for the 21st century, Can nationalism sit comfortably with internationalism , what are the identities that define India , what are the ideologies that India stands for etc. On all these topics I have written at length and at times presented slides in twitter.
Some I have bothered to jot down in my blogs and I share the links later on.
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