I have always been a proud Indian. The pride was reinforced right from
childhood when I studied in Kendriya Vidyalaya and on various occasions, we
were reminded of our proud heritage. As for example the four houses in the
school were named after heroes Ashoka,Tagore, Shivaji and Raman. Those days I
used to day dream that India will regain its position among the comity of
nations. By the time we were in college however, a little bit of disappointment
and disillusionment had set in. I had even written a poem in Hindi recalling
all the glories of the past and then asking “but how long will it take to
bounce back?- The black beard is turning white…” Yet, in the heart of hearts
there was this feeling that India will be back where it belongs, right at the
top!
Since then, it has taken more than three decades for the sleeping giant to
awaken.. yet awakened it has and how! As an economics student I had heard the lament so many times right through college that the population of India is its
greatest stumbling block. Yet today the same population is seen as a strength Many countries view her as an important
market and are evincing more and more interest in India.Earlier also there was interest in India as a spiritual country. Now, the interest is for many more diverse reasons. The software professionals of India have made a mark world wide and recently a proud Prime minister Modi announced to the world of how the Indian scientists successfully launched the Mangalyan to Mars at a cost that is less than that of a Hollywood movie on space travel.
In the game of cricket, India was for many years considered a light weight. both in terms of players' achievement as also in terms of the clout of BCCI (Board for control of cricket in India) at the level of ICC (International cricket council). In both areas there is a complete turnaround with the cash rich BCCI having a big say today in ICC.Even when there was a general contempt for the song & dance routine of Indian commercial cinema, it has thrived over the years with a steady increase in interest in Indian movies. As for example Tamil Superstar Rajanikant's films are very popular in Japan and east Asia as are Hindi movies, particularly Shahrukh Khan's today in Europe & America..For all you know its influence could be seen in foreign films in future. Just as there is a craze among foreign cricket players to be part of the IPL (Indian premier League), more and more foreign actors are expressing their wish to be part of Bollywood.
With the globe having shrunk over the years, in the sense of nations having more & more exposure to each other, Asian food whether it is Chinese, Indian or Thai have gained popularity. Therefore the biriyani, kebab or idli, dosa have its fans all over the world,. The difference in the approach to India and Indians is clearly visible. This is partly because of higher expectations Indians have from themselves and also from others as a customer or consumer. In October 2011 when I went to Alabama in the US to attend our company's (Hyundai) global HRD conference, our team of three flew Lufthansa both ways. while we enjoyed the quiet efficiency of the airline and the staff, I personally missed our Indian food. Hence it was thrilling to see the recent Ad of the airline wherein a grandson tells his grand dad that they had boarded the wrong flight since tempting, sumptuous Indian fare was being served! How i wished that this had happened in October 2011!
Historically, India was believed to be a very prosperous nation. Many travelers and invaders came in search of her.Other countries were discovered while in her pursuit.Not only in terms of wealth was she famous but also for culture and learning. The ancient universities of Nalanda and Thakshasila had many foreign students studying in them.
Today, the changing trend world wide tend to suggest that Indians and India are inching towards the place they rightly belong. Yes, the world is becoming more Indian than you think!
