Who is an Indian

I’m often baffled by the term ‘Indian.’ If I am to believe in the history I learned, India is a country formed by our greatest enemies - the Britishers. History says that there were plenty of kingdoms and Britishers brought them under one banner, though few were held by Portuguese and French which was affiliated to it later. We come across many great rulers like Ashoka, Tippu Sultan, Sivaji etc., who kept on capturing nearby places and bringing it under their control and also tried to resist the entry of Britishers and other foreign powers. Every state in India has its own history and there were various dynasties and kingdoms. And finally it all came under one nation – India.

Well, often, when people talk about India, and when they say they are ready to lay their lives for India and fight for it, I often wonder what it’s all about; is it the land that they talk about, or is it the people whom they talk about, or is it the race or culture or relegion or caste or creed or ideologies. I don’t think anyone can answer it. Even if one answers it, I don’t think it will be a faithful one.

Once when I was talking to one of my friends he termed me as non-Indian because I’m a Christian. It made me think of what exactly he means by Indian. My forefathers were Indians, my parents were Indians, I too was born in India, and what is it that makes him say that I’m not an Indian? What is the criteria for me to be an Indian, and in what way am I not an Indian? If I go out on the streets I see people divided by caste, religion, and what not. And we call ourselves Indian on what basis? You might term me as non-patriotic for what I’m writing. And even if you cry out loud at the top of your voice that I’m wrong, I’m sure that deep inside your conscience you can never deny it. And even if you cry for my blood, and even if you take away my life for what I write, deep inside I believe that I had always been an Indian and I will remain an Indian forever, because that’s what I am.

From my childhood I’d been taught that Pakistan is our enemy. But when I grew up I started wondering, if they were Indians until separation, what is it that makes them different for us to cry for their blood. Is it geography, or is it blood relations? Wasn’t it a creation of the dirty selfish politics that created all this? I’m always pained by the lives lost on this account. Is it not possible to bring in peace in the valley of Kashmir. For politicians it’s a matter of their survival, but it’s my brothers and sisters that are sacrificed. There are the army people giving away their lives, many losing their sons, many their brothers, many their husbands and many their fathers. And I’ve seen concerts organized in their names, a great business in the name of patriotism. There are my brothers and sisters out their starving, many families suiciding as they find no way ahead while we are emerging as one of the super powers, spending millions of dollars on arms and ammunition. Are we going to feed our children with bullets and nuclear bombs? Why is it not possible to bring in peace, and invest these sums on agricultural and healthcare products and for the betterment of lifestyle? I don’t think any politician has got the guts to do that.

Related blogs:
http://binxwiz.blogspot.com/2008/09/mother-please-dont-cry.html
http://binxwiz.blogspot.com/2009/02/culture.html

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