Regular Readers,
Please skip this post if you are rant averse. I had to get something off my chest and here I am. I am not in the mood for a recipe and I am sorry.
I am sure it is fascinating to watch how children(by this I mean all ages) react to criticisms about their parents. It is easy when the parent is non controversial. But when a parent is a larger than life figure who has done countless good things and in the process rubbed a few people the wrong way there is always going to be opinions good and bad. The usual way this works is children tolerate crticism among themselves and their shared upbringing and decency makes it possible to weather them down in a civilized way. But one sibling does not have a right to censure criticism or police opinion about the parent does he/she? What if he/she is under illusion that his/her opinion holds more weight than the other siblings?
Wondering why the story above is to make a point. Even with the anonymity the cyber world provides, bad mouthing, opinion policing and personal attacks have no place. All of this done under the name of patriotism. I would laugh if I were not mad. To become better one has to accept their faults first. No amount of sweeping under the carpet and pointless defense is going to achieve that result. Same applies to the pseudo patriotism and bashing that has been going on the last few days. This 'Mere Bharat Mahan' fervour while sitting comfortably in a foreign country is getting to be very irritating. Every NRI (anyone who has stayed outside of India for more than 182 days is one) has a choice. This pseudo patriotism is simply a waste of time for everybody. A simple google would throw up umpteen ways to help India. If you have the time to sit and have a pseudo patriotic fit in front of your computer, you certainly have the time to find ways to make life there better. The last time I checked India did not entrust the job of defending its reputation and forcing patriotism down people's throat to any other RI or NRI. India is not in that sorry state. The vitriol and personal attacks that has come forth in the name of defending the motherland is nothing short of childish.
So if you get the drift from the first paragraph, everyone who was Indian at any point in their life and still has ties to that country has the right to criticize/praise it as much the other one. That would make 1 1/4 billion of us. The sanctimonious few have no more no less rights. I can already hear cats clawing in the background.
Who gave anybody the right to be an opinion police by the way? Nobody is denying your right to your opinion are they? The minute the attacks cross over to being personal all bets are off. I hate the opinion policing period. Mob mentality does not make it acceptable. I for one am scratching my head to figure out how beloved became a bash word! Freedom of Speech anybody?
PS: I am sure some of you are scratching your head about this rant. This did not happen to me personally but a fellow blogger and a friend.
er ... Indo, what brought this on? Can identify with your views, anyway.
ReplyDeleteMy head hurts from all the scratching I've been doing, reading your rant.
ReplyDeleteI have been this pseudo patriotic drama and some India bashing from NRIs and also people living in India, bashing NRIs and how they can't stand Indian children having American accent. Both sides get on my nerves real fast.
Big Hugs, Girl!
Just 182 days and you are NRI. That is a bit too short i think.
ReplyDeleteYou know what my hubby says to me, i supporet Indian econmy more theni support the belgium economy :-) wo then how can i ban NRI :-)
I'm not sure who this happened to, but I can definitely identify with your feelings...
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you on this indo.
ReplyDelete100% agree with you, ISG. I thought the NRI post itself was a generic one but some of the comments I read were specific. I don't think A deserved the lashing. I mean, she hasn't been to India in 18 years! Things are VERY different now. Her post was not about all things wrong - just her observances/experiences good and bad. I think her statements were misinterpreted, taken out of context and seen as India-hating instead of just her experiences. I mentioned this before - that it's the delivery of a statement that makes a difference. I don't see any contempt or disdain for India in A's post - now or ever before.
ReplyDeleteI agree indo... Whichever country it may be, has it's positive and negative points and just mentioning them as facts that were observed doesn't necessarily make one a bad person i think. I too don't understand why mentioning some of those (obviously not in a derogatory way) makes one a bad NRI who has no respect for their country - i just don't see it that way. Basically observing/mentioning that doesn't take away from one's patriotism or love for their country is what i'm trying to get at. In many ways i've found quite a few NRIs being more patriotic than some others living in India.
ReplyDeletePatriotism to ones country is unconditional and depends from person to person. It is important to be patriotic and I think it is everybody`s duty to be one. Criticizing and blaming will not force one to be patriotic....at the same time I cannot take derogatory comments about my country from fellow countrymen.
ReplyDeleteI have been not in sync with blogosphere last few days. Should go and check but I do agree
ReplyDeleteI just found out what this was about. I tried commenting in that blog but it wouldn't allow anonymous comments. I want to be anonymous because I don't want to draw attention to myself, I only want to try and put things in perspective - publish this comment if you like, if you think there's merit in it.
ReplyDeleteTo that blogger, and all those who supported her (quite a few of them who seem to never miss bantering/talking to the food blogger in question most affectionately): How did the food blogger's comments sound like India-bashing to you? Couldn't you judge by the tone?
She was just recording her impressions - considering she's coming here after a long time. There's good and bad in all countries, and just because there's bad in the US, it doesn't negate India's flaws, or vice versa.
I've lived in India all my life, and I'm telling you, I am sick and tired of the bribery and corruption that exist here. They exist in the US too, Vietnam, Indonesia, wherever, there may be more corrupt nations out there, but that's not my problem. I want my country to be easy for me to live in. Is saying this unpatriotic? I have every right to want my country to be more tolerable for me to live in - and please note that I've moved away from defending others here and am standing on my own soap box.
In any case, you don't seem to have the ability to distinguish between India-bashing and genuine, heartfelt impressions. Please take some time to judge people by their intentions before you try to trash them. And I don't understand why people are mocking anonymous commenters - they're as anonymous as the person who wrote that post.
I totally agree with you on this Indo.I appreciate your post too.Cribbing abt things that one observes doesn’t take the partiotism in ones self.Everyone has the right to speak and feel the way they want to,its jes their way of expressing things - Freedom of Speech! I also think A's statements were misinterpreted,i felt bad reading it!
ReplyDeleteI need to read up more on this... but I agree with this... also the squirrels ate up my chard. So now I have to wait a little longer :(
ReplyDeleteKay,Sra,Kalai,Paati,Vani,HC,Vani,
ReplyDeleteLaavanya,Sandeepa,Nithya,Mandira thanks.
Cilantro, I firmly believe in freedom of speech. Civility of discourse and all stripes of opinions no matter how hard to swallow is essential for a healthy democracy. Stomping on other people's opinion and questioning their right to free speech is not my idea of patriotism.
And I disagree with unconditional patriotism. Blind patriotism benefits nobody and it is personal to each person. Imagine yourself in the shoe of a discriminated upon member of society, will you demand patriotism from him unconditionally? Does he not have the right to offer his opinion on how his country and countrymen have treated him?
Anonymous, I published your comment to highlight an alternate point of view. Not wanting to draw attention to oneself is the reason lot of criminal actions don't get noticed. But I do appreciate you taking the time to offer your opinion.
Read the post now and need to find out what is going on. Coming from you, I can imagine how serious this might be.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit dense. I had no idea what this post was about, until I read through all the comments.
ReplyDeleteI read A's post when she posted it - it was what she felt after 18 yrs of not being there. I didn't find any India bashing there.
If it's ok with you, Can you mail me where exactly this bashing was going on, please. [Not to satisfy my curiosity, but a need to support a friend]
I am so out of the loop these days, I don't even know who A is! But I have seen the type of people you are talking about, and I can totally idenitfy with your sentiments!
ReplyDeleteWhen I left comment on SJ’s blog, I agreed to what she had to say in general without knowing it was a personal attack on A. When I read that post and left comment I didn't realise whom it was directed at and it was only after going through comment section I realised whom it was pointed at. I thought it was general view of the SJ and her post was written based on very common attitude some ppl seems to have towards India and Indians. If it was based on A’s recent post then all I can say is it is misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to express one’s feelings (often in my case) when writing a blog post and there are high chances of people misunderstanding the tone behind our blog posts. Sometimes what we wrote for fun sake is misunderstood for serious abuse and ur serious post could be considered as a funny one. So if you don’t know that person and have not been following their blog for quite some time then there are chances of that person’s views to be misunderstood. I didn’t see any India bashing in A’s post as I have been following her blog for past 2 and half years and, to some extent, know what kind of person she actually is.
And coming to anonymous comment, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and views. We may be fond of some blogger but it doesn’t mean we have to agree to what ever they say.
Sia, I agree with your last paragraph completely. But I want to you think about several things.
ReplyDeleteWho is anyone to deny their right to an opinion? Not you not anyone. So if I bash anything on my blog, it is my opinion isn't? Nobody or anything is scared from an opinion. But even if one comment starts instigating physical harm than the post author is responsible.
Freedom of speech is as sacred and equivalent to patriotism and much higher than the pseudo patriotism practised by the blogger you mentioned in your comment.
The reason I posted the anonymous comment is becuase I more than agree with her point about the friendly banter.
Seriously if you are on friendly terms with a blogger in question and engage in banter, and if you are even half way decent it would have been prudent to contact the blogger directly and to discuss the issue with the person rather than post something sensational which instigates comments to ridicule and violence.
Yes, I agree with what you say here whole heartedly Indo, specially about freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteI myself don't like some of the opinions expressed in some posts but it's their opinion and I respect it. If I can, I express mine politely or I will move away without leaving one. I would never want to make somebody feel bad that day or any day by my loud mouth and brash writings. I guess that comes from experiencing and surviving life and I can't understand how some young blood bash others without thinking twice and without making any sense.
Glad you wrote who NRIs are, I was wondering myself whether they know this fact living in US or do they even stay young forever glugging down a little secret potion themselves as they disrespect other's maturity!!:D
I agree with Happy cook and Hans too. We have done more to Indian economy over the years than any RIs staying there. We do pay India our property tax every year, buy stuff from there, send money there and always paid more than what autowaalas asked me, just to see their faces lit up happiness. That I will take in my heart forever than pollution,bribes etc which is are sad facts and is a big problem for that country and I was just mentioning it. Every 20+ young man I talked to in B'lore wants to go to Aus or US or to Europe and I can understand why. Once we were in that situation too and we made it here by hard work, all for our kids who can achieve and be what they want to. That doesn't mean that we love India any less at all! I want better and efficient India, there is nothing wrong with hoping for one either instead of just saying "Oh, I love this country, period!".
I don't like Pseudo intellectuals either. Don't know what makes them think that they are superior to me or anyone else in this World. I, as a 40+ woman, am still learning and there is so much to learn in life and to be humble about it all. Sad that some try to make sensational posts and hurt others. But teaches you a lesson though and I am more than willing to learn. They have to sleep with it and I sleep like a baby without any guilt!
Thanks for this post, loved it and appreciate it. Hugs to you. Enjoy your day! And Jai Ho for friendships and maturity! :)
Okay, finally got who A is :) Now I have to figure out who SJ is.. sigh...
ReplyDeleteAsha, you are way too nice. I still have not heard a harsh word from you about those other bloggers. I am proud of you and wish I was that calm and composed.
ReplyDeleteSig, let's see how long this one takes and I wanted to add a line about popular but I will resist.
Can you imagine I wasted two hours, that too at work this morning? I finally found the original post and the spawns and went through all of those, and I am shocked!! I can't believe this holier-than-thou attitude, my only question is - what the heck are these people doing outside India??? I guess the "greenery" outside is a stronger force than patriotism. There were even comments about how adding chard to daal is non-patriotic in one of those posts!!!!!!!! Anyway, back to work now :)
ReplyDeleteROFL - ADDING CHARD TO DAL IS UNPATRIOTIC? It's midnight, and I'm cackling away, my neighbours must be thinking a witch inhabits this apartment! LMBO - laughing my blues off, thanks. God save India from these patriots! I'm wondering if I should go in search of the original comment but don't know if I should spend any energy on them!
ReplyDeleteIndo, In the first place I do not know what happened there at the other bloggers place and what comments were exchanged . I am sorry if I was making things worse. I was just giving my opinion on your post. I too believe in freedom of speech and how people should be treated equally.
ReplyDeleteSorry if I had hurt anybody in the process.
Cilantro, no no you did not hurt anybody's feelings. I was just reacting to the unconditional patriotism part. But I respect your opinion and am glad you took the time to comment.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ Sig and Sra.I too have the same opinion.What are these people doing outside India??
ReplyDeleteOMG...so much has happened and where was my head!!!!....ROSLSG...god help me..can you believe me if I say its exactly how Sra reacted and just msg her toooo...
ReplyDeletebut seriously thanks Indo for the post...I seriously think each one of us have better work to do than spend precious time on such topics...
'lucky' whoever you are, might as well commented as anonymous. You don't get it do you the objective of this post? Pardon my French, Who the hell are you to censure or pass judgement on anybody's views?.
ReplyDeleteYou have not offered an opinion different from your friends. Plenty have been written in the same vein so I deny you a soap box on this blog.
Sra, Valli, a heavy dose of humor goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteTo the Chinese language commenters,
ReplyDeleteYour comments will not be published, I do not read Chinese and neither do my readers.