India is my country. All Indians (outside of my family, in which, I have all kinds of relations) are my brothers and sisters.
What is India? India is a very unique country, like no other in the world. It is the land of a billion people, a million Gods and few thousand demigods. It is the land of the native and imported Gandhis. It is the land of Slumdog Millionaires. It is the land of hundreds of rivers and thousands of temples and mosques and churches and gurudwaras. It is probably the most sought after IT outsource capital of the world, notwithstanding Satyam. It is the land of Ambanis, Birlas, TATAs and Nanos. Above all…
1. It is world’s largest democracy and republic;
2 It is the only country in the world that is a merger of innumerable cultures;
3. It has people of many religious faiths living together as neighbors;
4. It has thousands of castes and subsets within every religion;
5. It has countless number of languages (If you are a foreigner, and have not seen an Indian Rupee Note, check out to find the creamy layer of the languages (14) printed in that. If we printed all languages spoken in India, we will not have a note, for each denomination we will have a notebook);
6. It has the most tolerant of people in the world, despite the aberrations coming from religious disharmony erupting time to time. (I say “most tolerant societies” because not only has India got many religions and castes but also has people of each of these religious faiths in very large numbers and living as neighbors);
7. It is the country to which God chose to send Mahatma Gandhi;
8. It is the country whose people progress despite all the obstacles from law and infrastructure;
9. It is the country which has branches in almost every country in the world as Indians live in every part of the world and carry their unique identity and religious faiths wherever they go;
10. It is the country where the religious faiths and celebrations do not confine to one religion but has nicely mixed with other religions, so we have Christians having names of Hindu gods, Hindus celebrating “Happy New Year” and all religions celebrating Pongal, Onam and the colorful Holi;
11. It is also the country that has God’s own country (Kerala);
12. It is the country where a person is free to practice any religion in whatever way he likes without any restrictions;
13. It is the country that gave ZERO to the world but remains billion strong;
14. It is the country that subsidizes every popular global product because producers ineveitably take into account the quantity that can be sold to the large Indian population while making their cost calculations. (except of course the software makers, we Indians as a rule do not buy any thing that is licenced; we are so much annoyed by the license raj);
15. It is the country that Lords over the game of cricket, even if Lords is in London;
16. It is the country with thousands of political parties;
17. It is the country with the most colorful of politicians in the universe…
17+1 www.arasiyal.com is by an Indian, for every Indian and to every Indian who follows Indian Politics.
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Feb 6, 2009 at 10:00:50
Hi:
It is also the country that has God’s own country (Kerala). How do you say so? Just eager to know.
India is the country which has Sardarji’s providing laughter all around the world.
Feb 6, 2009 at 10:24:02
Hi,
Nice posting to begin with. Interesting 17 and all are facts about India.
I feel the 7th point should be as like this:
“It is the country to which God WRONGLY chose to send Mahatma Gandhi”. I am convinced that he is the cause of all terror problems from Pakistan and if an army person is asked to run to Kargil despite a marriage was arranged for him.
Before Independence we all stood together. NOW? I hate congressmen and family.
Feb 7, 2009 at 19:06:51
Nice post. Please post your blog articles in http://www.newspaanai.com. It is a social bookmarking website.
thank you
Feb 27, 2009 at 20:09:41
Dear Readers,
The post is true in many aspects. Abt Gandhi, he is the only politician in the whole world who didnt compromise his “voice of soul” to any of the politicial/diplomatic/aristocratic (ada pongappa)decisions. Even now we are still compromisiing our inner voice to many of day to day injustice for a comfortable life. But, Gandhi is all human and it is really incrdible to think of such a man who stands firm on what his heart says…. Bench mark yourself with Gandhi and one can realize how magnanimous to be a Gandhi… Even Subash Bose compromised with Japanese (though they executed many massacare like nan kin massacare and their cruel intrusion in Malaya) just for their help to liberate India. Gandhi didnt even compromise with Hitler though he had a soft corner on India(Aaryan race!!!). Pl dont just read Gandhi; read and realize what if u were in his shoes…
Feb 28, 2009 at 00:12:16
Pal,
Welcome. I fully endorse your views.
Gandhi is Mahatma because he had those qualities. It takes more than being a human to acquire qualities that Mahatma had and displayed.
It is pathetic that there are people in the country who use the Gandhi surname shamelessly.
I think we have to even nationalize the Gandhi surname so that no one uses that. I think it is possible.
What do you think?
Mar 3, 2009 at 08:37:39
Dear Anurama,
Thanks for the reply… Gandhi is a 100% human! My view on Gandhi is he was a man true to his heart.. I try to practise it as an attirude many a time… But, I don’t worship Gandhi.. Yes! His name is misused,,, but, i see a human by name Gandhi.. Mere letters that give identity to a man is not so important.. Anurama! let us realize Gandhi.. Feel him.. I have difference of opinions with Gandhi’s decisions.. But, i respect the way he took decisions.. It can only be felt…
welcome to
rjgpal20@gmail.com