Indyeah?

There are some things I like about the US of A. Perhaps 10% of all things that make up USA in my mind. I hate US for the rest of the 90%....

Let me try and relate what i hate about India, and what I like about US...

1) I hate the grousy attitude of most Indians. There is forever a scorn on most faces you see around you. Most people do not appear to be too pleased by things around them, and hence the permanent scorn. In US, for e.g., smiling comes naturally. Strangers we dont care about, sweepers cleaning the rooms, taxiwallahs...be it anyone, people there tend to greet them all with a smile, and acknowledge their presence. It may be fake, and perhaps all entities involved know they're faking it, but what the heck, it feels good!

2) I hate the "chalta hai" attitude in India. Maybe we can blame it on Indira Gandhi, and her weird ideas. Maybe our experiments with socialism are to be blamed...whateva..fact is, that we, as a nation, have got too used to ignoring any wrong happening around us. We don't care if files with babus are stuck for ages, we don't care if judiciary takes years to give verdicts, we don't care if electricity is being stolen around us. We don't care if a car breaks the traffic rules and jumps the light. We just follow it.
Chalta hai na yaar!

3) We love breaking rules. We see it all the time. Jumping lights, giving bribes to get an illegal document signed, Spitting on the roads, smoking in public places....its an endless list.
The problem is that babus love making rules. They love forming committees and formulating policies, and their work is done. There is no acocuntability in the system about implementation. They get their sackfull of the green blue and pink gandhis, and then they hope that perhaps the supreme court will interfere and instruct for the rules to be followed.
The question still remains...why do we love breaking rules? Why do we stop spitting as soon as we leave India? Why do we wait for the lights to turn green before we move an inch on phirang roads? Why do we act like perfect gentlemen and gentleladies like they do in Karan Johar Yash Chopra insanities? I guess the only reason I can think of is that the fines are exorbitant. And there is a fear of the police. In India we can get away as we can always put a 100 ka patta in the constable's mouth. Saala saara ka saara system hi kharab hai!

4) We lack in basic human intelligence. India is widely known as a nation with very intelligent people. True. Medicine, Science, Technology, Education...agreed. How about basic common sense? I find it extremely rare in India. How many people you know who willingly help someone in genuine need? How many people do you know who don't mind reaching the destination 5 mins late, if it means driving less rashly?

I'll try to narrate this particular incident i had seen in US (Great Neck, NY):

I was standing on the bus stop waiting. Before I realized, a tortoise started crossing the road, when (thankfully), traffic had stopped on the lights on either side of the bus stop. THis poor thing managed to reach the middle of the road before cars started coming. And guess what? Everyone stopped. EVERYONE. Not a single car moved on either side of the road. Someone in a car called up the police. A lady whose car was closest to the tortoise got down, lifted the animal, and placed it back on the pavement. All cars continued waiting, and within 2 minutes, the cop arrived and parked the car directly in front of the tortoise, so it does not try to go for the road again. That's whan the traffic moved. And the cop stayed there till as long as my bus didn't come...

That's the day I felt this place has respect for people. And animals. I can never imagine this happening in India. Ever.

to be continued...