Thursday 10 April 2014

In de yeah!


Let's stroll through a few cities - it's hub, the by-lanes, talk to people there. Let's do the same in a few villages. Take your pick - East, West, North, South. Better if it is a combination of any two or three or all four directions. And what does one see, hear, sense and glean?

A land steeped in juxtaposition of opposites. Didn't get it? Allow me!

Source: Google Images

We see a curious mix of spirituality and materialism, of worshipping Goddesses and rape & female foeticide, of abject poverty and vulgar affluence, of modernity and tradition, of extensive usage of English and strong vernacular languages, of uneducated masses and many scholars, of industrialisation and traditional methods, of ancient traditions and westernisation, of non-violence and violence, of scams and honest living, of desert and one of the wettest place of Earth, of mountains and plains, of rivers and dry land. 

Source : Google Images

It is also a land of  hunger and rotting crops, of traditional food and world cuisines, of invasions and peace, of aromatic spices and malodour of clogged drains, of kindness and apathy, of corruption and integrity, of mellifluous music and cacophony, of literature and illiteracy, of many roomed mansions and homeless, of intricate architecture and eyesores, of great art and vandals, of the longest rail routes and potholed roads, of IT revolution and powerless villages, of thick jungles and deforestation, of poaching and amazing wildlife, of dense population and few in sight when help is required, of unemployment and street-smarts, of joint families and nuclear families, of successful women and dominated women, of increased lifespans and several diseases, of it being a land of plenty and a land of scarcity and so on.

One of the world's oldest civilisations, it has borne the onslaught from outside and inside, with a dignity that has spanned centuries; Every single time internalizing the changes brought about, and at the same time keeping a myriad of the land's uniqueness in its original (almost!) form.

What is in this land's DNA, more importantly, what is in her people's DNA that keeps them going that keeps it going despite all odds stacked against them for centuries? 

If you want to see the sheer ingenuity and survival spirit of  the people of this land, don't go for the big guns. Take a closer look at your neighbourhood little shops that repair electrical, mechanical & electronic gadgets like tablets, smartphones, watches at a fraction of the fee charged by the brand's authorised service centres. What a pleasure it is to watch them come up with quick, innovative and simple solutions.
An Indian woman entrepreneur
Source: Google Images

Similarly, with vegetable vendors or waste paper collector or ear cleaners or rickshaw pullers or shoes repairers or umbrella repairers or the amazing dabbawallahs of Mumbai. They identify a need or an irritant, however small it is and make solving that as their profession. No fancy degrees. No need to be a big business house to solve little persistent everyday irritants. They form the important albeit small cogs, without which life would very nearly grind to a halt. They all use their brains & brawn big time. They need to. To even survive. And their entrepreneurship is to be lauded.

But then it's not surprising. They are all fighters who survive & thrive against all odds just like the land they were born in. Hope springs eternally here.

You see, they all with the never-say-die attitude belong to one of the vibrant and long lasting civilzations, the land of colour  ........India!

Oh yeah! Truly Incredible India!

   
Source : Google Images

Source : Google Images







22 comments:

  1. Wonderful post Prathi. Amen to Incredible India.

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  2. Brilliant
    India in a nut shell :) I remembered a video- Incredible India

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    1. Oh, India is too huge to be pu tina nut-shell :) This is just a few lines :)

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  3. Yes, incredible India. I miss India..I miss India.

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  4. Incredible India..yes it also lives in those bylanes!

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  5. When its a daily race for survival, every little thing makes a big difference.. and for a majority of the population in our country, that is life.. and the more u fight, the more u survive !! :-) yes truly incredible country and its just that which draws visitors back to this country again and again..... Unfortunately for people living here, the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence :-)

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    1. True Ravi, survival of the fittest. I guess for the grass being green on the other side, well, once one goes out of the country will they see the land they behind in a different light. The comparison ensures that. And every country will have it's sheen and underbelly. How visible it is, is something that can be debated.

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  6. I love your searingly honest description, all the good and not so good, of your country :)
    Suzanne @Suzannes Tribe
    x

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    1. Thank you for visiting Suzanne! I am proud of my country. :)

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  7. It truly is Incredible India! :)

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  8. It truly is Incredible India!
    Modern Gypsy: http://peddlerofdreams.wordpress.com

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  9. Super post on the resilience and wonder that is India. I must commend you, Prathima, on your ability to express the range and sweep of every topic you choose to blog about. You leave nothing unsaid, and express everything in a crisp, clear and coherent way. Thank you for this post.

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    1. You are too kind Cynthia! Thank you so much. Your words are very reassuring and encouraging to a newbie like me. Thanks again!

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  10. I read this post three times for the sheer pleasure of reading your words. How fiercely proud we are of this crazy, incredible, annoying yet beloved land of ours. As for her people, we rave and rant, stamp and grumble, we smile broadly and curse... but we love them.

    I could only be for In de Yeah!

    Dagny

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    1. Thank you Dagny, for your kind words.. India is home after all and a fascinating one too! :)

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