Indian, And Proud Of It!

We have so often heard the media and our parents talk about 'How patriotic is Gen-X?' and the so-called death of patriotism. Everytime I hear something like this, I feel like angrily retorting, 'I love my country as much as anyone even 60 years older than me!', but I bite my tongue. Perhaps no one else of my age feels the way I do. I cannot speak for everyone of my generation, but I can definitely speak for me. I am very, VERY patriotic. I can endlessly argue for India (Sound familiar, Yao?), and this is not because I am trying to prove a point, but because I actually believe it wholeheartedly. It always hurts when people put down India in some way or another, because, though many do not realise it, life here is amazing.
India - the world's largest democracy. Amazing voter turnouts have resulted in even the most powerful governments being dethroned, and that just reestablishes the fact that power lies with the people. Our intelligence and ability to reinvent is world renowned. And however disappointed we are with our performances on the sports field, we never lose hope - even a failing Indian cricket team always finds supporters; regardless of how many first round exits she faces or which part of the world she's playing in, Sania Mirza's next first round match always is chock full with loyal Indian (resident or otherwise) supporters; we gloat over our nation's single Olympic (silver) medal while even individuals from other countries have 5 golds - and this is an amazing quality. Bollywood, to put it simply, rules. Indian cinemas see 23 million viewers daily while the US has to make do with 20 million. Nowhere else in the world can we find such fantastic masala movies. Talking about masala, nowhere else in the world can we find such brilliant food. We've an fabulous way of life in every way - not only do we have tons and tons of languages, cultures, religions et al, but we have this knack of co-existing. Our country's seen legends in many fields, including science and literature. And no matter how much we grumble about crooked politicians or insufficient infrastructure, India is amazing. Because home is where the heart is. (I clearly remember returning to India after a long holiday abroad. We'd flown over quite a few countries through the day, and at about 9.00 p.m., we were scheduled to fly over the Wagah border. I remember every second of it. The entire border was lit up. I cannot even attempt to describe the feeling that came over me once we crossed the border, even if it was only in the air.) To quote Salman Khan, East or West, India is the Best!
Jai Hind!
Happy Independence Day!