I recently met an American who's studying Anthropology - she mentioned the Indian diaspora and the difficulty associated with that subject. The story would have been so different if India was never a part of the British empire. Somehow, under subjugation, a large number of Indians were carted off to far-flung countries and they slowly made their presence felt as a majority in their respective adopted countries, without compromising their identity as an Indian. What greater influence can Indianism have on a culture than this - curry shops in Britain are now the English cornershops!
What, or more specifically, who is an Indian? Set aside pictures of curry, pappadams and people who sound like Appu. Do we consider Aryan Hindus, Muslims from the Middle-East, Sikhs, Portugese traders, French settlers, Anglo nomads, remnants of Chinese immigrants or the result of all these and other cultures mixed up in a giant melting pot? What is the one thing that defines an Indian? To me, its a strong desire to bring about change for the good of the people of this country.
It hit me recently - the painful sacrifices our forefathers made so we could live a better quality of life. With Independence Day fast approaching, its time not only to remember victory against past struggles, but also to make a serious effort to leave a similar legacy for future generations. How do I propose going about making such a difference to society? I've got a few ideas which will soon evolve into some of my most poignant blog entries. Keep reading...
