Dear Pradhaan Mantri ji,
Hope you are doing better than what you were/did on May 19.
I am not among those who think you are the wrong person in the chair, but you might not be able to count me as your blind-to-any-fault supporter either.
Perhaps even your strongest critics do not doubt your charisma and public speaking skills.
However, this one time, the script has perhaps gone haywire.
Your speech in Shanghai, China has evoked a strong reaction on social media with your "earlier-you-were-ashamed-of-being-an-Indian".
Well, it must be said that the comments were avoidable, to say the least.
It could be a fact that Indians feel more proud an assertive today than in times gone by, but that does not mean we were ashamed of being Indians.
Sir, your claiming it and ascribing it on a billion people as their mentality is certainly inappropriate and flawed.
Yes, we might have had (and continue to have) our flaws here and there (which country doesn't?), and there have very well been more reasons to be proud of ourselves as Indians.
However, this does not mean that the people of this country were ever ashamed of being Indians before you came to power.
For all the progress we have made in recent years, with or without you at the helm, those pessimists/cynics who felt ashamed earlier, might well continue to feel so even now, or later too.
We cannot pronounce judgement on an entire nation's mentality, on the basis of a miniscule group of such critics and cynics.
There was also a more than obvious hint there inyour speech, which seems to suggest, that the (flawed sense of) shame went and was replaced by pride in being an Indian, almost as a direct after-effect of May 16, 2014: or after May 26, 2014 to be precise:
Dates when the election results were announced sweeping you to power with an unequivocal, absolute majority, and the day when you were officially sworn in as PM, respectively.
Sir, please do not doubt the patriotism, pride, and sentiments of all Indians, based on a handful of the kinds who exist everywhere, in every country.
Please do not assume that we (surely, the majority of Indians) were ever ashamed of our identity.
Just as any other country, we reveled and took (and will continue to take) pride in what we and our country achieved over the years.
The problem is not in the shame being felt by any individuals. The problem is in it being foisted as a national sentiment for everyone, and imposing your copyright on us now feeling an enhanced sense of self-esteem, thanks to this government and your leadership alone.
Please ensure that as you lead us, we, as a nation, become the pride of the world.
Everyone's self-pride will take care of itself.
Regards,
Just one of the forever-proud Indians
Hope you are doing better than what you were/did on May 19.
I am not among those who think you are the wrong person in the chair, but you might not be able to count me as your blind-to-any-fault supporter either.
Perhaps even your strongest critics do not doubt your charisma and public speaking skills.
However, this one time, the script has perhaps gone haywire.
Your speech in Shanghai, China has evoked a strong reaction on social media with your "earlier-you-were-ashamed-of-being-an-Indian".
Well, it must be said that the comments were avoidable, to say the least.
It could be a fact that Indians feel more proud an assertive today than in times gone by, but that does not mean we were ashamed of being Indians.
Sir, your claiming it and ascribing it on a billion people as their mentality is certainly inappropriate and flawed.
Yes, we might have had (and continue to have) our flaws here and there (which country doesn't?), and there have very well been more reasons to be proud of ourselves as Indians.
However, this does not mean that the people of this country were ever ashamed of being Indians before you came to power.
For all the progress we have made in recent years, with or without you at the helm, those pessimists/cynics who felt ashamed earlier, might well continue to feel so even now, or later too.
We cannot pronounce judgement on an entire nation's mentality, on the basis of a miniscule group of such critics and cynics.
There was also a more than obvious hint there inyour speech, which seems to suggest, that the (flawed sense of) shame went and was replaced by pride in being an Indian, almost as a direct after-effect of May 16, 2014: or after May 26, 2014 to be precise:
Dates when the election results were announced sweeping you to power with an unequivocal, absolute majority, and the day when you were officially sworn in as PM, respectively.
Sir, please do not doubt the patriotism, pride, and sentiments of all Indians, based on a handful of the kinds who exist everywhere, in every country.
Please do not assume that we (surely, the majority of Indians) were ever ashamed of our identity.
Just as any other country, we reveled and took (and will continue to take) pride in what we and our country achieved over the years.
The problem is not in the shame being felt by any individuals. The problem is in it being foisted as a national sentiment for everyone, and imposing your copyright on us now feeling an enhanced sense of self-esteem, thanks to this government and your leadership alone.
Please ensure that as you lead us, we, as a nation, become the pride of the world.
Everyone's self-pride will take care of itself.
Regards,
Just one of the forever-proud Indians
