Over the past week, there has been clamour across the news channels about India, Bharat, etc. There were some really vociferous debates among some seemingly menacing activists, political commentators, news anchors and politicians. I thought why don't I too join this debate and put forth my views on this. Although I may not be as vociferous as they were but then let me express my views on this so-called 'debate on India and Bharat'...!!!! To take this debate forward, I need to go backward... FLASHBACK...!!!!
Once upon a time, many years ago, to be precise 29 years 5 months 5 days 6 hours and 21 minutes ago, a messiah was born in the heartland of Deccan Plateau. He was courageous, valorous, resplendent and radiating. The shine in his eyes was nothing short of ethereal. The calmness in his actions was nothing short of divine. The sharpness in his intellect was nothing short of perpetual. He was born in an year when India had just won the Cricket World Cup.
Hang on, I was just kidding, everything mentioned in italics above is all fake... It is just a figment of my over-worked and zealous mind... :P
Let's get the suspense out on who was born on that felicitous day. Well, I am sure you must have guessed it. Yours truly, Manish as I am known to the world, was born on this day.... :P Also, born on this day was Rinku.
Rinku had similar traits, behaviour and beliefs as Manish. Rinku had similar emotions like Manish. Rinku didn't like things which Manish didn't. Likewise Manish liked all the things that Rinku liked. There was an uncanny similarity in the way Manish and Rinku thought, envisioned and executed their plans. Well, all this is bound to be because Manish and Rinku are both the same individual. Yes, my nickname in my home is Rinku.
They call me by that name even today. In fact, many of my relatives still do not know that my real or official name is Manish. They all address me as Rinku...!!! What difference has that made to me? Even if someone addresses me as Manish or Rinku, I am still the same. I react the same way. I talk to them the same way. But why this fuss when talking about India or Bharat????? Isn't it something worth pondering over???? Or is it???
Rowdy Rathore was one of the biggest hits of 2012. It was said that this is a movie which catered to the masses. It catered to the rural belts. It catered to an audience which wants masala. Rockstar, which released in 2011, requires a good deal of concentration and imagination to understand. Likewise, a Hollywood flick like Inception needs remarkable amount of concentration to understand what is going on. I enjoyed a Rowdy Rathore as much as a Rockstar or an Inception.
So, based on the logic of differentiating between India and Bharat, I am both an Indian as well as a Bharatiya. But my point here is - Is this sort of differentiation really needed?? Even if India was named as Hogsmeade, I would have still loved it with the same fervor and passion as I do it now. Our country already has so many divisions based on language, caste, religion, etc. Is this sort of new differentiation really necessary?
This reminds me of a dialogue from the movie - Khatta Meetha (2010). It goes something like this -
Let's get the suspense out on who was born on that felicitous day. Well, I am sure you must have guessed it. Yours truly, Manish as I am known to the world, was born on this day.... :P Also, born on this day was Rinku.
Rinku had similar traits, behaviour and beliefs as Manish. Rinku had similar emotions like Manish. Rinku didn't like things which Manish didn't. Likewise Manish liked all the things that Rinku liked. There was an uncanny similarity in the way Manish and Rinku thought, envisioned and executed their plans. Well, all this is bound to be because Manish and Rinku are both the same individual. Yes, my nickname in my home is Rinku.
They call me by that name even today. In fact, many of my relatives still do not know that my real or official name is Manish. They all address me as Rinku...!!! What difference has that made to me? Even if someone addresses me as Manish or Rinku, I am still the same. I react the same way. I talk to them the same way. But why this fuss when talking about India or Bharat????? Isn't it something worth pondering over???? Or is it???
Rowdy Rathore was one of the biggest hits of 2012. It was said that this is a movie which catered to the masses. It catered to the rural belts. It catered to an audience which wants masala. Rockstar, which released in 2011, requires a good deal of concentration and imagination to understand. Likewise, a Hollywood flick like Inception needs remarkable amount of concentration to understand what is going on. I enjoyed a Rowdy Rathore as much as a Rockstar or an Inception.
So, based on the logic of differentiating between India and Bharat, I am both an Indian as well as a Bharatiya. But my point here is - Is this sort of differentiation really needed?? Even if India was named as Hogsmeade, I would have still loved it with the same fervor and passion as I do it now. Our country already has so many divisions based on language, caste, religion, etc. Is this sort of new differentiation really necessary?
This reminds me of a dialogue from the movie - Khatta Meetha (2010). It goes something like this -
Yahaan pe Indian kaun hai??
America mein jaao to American milenge... Germany mein jaao to German milenge...!
France mein jaao to Frenchman milenge... England mein jaao to Englishman milenge..!!
Aur India mein jaao to aapko milenge Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Malayali, Bengali... Indian kahaan hai..???
Well, although at first sight, this may not appear to be true but honestly I think this is true. Sometimes, I feel that if the British had not invaded India, we may have been a group of 28 different countries...!!!! I think the anger of Angrez ruling us brought out the nationalism within us.
Everyone wants this country of ours to be prosperous, happy and full of opportunities for everyone. Everyone wants this country to be the best in the world. Whatever name you may want to refer - India or Bharat - we still want our country to progress...!!!!
Just as Manish is Rinku and Rinku is Manish.... India is Bharat and Bharat is India...!!!!! And that's a fact. You may use any name you want..!!!!!
Everyone wants this country of ours to be prosperous, happy and full of opportunities for everyone. Everyone wants this country to be the best in the world. Whatever name you may want to refer - India or Bharat - we still want our country to progress...!!!!
Just as Manish is Rinku and Rinku is Manish.... India is Bharat and Bharat is India...!!!!! And that's a fact. You may use any name you want..!!!!!
