“India will reveal to you the places in your heart that must be purified”
—-Erin Reese
Alight at any of the international airports (which seem to be mushrooming all over the place, faster than well…mushrooms) after even a brief sojourn in foreign lands, and presto! you know you are either in the land of your birth or ancestors, as the case may be. Everything in India seems richer somehow. While you climb out of the relatively insipid environs of your 747 or Airbus or even that private Gulfstream, a bouquet of aromas gather round you. These range from attars, whiffs of sweet and/or savory snacks or the sweaty armpit of your co passenger. There are very few places in the world which declare their presence with such brash insouciance.
That we are a country of over a billion people is of course reiterated at every step, whether it is the jostling crowds or the need of the people to jostle even where there is plenty of room for everyone. I once read somewhere that India has been blessed with the impatience gene, and it should thus come as no surprise that Indians leap before they look. Leap out of seats, seatbelts, planes, trains, and automobiles. It can be extremely disconcerting if you come from a strait-laced country where people follow rules and are hung up on the concept of ‘personal space’.
You battle with the elements and thankfully sink into your wheels to carry you to your destination only to realize that though the battle has been won, the war has just begun. And traffic always wins. Horns honk, engines idle, brakes bawl and screech, dogs bark and in the middle of it all, the holy cow sits, placidly chewing the cud. The symbol of this des of ours, overwrought, yet unflappable, laid back, even while in a hurry. Yes, it is a country where controversies court you at every step.
Another aspect which never ceases to bewitch is the rich vibrancy of the colors. Greens, blues, yellows, reds, and pinks. The cringe-worthy thoughts of garishness and loudness are for the wimps. That is the general motto of the land which even devotes a festival to this riot of hues. And to cap it all, we have our own (rather unhealthy) obsession with the basic black and white. We prefer white in the skin, though we are not averse to collecting a wad or two of black money, until the tax man turns up, asking to fill his brown satchel with the ill- gotten gains. This of course, lies in the gray zone of negotiations, which is both dark and shady.
Not just India, but the rest of the world is now familiar with the ‘quick-fix’ solutions that abound here. Better known as the ‘Great Indian Jugaad’. From multiple appliances plugged into a single and sadly spluttering outlet to makeshift shanties, from pirated versions of anything under the sun to hole in the wall repair shops which can fix anything from broken bones to laptops, we are nothing if not innovative when it comes to saving some time and money. Almost everything has a cheaper, hardier and upcycled version and we are irresistibly drawn to it like iron filings to a magnet. That said, India is also the land of bargains. People here have honed it into a fine art.
Perhaps it has got something to do with lying in the tropical and temperate zones, but the ‘des’ is also a land of warmth. It is not just seen in the weather, but in the people too! In fact, Indians may be guilty of over-familiarity much to the consternation of Teutons, Scandinavians and the like, but the bonhomie and good cheer which generally prevails engulfs everyone who comes here, whether they like it or not. Visit any home and the question which you are invariably greeted with is ‘have you eaten?’ irrespective of the time of day! Even if you reply in the affirmative, some food is always brought out and pressed upon you, with the hosts being mightily offended if you refuse to at least nibble on the offering.
But what strikes one the most is the sheer resilience of the people. It is a land where ‘having next to nothing’ is a literal reality for a large chunk of the populace. With the people vastly outnumbering the available resources, living hand to mouth takes on a whole different meaning. But somehow, we thrive. Is it will power? The obstinacy of a mule? Or a philosophical approach? Several researchers have tried and failed at finding out what makes India tick. And it is this enigma which brings people to our shores in droves. For once you succumb to the magic that is this country, you are hooked for life.
We are celebrating seventy-five years of our existence in the modern world, but the idea that is India has existed in the minds in the minds of mankind for millennia.
As we wish each other a Happy Independence Day, it is time to contemplate on
‘Jo koi aaye yahan pe,
Iske rang me dhal jaaye
Iske liye na koi paraya
Ye sabko gale lagaye,
Aisa des hai mera, Aisa des hai mera!’
