NRI Nationalism

Rang De Basanti is probably the most popular Indian movie on the Internet ever! The blogosphere and message boards are full of this movie discussions. A blog search for Aamir Khan returns almost exclusively pages talking about this movie. A guy named Gopal Srinivasan on the Fans of A. R. Rahman Yahoo Group has posted 12 compilations (No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8, No. 9, No. 10, No. 11, No. 12) as of Feb 1st, each with links to blogs or webpages about Rang De Basanti, totalling dozens of links. Clearly, Indian nationalism is the flavor of the moment in online discussions, Rang De Basanti its favorite dish. Now is a good time to talk about NRI Nationalism.

In terms of sheer decibel-levels, the nationalism dialog and rhetoric of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)is much louder than that of resident Indians. This is true regardless of where the discussion/debate is happening - in person, in India, in a foreign country or on the Internet. The average NRIs, especially the younger ones who have gone abroad in the past 15 years, tend to be more obviously nationalistic than the average resident Indians.

A Indian resident friend recently had the following succint comment/description about NRI nationalism: nothing to do and so much net and all that des mania! I immediately jotted this down when I heard this, because I was amazed how close to the truth it is. Let's discuss my friend's observation in reverse:

des mania: The rising trends in recent Bollywood movies targetting the sentiments of NRIs and having nationalistic themes are not the only ones which feed the des mania of the desis abroad. In countries like the US, there are Indians in large numbers who organize socio-cultural and religious events. These are powerful reminders to the immigrant desi of what s/he is missing, of the wisdom and beauty in India's culture and traditions.

so much net: 'net' refers to the Internet. An average person in the US, has greater access to a faster, better Internet experience than the average person in India. The Internet is a wonderful resource which brings you information and news from a large number of sources, about any topic you might be interested in. India is definitely a topic of interest for the NRIs and they go to the Internet for news and information. Result? The NRI reads and gathers a larger amount of information from a greater variety of sources on the Internet, than an average Indian whom might read just one or two newspapers and magazines. I have often come across NRIs who are more informed about issues and happenings in India, than people who reside in India! This is personally true for me - after coming to the US, I peruse more Indian news than I did when I was in India. More important than news reports in newspapers, are the in-depth analyses, the opinions of a diverse group of columnists and of course, the bloggers! This easy access to so much information about my country, makes me highly aware and mentally/emotionally involved with the affairs of the nation.

nothing to do: This is an exaggeration, of course. Indians abroad are as busy as people anywhere. However, Indians abroad, the ones who are away from the large set of family, relatives and friends they have in India, have greater time to miss India. We go through pockets of alone times here and there, when we think of families and friends in India, recall with nostalgia the past years when we lived in India, remember all the exciting, exasperating, irritating, good and bad things about our country. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. Homesickness can be a really powerful feeling. Almost equally powerful is our awareness of the changes happening in India these days. India is changing rapidly, almost year to year. For NRIs who are physically far, these changes are very prominently visible, when they visit India after gaps of 2-3 years. India is one of the most happening countries in the world and it is hard not to want to be a part of the action. Sometimes our yearning for our country is not much different from our yearning for a separated lover or partner or child. It is very real and very deep.

All these factors influence and enhance our sincere interests and emotions for our country. They naturally contribute to the decibel levels of the NRI nationalism.

It is interesting to watch the reaction of resident Indians towards expressions of NRI nationalism. Sometimes the resident Indians join the NRIs with enthusiasm. But often, they have indifferent reactions. They don't really share the nationalistic enthusiasm of the NRI. There are also times when the resident Indians get irritated and antagonistic towards the NRI. The residents' attitude is something like: "You guys left India in search of greener pastures, you abandoned the country. Why are you making so much noise now about your love for the country? Why are you talking about the issues of the country? What gives you the right to talk? To criticize the country you left?"

The first time an Indian abroad hears such words, s/he is stunned and stung! When s/he left India to go abroad to study or work, s/he probably never thought of it as abandoning the country. After all, people within India leave their families, cities and states to study or work in another place. Can they be accused of abandoning their families and states? Does moving away from the family diminish one's love for the family? So, why should an NRI's love for the country be suspect?

It is true that there are some NRIs who have a very negative attitude towards India. But then, one can find such negative people within India also. In most cases, an average NRI's criticism of India and things Indian, is quite valid and harbors no malicious intent.

One of the first things we notice when we visit a developed country is, how things should be done. We notice it everwhere - how streets should be maintained clean and pot-hole free, how traffic should flow at intersections where there are no lights or cops, how public toilets should be clean, how a cop should be courteous and efficient instead of being a corrupt leech out for your money, how citizens can participate in local governance, how local politicians feel obligated to work for the their constituencies, how everyone is held accountable, how the court system is swift, how a single woman can feel safe living/travelling alone in most places, the list just goes on and on and on.

When we stop for a moment and think how things should be done, and how they are actually done in India, we can't help feeling a sense of shame, of unhappiness, discontent, dissatisfaction. This is a good thing. Out of this angst, something good will come. But before the good comes, the angst has to be expressed. Criticism is the first and easiest way to express it. If we did not love India, we would feel no discontent, no angst. We would not bother to criticize.

I don't have anything more to say on this subject at this time. Over and out.