Good colour, Bad colour

Anybody who studied in a decent school or read a decent joke book must have come across and cracked one of those PJs which involves an Indian, an American, a Russian, a Japanese or a Wednesday from Crusoe's island. All those jokes usually ended with each person taking a dig at some stereotypical behavior of their fellow countrymen. That has always been the case for a long time now. So what about it............ Well, nothing except that it would have been very interesting to see how those jokes would have ended if some bloke would have made them up today. My best guess is it would have probably ended with all of them collectively lamming the "desi" guy from the "Land of the curry" and him crying foul how his government does not care for him.

In today's supposed age of globalization where where all countries are part of one global village, suddenly many foreign nationals seem to be intolerant of Indians. Is it a change in our lifestyle and behavior? Is it because of insecurity about the alien Indians snatching away their livelihood? And honestly, is it really as huge as it is being portrayed? Thanks to the 24x7 media, with its innate ability to make even the most isolated of event seem like a worldwide phenomenon, we really can't be too sure about this. And there is always the chance of most these attacks were opportunistic rather than racially motivated.

The reasons are many which can be best understood by an analogy. Picture any Indian as the boy in the neighborhood who plays on the road facing your house. As he first started playing, he was always careful and made sure he curbed his shots to make sure the ball never fell in your house or hit the window. Even if it did fall, he was polite enough to ask if could take the ball and apologized for it. But at his house, the same kid was a pampered pain who made a racket. Only outside, because he wasn't too sure if he could stand up for himself he kept a low profile. As he grew, he started topping his class and became the ringleader of his little group. He still plays. But, there is a sea of change in him. All those polite requests are gone. He barges into your house whenever the ball falls there. And he hits the ball as if he owns the place. And the other day, he broke your window pane but he vehemently denies it.

So how would you be towards him now? Would you be angry at how he is taking advantage of your good nature and go to his dad? Would you take matters into your own hands and whop his ass? Or would you be the friendly neighborhood uncle who would just smile and sportingly say it is all a part of growing up?

The boy here could be just one of those countless Indians flocking at foreign immigration counters everyday for starting life a fresh in a new land. And the random native of that nation would be feeling the same as you, the neighborhood uncle. Different uncles react differently. Different kids grow up differently. It is just not fair to generalize either of their behaviors. The new generation Indians should be careful about their shots. No matter how much leverage your country is gaining in the international circles, the fact is that you are playing in front of somebody else's house. And the 24x7 media is the flibbertigibbet of the neighborhood who loves drama and gossip. It is best if everybody listen to her, give her a phony smile and think for themselves.