‘I
PROUD TO BE INDIAN’
With no mor=
e British
rulers to topple, with no more autonomous issues to grapple with and with f=
reedom
already a thing of the past, it is not surprising that the word Patriotism =
no
longer finds its way into the dictionary of the Gen Next. Even though we we=
re not
directly involved with
The urban Indian=
youth
however sees itself completely separate from the so called jingoistic movem=
ent
of khadi wearing, slogan shouting, flag waving
nationalists. With Bandhs and Strikes occurring=
as
frequently as the seasons, the Dandi March for =
them is
just another peaceful rally. Satiated with Bacardi, shirted and booted with
Nike, the picketing of liquor and foreign goods is but an act of imprudence=
on
the part of their ancestors. And having witnessed the likes of Modi, Saddam, Osama and the Bushes, the deeds of Gene=
ral Dyre probably pales in comparison, thus reducing the =
Jalianwala Bagh to just a=
nother gruesome
chapter in Indian History.
I do not blame t=
hem. It
is definitely more practical to identify with the reprehensible present try=
ing
to promulgate a possible cure than to dwell in a glorious past that has alr=
eady
yielded results. What we need to change is the entire system, not the regal
appellations of our Metros. One cannot forever keep standing ‘with one
foot in the past and one in the future’ as is so evocatively expresse=
d by
the two film protagonists of Mohan Bhargav, the=
NRI
in ‘Swades’ and the inimitable DJ i=
n ‘Rang
De Basanti’.
While on the subject of films, in t=
he
recent years, Hindi films sure have graduated from the mundane and bizarre =
to
the electrifying. But what has impressed me the most is that it now reveals=
a
contemporary shade of patriotism thus giving the metropolitan youth a cause=
to
fight for. If ‘Swades’ started the
brigade of the Non-‘Returning’- Indian returning back to illumi=
nate
his own country, ‘Rang De Basanti’
concentrates on its youths wanting to give their nation a much awaited and =
thorough
spring cleaning.
In both the movies, far more=
notable
than the implication, is the manner in which it is implied. Both boast of t=
he
fresh hues of Indian Cinema. The older directors, while singing ‘Bharat Mahaan’ also=
proudly
portray contented NRI families on display in the foreign market. However,
‘Swades’, with its novel trend awak=
ens a
generation that although starkly cynical of the maladies of our nation also=
realize
that running away to another country is not the answer. The oldsters pay al=
legiance
to the ‘Legends of Bhagat Singh’ (n=
ot one
but four) yet it fails to strike a chord whereas in ‘Rang De Basanti’, the spanking new way of paying tribut=
e to Bhagat Singh or the martyred MIG warriors , is simply=
astounding.
The earlier directors are an apprehension packed clan but the protagonists =
of
RDB no longer believe in shying away from the collective conspiracy of the
ruling tribes. Even though the ending appears a bit far-fetched, in a nation
where Jessica is Justice and truth no longer epitomizes the Mahatma, someti=
mes
it more than makes sense.
Going by the aftereffe=
cts of
‘Swades’(many
Mohan Bhargavs emerged, who had given up their
foreign assignments to come and work in villages) this is a generation we c=
an
be proud of. And going by the stupendous success of ‘Rang De Basanti’ (which I hope will yield many more
The youngsters, unlike the oldsters=
are a
mixed breed of the within and beyond. They see no harm in branching out into
the world with their ideas, whilst remaining firmly rooted to their country=
. Even
while emulating the West, in some corner of their heart, they are extremely=
proud
of their own lineage. These are all brazen signs of an unashamed announceme=
nt
to the world in their weird lingo- ‘I proud to be Indian’. Isn&=
#8217;t
that what true patriotism and