Monday, March 9, 2009

A true Indian....

DISCLAMAIR: This post has been written without any intention of dishonoring anyone living or dead. The author has nothing personal against any individual.

In 2003, as a ‘proud Kannadiga’, he bought back to Karnataka Tipu Sultan’s sword from England for Rs 1.5 crore. Two years later, he put down a million pounds at a Sotheby’s auction in London to purchase some more Tipu’s items. In 2009, as a ‘true Indian’, he bought metal-rimmed glasses, sandals, pocket watch, bowl and plate for $1.8 million in a controversial New York auction.

I am a little confused. I am confused about who a true Indian is? Is it a soldier who gives away his life while fighting for us? Is it a pilot who crashes in the mountains, evading it from crashing into the city, without caring about his own life? Is it a honest taxi driver who returns a bag back to his passengers who had forgotten in his taxi and does not accept any favors in return or is it a poor-hungry man who gives his food to the people who are starving, in spite of the fact that he does not have sufficient food to feed himself and his family. Is it a young girl who along with her friends, goes every month to an orphanage and sponsors a days meal? Or someone who spends crores of rupees to bring back to India, the possessions of someone, who is no more alive ????

The World Bank has estimated that a third of the global poor now reside in India. The planning commission of India has estimated that 27.5% of the population is living below the poverty line. Literacy rate is 61%. There are lakhs of people who have no proper home,living in slums and footpaths. I just can’t understand one thing. When there are so many needy and poor people then why not to help the destitute instead of spending so much money to bring back the belongings of someone; even though that someone is the one because of who we are free today. I am sure that if he had been alive, he would have cried at the situation. And what are we going to do with this stuff?? We will put them in a museum for people to look at it. Spending so much money just for this doesn’t make any sense to me.

I was discussing this with one of my friends. He said it’s his money, his wish. I am no one to say things like this.Yeah right! Who the hell am I to comment on this. But as I said; I am a little confused. I am confused that I have an objection of people calling him a true Indian or his spending his own money in such a way. Is it correct to waste so much money on this when the same can be used for making the country a better place?? May be it is correct because its his own money, may be it is more important to waste crores like this when the same can be doled out to help the needy, may be its just my narrow mindness which is not letting me see the bigger picture, may be its just my mind which doesn't know the meaning of a 'true indian' or may be I should mind my own business as it's his own money. So many may be's.. Aahhhh....I am confused....

P.S: This post has been written in a hurry without any RnD. I have no clue if that ‘true Indian’ is actually involved in any kind of charitable activities. I apologize if I hurt anyones feelings or emotions.

15 comments:

Anupama Garimella said...

Hmm.. yea i agree with you.. but you also cant deny the fact that its his money, his wish.. However, people who think that makes him a 'true indian' need to rethink their definition of the same..

Very well written.. With each post, I can see you evolving as a better writer.. Keep it up :)

laddu said...

thanks anu....
yup....i think ppl need 2 rethink abt their defination of a true indian....

Bhavana said...

hmmm laddu thats one angle of thinking but getting things back to our country which is rightfully ours is another point. The Govt had to do what Mallya did but as usual slimy as they are, slipped form their duties. Instead of a Non-Indian buying our things which were seized from us ages ago, this Indian bought them.
This is my understanding and view point.

laddu said...

@ Bhavana....
hmmm...may be u r right....as i said- i was not able 2 think abt it and i was confused so i asked ur opinion....

Quaintzy Patchez said...

You are back to blogging Mr. Twenty Something?
God, even I must be.

@post/Mr. Mallya/Mallaya/Maalleya
yes, it is his money, he can spend it his way. Democracy after all? Though some ppl think this was best left to govt, but govt saved a couple of million bucks there..

@true Indian-with-a(-not-so?)-capital-I.
The fact is, all of them are. All of them feel for India. For all of them India is the base of their faith. And you don't need to be any of those to be a true Indian. NE common person can be, includeing one who feels confused about being one *smiles meaningfully* :)

Quaintzy Patchez said...

by "all of them" I mean, evy1 u mentioned:.the girl who goes to orphanage and the soldier et al.

laddu said...

@prachi....
yaar i wrote dis 1 cos i found it very awkward..n wen ll u write ur next post??

@ post- ya may be....every1 can be a true Indian....its just d way u perceive things....guess my confusion is getting cleared....

Goofy Benedict said...

Laddu yaar samjha kar, he is the true reincarnation of our govt. They spend a fortune trying to get to the moon, n this guy spends huge sums trying to get relics; both of which actually help nobody.
In fact this guy's better then the govt coz he's not spending our money.
Kudos to him

laddu said...

@ Goofy Benedict ....
hehe....haan yaar sahi kaha....atleast he is not spending our money....:):)

yaar now i am having a feeling dat i shouldnt have given it a thought and written abt it....its of no use....dere r other better things in d world rather den thinking abt such things....

Goofy Benedict said...

Wah Wah!!

pehle galat sochega, phir sochega ki tujhe iske bare me sochna hi nahi tha????

Itna socha mat kar yaar, sehat ke liye bura hota hai.

Puja said...

This is a serious big step nin ur blogging skill enhancement...extremely well written:-)

w.r.t the issue discussed i guess every1 is entitled to have their own opinions and act as they wish.

keep it up!

laddu said...

@puja....
well i cannot take the full credit since it is edited by nasha..

sheetal......believe in ur self` said...

1'st of all I must say that, fantabulous piece of writting.


to deceide that whether the person in question is a True Indian or not I find myself equally confused. None-the-less, I agree with you that the money could be spent in a more thoughtfull and wiser manner. But u see we live in a democrancy, and as long as he is, unlike the government ,not wasting the "janta ka paisa", he is the best man to decide what to do with it.

shana said...

well well....its definately a nicely witten piece....i think none of us are true indians!!! none of us ever stuck to our laws.. we all want our rights, our pleasures, our benefits.. yes and thats coz v r just humans:) I beleive a 'true' indian is a man who is an indian citizen and abides by all it requires to be one..... and i bet none of us do...some of us dont pay taxes, some bribe, some dont take bus tickets in busses and trains, some dont bother opening cases and there are just pilled up into a dusty stack in a corner... it just goes on doesnt it......so how dare can any of us call ourselves "TRUE INDIANS!!!"

laddu said...

@ shana....
hmmmm....well i guess dis is one of d best comments i had received so far....made me think a lot..and after giving it a thought i felt dat watever u have said is d definition of an ideal indian which does not exist....:P:P