When Hanumankind spins the atlas
Being Indian is a type of uncommon issues we do exceptionally nicely, nearly as if born to it. NRIs might compose odes to Mother India and be the actual custodians of her tradition, however it’s as much as the common citizen to uphold India’s Indianness on tour packages overseas. Historically, Indianness went from going to jail earlier than Independence to govt jobs and pensions, culminating in a call-centre accent. As Neil Armstrong, who drank chai at a dhaaba when he landed on the moon, came upon, per the memes, Indians are in all places.
Once upon a time younger Indians in fits bid grim goodbyes at a gray port to their joint household and bride earlier than leaping on to an unwieldy ship that might take them yonder. Foreign training was price risking drowning. Letters, tear-soaked hankies, and fears that he’ll marry a white girl and by no means eat mango pickle adopted. Now that visas are only a click on away, long-distance journey is now not the stuff of tragic love tales. While our grandparents ran in sluggish movement to fulfill in the course of sarson ke khet and paddy fields, our grandkids are planning to maneuver to Mars.
We did painstakingly put together to make sansar our ghar. By consuming Chinese meals, Yorkshire pudding and French fries. We changed Darjeeling tea with bubble tea; patted German Shepherds and received snubbed by Persian cats. We exported rooster tikka and scorching curry, set the Anglo-Saxon intestine on hearth. Soon they have been crunching on papadums as a substitute of kettle chips. Hindi movies stopped warning heroines in regards to the pardesiya; now beta is again from vilayat as a result of his dil is right here. India met the remainder of mankind midway on a world stage, profitable Grammy, Oscar, Booker, Nobel…We are (you possibly can sing this bit) the world.
The Indian coronary heart, briefly, goes dhak-dhak throughout the atlas. With fusions in artwork, literature, music and cinema, we’re extra artistic than self-conscious. This jugalbandi is infectious and two-way, dissolving maps and borders. Which is strictly why rapper Hanumankind, aka Sooraj Cherukat, who was born in Kerala and honed his music in Texas, stated, “I’m not an Indian rapper, but I’m a rapper from India.” From trying askance at suspect delicacies and crying for maa ke haath ka khana, we sup right this moment at unique eating tables, oohing and aahing over the native chef. We have stopped saying ‘it’s Greek to me’ until we’re in Greece.
Disclaimer
This article is meant to convey a smile to your face. Any connection to occasions and characters in actual life is coincidental.
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