Patriotism is still there however I also have become aware of the ground realities. As Chetan Bhagat (author of "One night at a call centre" and "3 mistakes of my life") rightly says in a Times of India article we still have a long way to go before claiming the tag of a super power. All this words of Indian middle class and India shining looks so hollow. Till the other day I was happy about the status of roads in Hyderabad. Then something happened.
The monsoon sets in and after a prolonged shower of rains the roads are mostly washed out. It's a bumpy ride with craters and potholes. I guess driving on the moon would have been a lot better :) As you wait at the traffic signal the endless sight of small children hawking their wares when they must be in school, disabled and the beggars makes your stomach churn. As an Indian who has lived abroad, I always think why should people emigrate if we can provide equal opportunities, have a world class infrastructure, provide a decent education and social security to everyone. This is something which looks so remote now however if we work at it, it ain't that tough a task to achieve.
There is also another important thing we need to emulate from the west. One of them is civic sense. The other is peaceful co-existence. Why should people kill each other in the name of religion. We are a religious country, there's no doubt about it, however when it becomes an obstacle in the path of prosperity and development we are better off without it. The thought is a bit radical but it's something whose time has come.
