Let me start this post with a note :
‘SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE IS NOT A COMPLETE PICTURE OF INDIA, IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN A 0.1% OR MAY BE LESS THAN THAT OF WHAT LIES IN THE HEART OF MY COUNTRY’
…While I was in Israel, I could feel people thinking a little way too less of India. And when I had conversations with them, they would very often say “Ah..I have seen that oscar winning movie about India..what was that…slumdog millionaire…”. This was ok as long as they appreciate the movie..but when they try to conclude a general picture of India on the basis of it, I protest !!!
Finally, I would give them a long speech about India until they get convinced of the fact that there is definitely a country which is far far far more than what they knew.
Some tid-bits of the conversations to follow:
X: How big is India?
ME: It is the seventh largest country on the globe.
X: Oh is it !! And how is it like….the geography?
ME: India is divided into 27 states as big as your country…plus a few union territories…
X: I never knew it was this big….how is it managed then??
ME: Each state has its own government…a Capital city…governing offices etc etc etc…
X: Oh so you don’t have something like a govt for the country on a whole?
ME: We have a Democratic Government, a central Capital for the country, ie, New Delhi…special govt bodies for each department…………….
X: That really sounds interesting..I never knew India is managed in such an organised fashion !! ..You said something about the states..?? What is it like??
ME: Yeah…each state is a unique entity in itself….each of them with a different language, different dress, different food styles, different music, different folk dances………….
X: Hey is it like that !!!! We never knew this ! We always knew that India has poor people.
ME: Poor?? If you look at the top 10 richest people in the world, 3 of them are Indians. What makes you think its poor….
X: Slumdog..
ME: Oh pls dont judge a country just after watching a movie…What is shown in Slumdog is not more than a percent of India…….
X: But then why is the condition so worse for that small part of the population too…
ME: Do you have any idea what the population in the Indian subcontinent is…? Its is over 100 millions… and when a land supports such a huge population it is bound to have economic differences too ! Even you have beggars in the street… I dont know a country without the poor people…
X: Yeah 
well said !! Ok…what do u miss the most here…well well apart from family and hubby…
ME: ummmm Food 
X: Ohhh….you dont like the food here…we have so much of a variety….
ME: sorry but no i dont…i am accustomed to a very different kinda food (spicy, salty, oily..ol chatpata stuff n less rice, no breads…)
X: ohh i see….what do i get to eat if I come to India..is it gonna be more variety n taste…
ME: Yup..365*5 a different meal altogether if u wish ! India is a paradise for the foodies……….
X: Yeah..I often visit the Indian restaurant in the city…
……..blah blah blah….
Finally….they have much better view about my country and would love to visit India soon.
I never exaggerated…just put up the facts.
Had I remembered the purab n paschim Or the Namaste London speech stats I would have quoted those as well
[Eyes Wide Open !!!]
Dew Drops