The Forgotten Desi Khazana.

India, a country known for its rich culture and heritage. The complex aspects of our tradition is what makes it authentic and sets us apart from the rest.

The languages,food,dance forms, music, literature,festivals,temples,attire,beliefs, ideologies and the list goes on. We the People of a country who's past has been a story worth narrating, the ups and downs, the valour and courage of great leaders that has set us free today from the British Raj! Even after 66 years of Independence can we actually call ourselves Independent, free and a developing nation?

How do we call ourselves all this, if millions of Indians' ideologies are hindered and they still favour the Videshi way of life and their products. Right from what we eat to what we wear. Some might just put quality as an excuse, for some it is a matter of financial supremacy and the lamest of all, some do it just because it seems COOL. It cannot get any worse,using a Videshi product or imitating them just because it is cool. Have we all lost our reasoning abilities, have we forgotten the struggle for our freedom, have we stopped believing in the richness and delicacy of our accomplishments. We are simply  inviting unwanted  Videshi influence by committing these acts.

 Globalization is good, but not at the cost our culture and tradition. We ourselves are the biggest culprits for all the global damage India has to face. What is nationalism if our minds are inclined towards imitating and worshipping the westerners? The very essence of patriotism and nationalism is lost here. Where is the feeling of oneness,the intricacy of our lifestyle, the legacy of our ancestors? Yet again we have become their puppets. And this time they have abducted something so much more valuable, they have penetrated deep into the souls of young Indians, and this is what scares me the most. 

Gandhiji initiated the Swadeshi movement for a reason, It was something so much more than just burning down and boycotting the British goods.We have replaced our own cuisine, the Masala dosas with Burgers, filter coffee with cappuccino, upma with a sandwich, and the saddest part is that we try to make it sound cool. These are our food items for a reason. How many of us would want to wear a saree over shirt and a pair jeans or a dress?! How many of us are actually proud of being an Indian? How will we be, most of us are busy planning to go settle down in abroad and design a future for themselves. But what about the future of  India,let alone the present?! Just by celebrating the National festivals and feeling patriotic just for a day is not what we are talking about. This is not supposed to be occasional. 

Later in the course of history, Should our grand kids remember us as these Videshi's copy cats and puppets? Don't we have the potential to promote the authenticity of our culture and something of our own.

The reasons are simply the various factors that make us who we are. We Indians eat this dish or wear that dress because of the geographical conditions,climatic conditions, topography of our motherland and so much more.These things were built to suit the reasons ,it is supposed to be that way and that is how we work, let alone our body functions.It is like hosting a foreign organism, a virus in your body, feeding it with nutrition and helping it grow, at first we might be fascinated but it ends up damaging your system. Our Identity is dying a sad slow death day by day. The way we think, dress, act, speak,read,interact,eat is governed and administered by them and most of all we are allowing them to do so. If this is what The People of India want, then we need to forget about eradicating poverty, illiteracy, the economic crisis and the social evils. We need to go pull out our sinking and draining IDENTITY from the vicious deep blue ocean.

Next time you go to a store pick up a Indian made article because by doing so you are boosting up the production of our industries,you are promoting a desi article and that is where the long lost sense of  belonging has a rebirth.It might be a simple act but it's consequences are of great intensity. Go for the paranthas and dosas because they are cooked for your system and the Indian cuisine is extremely diverse with the bags of rich spices and colours.

It is high time that we begin to clean it up ,save and preserve what ever little is left of our nation's pride. It is all in our heads, we are just undermining and discriminating our capabilities.We must begin to believe in the strength of  our concepts, ideologies, traditions and heritage.

So,Think before your act. Think because it helps. Think because this is how it is supposed to be and this is how it is. Because by thinking you are just saving yourself. 

You are an Indian and take pride in that very fact.

Desi jiyo. Desi raho!