Pick up any Indian newspaper or surf through any Indian news channel and you will likely see a shot of Sunita Williams-the astronaut who just went into space. Most probably the article or news item will rave about her and rightly so, for she is a most talented woman. But for once get your facts straight people, she ain't Indian. She's as Indian as peanut butter and jelly.
I mean what the hell is this Indian obsession with using every possible excuse however small and making an Indian connection out of it. Lakshmi Mittal-Indian even though he doesn't have a single steel plant in India. Sunita Williams- Indian via one distant Indian ancestor. Indra Nooyi-Indian because she was born in Chennai. Sant Singh Chatwal-Indian because he sells Tandoori Chicken in his restaurants. And it goes on and on and on...
This has actually begun to remind me of the cold war days when the USSR claimed that every single thing was invented by the Soviets. I think they even claimed Shakespeare's plays at one time!
I mean people what the hell is your problem. India has enough home-grown success stories. We have the Murthys, the Manmohan Singhs, the Tendulkars and a million other praise worthy citizens to look up to....does a country of a billion talented people need to artificially create icons.
Pathetic!
I mean what the hell is this Indian obsession with using every possible excuse however small and making an Indian connection out of it. Lakshmi Mittal-Indian even though he doesn't have a single steel plant in India. Sunita Williams- Indian via one distant Indian ancestor. Indra Nooyi-Indian because she was born in Chennai. Sant Singh Chatwal-Indian because he sells Tandoori Chicken in his restaurants. And it goes on and on and on...
This has actually begun to remind me of the cold war days when the USSR claimed that every single thing was invented by the Soviets. I think they even claimed Shakespeare's plays at one time!
I mean people what the hell is your problem. India has enough home-grown success stories. We have the Murthys, the Manmohan Singhs, the Tendulkars and a million other praise worthy citizens to look up to....does a country of a billion talented people need to artificially create icons.
Pathetic!
3 comments:
test...
I'm afraid I disagree with you re Mittal and nooyi - both are born in India and the former still holds an Indian passport, so why shouldn't we call them Indian?
I guess bragging a little every once in a while is not too bad although singing praises of them all the time is uncalled for.
I do agree that counting Sunita Williams as an Indian is a bit far-fetched.
if someone spends 20-25 years of their life in India (which is little less than half of Mittal's life time), then we are probably justified in taking pride in his/her achievements.
--Raa Gee
More annoying is the Indian obsession with engineering degrees. It's almost like the other disciplines don't even exist! If you tell an Indian you did a B. Comm, they classify you intellectually slightly above the village donkey!!
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