“Not until we dare to regard ourselves as a nation, not until we respect ourselves, can we gain the esteem of others, or rather only then will it come of its own accord”-Albert Einstein

The last couple of months have seen me traveling more than I have in the last few years. I’ve observed more than was required; guess partly out of habit but primarily because of a highly intellectual and thought stimulating company during these trips.

We have a rich history as a nation, but somewhere down the line, things got awry… something terrible happened with the common Indian psyche… this I speak of the huge faceless and nameless masses that comprise the nation… if those few who come across this piece feel offended, I’d like to point that they comprise of the privileged handfuls who have access to a computer and an internet connection and are lucky exceptions in the grand scenario.

I have been pondering about the roots of this sense of awe that an average Indian associates with the western culture…

Lord Macaulay(who introduced the British system of education in India in 1835) stated the following words on Feb 2, 1835 in the British Parliament:

“I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in the country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of the nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture, and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation.”

I think it’s been a vicious circle since then… India as a country has been short of people passionate enough for its cause, and Indians as countrymen, haven’t been able to find reasons to ignite their passions for the betterment of their own motherland…

A sure shot solution to the situation? My answer, A Time Machine…!