Some of my friends and colleagues laugh at me. The reason? Nothing special, just that they strongly feel that I am incurable emotional fool. Why? Because I am 'extra patriotic', or so they think.
It was a nice post lunch session on a cool Friday with pleasant environment. We had some time to spare, all the work was complete for the week. So as usual, we started chatting casually. And the discussion veered towards brain drain, immigration abroad, money, foreign infrastructure, current status of India, and so on. Most of the guys felt passionately about 'leaving India' and they want to settle abroad at first given opportunity.
After some time it turned out to be heated debate. Suddenly I realised I am almost all alone supporting my wish of staying here and my thinking of India as land of opportunities. They even asked sarcastically 'what are you proud of? - slums, population, poverty or corruption?'
I just told them that I believe India and China and their interrelation and international relations are the future of next hundred years. Politics aside, personally I don't see need to migrate to any other country.
This is the place I belong to and I shall do whatever I want to here. Money, name, fame, stability or whatever will come, it's just that you have to work hard and work smart along with another variable component - luck factor. (Some friends said - you did not have chance to go, so I informed that I had an opportunity to go to Dubai and settle there. but I prefer India!!!!)
Also I tried to tell them about their 'identity', they will be known as Indians only, wherever they go. Foreigners will call and treat them as Indians, irrespective of profession. 'And that can NOT be altered'.
Am I a fool? I don't know. And I don't care. All I know is that I will build my life in India. No two ways about it!
