A Point To Ponder-New Age Colonialism

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Last Saturday, we (I and few of my friends), decided to visit Varkala beach at Kerala. Its really an astonishing place. Quite beautiful! For a moment, it seemed that the beauty was more appreciated by foreign tourists than native locals.

Anyways, here comes the best part. We thought this "India Maha-rajyam" is still owned by Indians. For one part, there was no board saying some part of the beach was just for foreigners (unlike in Kovalam and places like that). But still when we got into water, one of the guard started blowing the whistle. Called our full group over to the shore. He started telling us that, 'this side of the beach is for our distinguished guests'. So it would be better if we move over to the other side.

I am not sure, if there is some other country in the whole world, discriminating its own native people from strange foreigners. We pay taxes, we abide by the law; everything we do, should earn us the right of freedom. Isn't that so?I can understand one aspect of it, as in, if uneducated locals start making trouble, the charm of the whole place is lost. But keeping place clean, and making everyone feel secured is not just applicable for tourist places or is it?

Yet again, when we visit some foreign country, we do try our level best to go with their customs, and not to standout from the crowd as an uncultured outsider, right? So, why in the world does these foreigners come here and keep people out of the best parts of the beach (so to say) just to get them privacy, or even to lay there half naked? And correct me if I am wrong, the whole table manners, eating with spoon/fork/knife, we learned from these foreigners, right? Now if we don't exercise that, among them, and start breaking these table manners, they call us uncultured don't they? And so, why dont they return the same respect to Indian traditions?

All these might just be one perspective of the whole discrimination problem (or am I just assuming things?). Isn't it true that these foreigners come here to see a mythical land, of strange superstitions and aborigin *tribal* people. All this reminds me of a previous post in one of my e-groups, of some one being asked, 'if Indians still ride elephants to go to school?'.

It was never my intention to say foreigners are misbehaving by any means. It is, but, the realisation of where we actually stand on the globe. Are we proud that we are Indians, born of rich heritage? Or just a waste basket back in the corner of the globe; getting filled with the global waste - economically (with the outsourcing) and by every means possible?

Again, when some fellow Indian comes and tell you - 'Hey..you are an Indian!! You are not allowed here, in this part of India.' - how would that sound? For me it feels like the Indian soldiers who used beat-up fellow Indians during the British regime.

After Thought: How can I say so proudly of Indian heritage, when I myself, wear Levi's Ts,American jeans and all sort of *foreign* accessories. That sounds too ironic, even to myself. But accepting the best, is a way of making ourselves better. Isn't that so? And all I wanted was to see a better India, by all means.