What has happened to our Indian-ness?

Due to situational contingencies I somehow ended up travelling in the Delhi Metro today. And to my surprise I found it as spick as it was a year ago, or well, when it started. It is hard to spot any scratches, spots, cracks, marks or the like that are hard to miss in any other form of state controlled public transport. On top of it, the security measures on the Metro are as tight as they've ever been. Physical frisking of every passenger. And this when the last major terrorist attack was more than five months back. The stations are as clean as they were back then. The only difference that is visible is on the floor of the trains which isn't as shiny thanks to the heavy passenger load. What has happened to our Indian-ness?

 

For those who haven't travelled in Delhi Metro, this is how it looked, looks and, hopefully, will continue to look.

 

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The Indian-ness that we are habitually inclined to rant about/criticize day-in day-out. All those reasons why a lot of us hate this country- Insensibility towards everything public, and taking these things for granted, tendency of spoiling them by spitting, littering, leaving marks on walls, stealing whatever can be stolen, and other issues such as general lack of hygiene, red-tapism, bureaucracy, criminal politicians, roads, climate, pollution, corrupt traffic hawaldaars and stupid bylaws and even not using Deos and many many other reasons. And, of course, the lackadaisical attitude and apathy of the authorities towards everything.

But considering today's experience I wonder what happened to the Games Indians Play? Prof Raghunathan attempted to explain the above behavioural characteristics of Indians using Game Theory. Are his postulations all useless now? Or, is there a change in the proportion of payoffs for Temptation and Punishment that has caused this behavioural shift? And, if so is the case, can this change be brought about in other places so that what Delhi Metro is today, India may become tomorrow?

And then, I found myself in front of Uphaar. Those stories - some of horror* others of bravery**. That place is almost a Bhoot-Bungalow now. In limbo the case will apparently remain till the perpetrators die their natural deaths, after which the files will be disposed off. And the same will happen with several cases pertaining to the pocketing of tax-payers' money by politicians and bureaucrats, or of the riot cases whether it be '84 or Godhra or any other.

As the oft-repeated cliche goes, "India is a diverse country." Diversity exists even in the extent of Indian-ness.

 

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*His wife, two daughters, sister, two nieces and a nephew died because they went to see Border. When smoke started filling the hall, Raman's wife, Sonika, had the presence of mind to call him and tell him exactly what happened. For several minutes she spoke to him describing the pitch blackness, the smoke, the milling, terrified crowds, the fact that they were holding on to each other.... lost. Then she began to tell him of those who were dying. Before she died herself she said, 'They're all dead.'  (From: Uphaar's Villains  by Tavleen Singh //Published in India Today and Political and Incorrect: The Real India, Warts and All)

**There were a number of people who first got their families to safety, and then helped others. Some of these brave people survived. Others didn't.