BENGALURU: I am not a jingoistic person. I do not subscribe to the idea that one must implicitly love one’s nation, and not be able to point out its flaws. As a journalist and standup comedian, I have often made fun of our nation’s many idiosyncrasies. But two incidents over the last two weeks have made me look at my nation fondly.The first incident was India drawing the third Test match against Australia. Indian cricket in general and the BCCI in particular is often criticised for abusing their immense economic clout. But this wasn’t just some local T20 tournament.
This was Test cricket, where a team was fighting to draw the match on the fifth day. This moral victory was brought about by Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammad Siraj and Hanuma Vihari – Test cricket specialists who don’t peddle energy drinks and fantasy league apps in the summer.The Indian cricket team is usually criticised for being flat-track bullies at home; for the extravaganza that is IPL, which is immune to security threats and global pandemics. But this was Test cricket on foreign soil, a young team led by a new captain, devoid of the usual superstars.
The second incident was the storming of the US Capitol by mobs demanding a recount of the votes elected in favour of Joe Biden. Watching it play out in the news was surreal in many ways. This wasn’t some Latin American nation you see once in four years at the soccer World Cup. It was the United States of America, a nation whose favourite pastime is to teach other countries the rules of democracy. The same USA that overturned nation systems due to their belief in the electoral process.
In spite of all our flaws, we have remained a thriving democracy for 70 years (if one could quickly glide over the two years of the Emergency). You’ll never find Indians storming the Parliament to protest election results. One, we are too scared of our politicians, and secondly, who’d risk a lathi charge? No matter where you stand on the CAA or farmers’ protests, there is still some dignity in the way we protest and express dissent. We will have the occasional incident where wads of cash will be taken out in the Parliament, but we haven’t descended to the standards witnessed last week in the US Capitol.
The incident led to President Donald Trump (I won’t be able to add the prefix next week!) getting blocked from social media platforms. That is something you associate with internet trolls, not the, supposedly, most powerful man on the planet!As a journalist and standup comedian, I usually mock the way things work in our country. While I might not be a jingoist, I do feel there are ways in which we act like a civilised nation. We might not be the most transparent or efficient country, but you’ll never find our citizens storming the Parliament with weapons. Irrespective of your stance on the issues, it makes you appreciate the way we protest in India.
As someone who usually cribs about the status quo, I felt it was my responsibility to also point out some of the positives of our country. Now, if only they’d release Munawar Faruqui, a standup comedian arrested for cracking jokes as part of his routine!