The racist stereotypes surrounding Indians irk me no end. The fallacies perpetuated, the warped perceptions: not funny at all. What is the general perception of India abroad?
Ask any not-exceptionally-aware foreigner, and you can expect a few stock responses. Mysticism. Yoga. Snake charmers. Dirt. Crowds. All you have to do is take a close look at the stereotypes assigned to other nationalities, and you see how unjust this is.
For example, the Swiss are equated with punctuality and precision; the Germans are the technicians. The lovers? There’s a toss-up there between the Italians and the French.
Also, both these nationalities get lauded as the chefs and fashionistas of the world.
The Brazilians are the partygoers, the most joyful people on earth. The Japanese are the epitome of wisdom and dignity. You see what this is?
All the most flattering epithets are handed out to other nationalities; we get the short end of the stick.
But I think the coronavirus pandemic has finally given Indians the chance to show the world who we really are, what appellations should rightfully be ours. You can see it happening all round, and it’s only a matter of time before the world too must sit up and take notice.
For one, Indians have proven that we, not the Gurkhas, are the bravest of the brave. Forget about the able-bodied adults, in India the old and infirm, the children, even the babies, are intrepid: we go fearlessly out to face the dreaded virus, masks firmly on chin or in pocket.
We face the world one grinning selfie at a time, oblivious of any viruses lurking in the vicinity. Then, there are those who venture further afield. While the rest of the world hunkers down at home, Indians pack their bags and travel.
It might mean sitting for hours in a plane wearing not just face shields and masks but also head-to-toe PPEs, but these are the dauntless voyagers who would put Magellan to shame.
And, the entrepreneurs! Indians have gleefully jumped on to the lockdown bandwagon and are showing laudable initiative and resourcefulness. From designer masks to ergonomically designed home furniture (for all those webinars…), it’s suddenly all available.
We are now in the running for the ‘nation of shopkeepers’ appellation. Of course, there is still one realm where a commonly held notion about Indians seems to hold true. It does take a very elevated level of spirituality to attain the fatalism so many millions of Indians exhibit.
But even there, we’re showing that it’s not only the Oshos and the Aurobindos who are spiritual Indians; each of us is. The silver lining to the pandemic: it’s going to educate the world about what Indians really are.
Madhulika Liddle Twitter: @authormadhulika
Novelist and short story writer