Most Non-Indians think Gandhi is the only leader India has ever produced. Shame on Congress! It fails to recognize the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Netaji Bose. All these years the history taught in Indian schools has been Congress propoganda about Nehru and Gandhi. The truth has been that these 2 guys and Bhimya Ambedkar have killed India and Indianism. Until and unless India forgets these 3 people, INDIA WILL NEVER PROGRESS! INDIA NEEDS A NEW THOUGHT, NEW DIRECTION AND NEW VISION TO MOVE FORWARD FROM HERE! STOP BASKING IN THE GLORY OF THE PAST! PAST IS PAST, LOOK FOR THE FUTURE!Bapu, Baba, Chacha bye bye !!!
Some funny ones I faced at work - I was the first Indian employee there... 1) Are there cars in India? 2) Are there restaurants in India? 3) Do you get beer in India? 4) Snakes???... this was the most asked question. Ironically, I grew up in Mumbai and I have only seen snakes on animal planet channel...
Some of the compliments included - 1) Indians are the greatest in Mathematics... this was by my Optimization professor who happens to be Greek and he used say this all the time in class. 2) Indian girls are so beautiful and smart...you guys are the luckiest bastxxxx.
Ignorance about India in the US is quite a commen feature. The "common man" is quite poor in GK. In addition Goel is in Texas (Bush country) which has an even lower GK. If you mention there that you are an Indian the spontaneous answer is "which tribe?" The only Indians they know are what the missionaries found when they landed in America - no what they set out to find.
Dear Dhruv 15, lives in Texas I think you are quite Ignorant about India. First Hindu is not a religion.............. Name comes from Civilization which developed on the banks INDUS RIVER ............became Hindu All those who stays in India are HINDU indeed. Majority of people are SANATAN DHARMI (ETERNAL RELIGION) please don't give wrong Information about India, If you really want to please read or ask your parents If They know anything about culture before becoming expert. Vande Mataram
Yes, it's somewhat true atleast on the other side of the Atlantic. I have experienced similar ignorances about India, but things have improved over the last few years. I would give major credit for the India awareness to the "Outsourcing" issue. This issue has generated enough media coverage for an ordinary American person to take notice about India, in a good and bad way. At least it was not a "blink and miss" event that only few would care about.
Here are some examples of my experience: "You people in India still burn women"- This appalling statement came from a car dealer in a state where Indian population is considerably less! "Are you from Pakistan?" -- because of U.S. proximity to Pakistan more than India, some would react after seeing a brown skinned Asian. It's akin to saying "Chinese" to every people from Southeast Asia.
And here are some true statements:
"Can't believe in your Bollywood movies, people sing and dance just before a serious scene!" -- no comment!
"Indian girls are pretty" -- I guess this true perception was more to do with India's beauty pageant victories!
exactly. but what you said is true for indians too. indians too think that pakistanis are poor, they dont have anything to eat and even the flour they eat also comes from USA and they have not technology growth and there is not hindu in pakistan. there are only muslims and all the hindus have been murdered 1947. actually these all are the result of hatred. if we hate someone, we only think bad towards them. we are not feeling hurt and getting fritened, but we are no different. we too have same myth for our so called enemies.
RE:exactely...
by Ravikant Bhat on Feb 28, 2008 11:44 PM Permalink
the percentage of hindu population has dropped steadily in pakistan from the time of independence till date...whatever happened to the hindus over there? though all were not murdered, hindus were and still are treated as third rate citizens and many ethnic cleansing campaigns i suppose are still on...
RE:RE:exactely...
by Golden on Feb 29, 2008 12:00 AM Permalink
what do you know about hindus in pakistan. i ask what do you know about pakistan even. all those what BJP and RSS teach you right? what was the population of hindus after freedom, any idea? hey leave it yaar. dont try to think and create another lie. as a matter of fact you dont know anything about paksitan and simply dream and boast like this. have you ever heard about any riot in pakistan after 1947. only some shia sunni riots that too only we know who are behind them. any hindu muslims riot. no not a single one. after the demolition of mosque some temples were destroyed, no hindu was harmed. if you dont know then go and inquired with authentic sources. hey one min. temple in pakistan, you are surprised right? brother go and sleep, you are good with your dreams. you dont like reality, it will hurt and break all your earlier ideas and BJP and RSS will kill you if start believing anything positive towards pakistan.
RE:exactely...
by Golden on Feb 28, 2008 11:52 PM Permalink
reply to on.... your language is telling how important pakistanis are for you. you cant help from abusing on just simple answer to what hatred can lead to. but the logic is simple, you hate most you will be hated most. i wonder if those who think about india and indians in the similar manner will also abuse for nothing to indians when time comes. hatred kills the same person who preserves it in heart. one thing i just dont understand, when there is any muslim talks against hinduism or hindu, he brings proofs from their own book. he doesnt just lie but a you have nothing other than lying. simply put a lot of allegation and just abuse. i too can do this but i am modest and want to remain modest. if you show your culture then i must show mine. my answer to your abuses is ......a silence. enjoy your words. hope your parents will be happy to see you in this condition. i wonder if they expected you to be in the same condition when you were a child.
RE:exactely...
by Golden on Feb 29, 2008 12:18 AM Permalink
i have used all my weapons under my modest.any one becomes silent when some one talks about his mother. becasue no body wants to abuse her mother by being bad, but believe me, i am finding entirely typical character today. my Allah bless you brother. where ever you are i pray my Allah give you guidance. yes you are free to put another post with abuses to Allah almighty also. after all that's what you have learned in your entire life.
I agree this is the similar sortta review we use to get in UK... and I was not teen, i was doing my Masters, and people used to ask such funny questions like Hindu, etc. and also someone asked me if we still ride on horses in India on roads... its mysterious and quite dramatic to image of the word's largest growing democracy.
what we need is a serious attempt to go out to the world and educate what we are... go to Akshardham temple in Delhi and have a Boat-Ride... this is what we need to create in global cities... and believe me, thats when they will realise what is India... we dont need 'Increduble India' and 'India Shining' for tourism generation, but more central to Image Development in first instance... once that is done... everything including tourism, investments and respect would automatically flow in the system...
Brand India... Brand Culture & Heritage not Business...
RE:Same is the view in UK
by Aditya Ghosh on Feb 28, 2008 11:43 PM Permalink
abe dhakkan tere ko pata bhi hain yahan kis topic pe discussion ho rahi hai???just f**k off...............
RE:Same is the view in UK
by Arjun on Feb 28, 2008 11:47 PM Permalink
Anonymous dude.. I just cant believe you said something like that. What is wrong with you. Please open your mind and stop being so parochial. If not for the father of our nation, our country would not be democratic and you wouldnt have had the guts to say such things in the name of free speech. I really hope that you're either drunk or smoking ganja, coz' you seriously cannot be serious.
RE:Same is the view in UK
by Arjun on Feb 29, 2008 12:00 AM Permalink
My friend, so you think you know better than everyone else. Maybe you were a freedom fighter from the 1940s. Or maybe you helped Dr. Ambedkar write the constitution. Or maybe you are just another lousy laptop pundit. Who knows. But your assumption that everyone in India other than you is a bookworm is certainly presumptuous and ridiculous. Hope you can get over whatever complex you're living with, so you stop making such stupid statements.
RE:Same is the view in UK
by Pyare Mohan on Feb 29, 2008 12:17 AM Permalink
Arjune you have a lot to catch up man... first you still believe that gandhi "gave" up democracy. then u top it off by believing ambedkar "wrote" the constitution as if he actually developed it or something. which grade do u go to? 3rd or 4th?? ya phir umar pachpan (55) ki brain bachpan ka aisa haal hai?
I have experienced all that is described in this article in US, Europe and other Asian countries. One has to see this from perspective. Because some of us know more than the general american public, does not mean that Indians in general know more than Americans. During a recent visit to India from US, one guy asked me if my children study in an English medium school in US. It has become very good joke to tell but it showed the ignorance. How many of us (Indians) would know the other main cities of Botswana or Tanzania? How many Indians living in India know the US Presidential election process? How many Indian living in India know the stock market? on and on and on. I didn't ask these questions to put down Indians living in India (ILII) but to make a point. It is not important for an average Indian living in India to know everything about African cities. ILII do not care about American election process. My favorite question that I ask Indians is related to geography. Most of the Indians are not up to date (or is not a strong point) when you ask them point out example bora-bora on the map.
There are exceptional people on both sides of the fence so let us just respect people for what they are and what they know. The root cause of all the problem is when one tries (portrays) to be superior than others. Hitler thought the same thing. Most of the religions are the same way. I am better than you. Life is short and too many things to enjoy.
RE:Ignorance is everywhere ...
by sunny on Feb 29, 2008 12:11 AM Permalink
yes Indians doesnt know much about our own India we live. I can give a few examples. my friend although s/w engineer earning 5digits salary got a job offer at Mumbai and asks me sitting at hyd,what is the capital of mumbai so that he can book a flight ticket to go from hyderabad.:-) .
When I was in north India , I have observed many north Indians doesnt know much about south Indian places and their locations and even capitals.They ask me in which state chennai is located ,how wil be the beach at hyderabad,etc ... Dont know whether to pity for my friend's knowledge or criticise him for being so foolish..
RE:Ignorance is everywhere ...
by Sam Walton on Feb 28, 2008 11:31 PM Permalink
Good one, Rationalize... Finally some fresh air in this stenchy, mud-slinging forum.
RE:RE:Ignorance is everywhere ...
by Rohit Rawat on Feb 28, 2008 11:44 PM Permalink
Yes you are right, Indians need not to know anything about the African cities because they don't speak English. But the question regarding English medium school in US is not a joke. Afterall 14% people in America speak Spanish and Spanish is the other language you'll find at many place in America like ATMs, Banks etc.
RE:Ignorance is everywhere ...
by rationalize on Feb 29, 2008 12:10 AM Permalink
This shows your ignorance. All African schools have English as a main subject and majority (90-95%) Africans speak English.
Regarding other comment about spanish.
You don't have a single spanish only speaking school in US. Main medium is English and secondary labguage is Spanish.
