One Race

I read somewhere (somewhere usually means online), a quote that said "When we are unemployed, we are called lazy; when white men are unemployed, its called a depression". I come from probably the most international race that exists on the earth today. The most surprising thing is when an Indian goes abroad, how surprised he/she is after finding another Indian (even though they walk by without exchanging an expression). We trot the globe and can be found living in the snowy Alaska to the desert of Central Australia.

The European imperialism brought civilization to the remotest part of the world. It brought with it trade, industry, technology, knowledge and culture. Wars were fought and today we are a world of free nations. Numerous wars brought upon us resulted in a dawn of a new realization - Wars are terrible and thus must be avoided at all costs (this opinion obviously has existed since the time wars started but was mainly restricted to those who were too weak to gain anything from a war). So, decided! No wars! Now what? There emerged a new form of imperialism. British ruled the world by the strength of there Explorers, Admirals and 'Ships of the line'. They subdued people by forming treaties, protectorates or colonies. Sounds such a waste of effort really. We are witnessing a new form of imperialism today. The second biggest population is expanding its horizons and slowly and steadily taking over the world. We are a race with a vision. Instead of thinking of tomorrow and our lifetime, we think two generations ahead. Like the first settlers (Indian explorers) settled in USA and Canada years ago and slowly we are rising among the ranks. UK has the biggest population of Indians outside of India. Well they should have thought about that when they named their exploration ships as "The Indiaman" back during there imperialism days. We saw our name and followed them. You find an Indian at the wall street to Washington DC and not as a tourist but as one who runs the place.

I came to Australia like any other Indian hoping not to see another Indian for a very long time but again, i was going to Sydney. My dreams were shattered within 15 minutes of landing when an Indian airport security ogled me rather discouragingly ("here's another bloody brown b*****d" i am assuming he must have said under his breath) and soon enough i had a firm estimate of how many Indians lived here. Its an interesting thought that when the British left us to mind our own business, they forgot one very important thing - we Indian are the kings of adjustment. We can adjust anywhere and with anyone. We adjusted with Mughals, with British, we adjust with religion, with gods, in spaces, with governments, basically with anything and everything that has no further room for adjustment. Its been seven months and i am adjusting well in Australia. I can say that the reports on attacks on Indians so enthusiastically marketed by the Indian media aren't as bad as they were made to seem but hey - they need something to report, so lets cut them some slack. Yes its a white country full of machines, where shops open at 9 a.m. sharp and close at 5 p.m. where streets get deserted after 8 p.m. and one can walk to the beach anytime of the day to find it quiet and beautiful. And just like that the image crumbles starting friday evening when each and every man and woman who has a mouth and a pair of shoes heads straight for any place they can find that sells booze. By 11, once can easily find at least a few men and women passed out on the streets, lying unclaimed and rather comfortable. Every car can be found breaking the speed limit, every girl screaming or sobbing, every man too angry or too happy for their own good. "To alcohol... The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems". A country most of which lives on pension, free education and drinking, you would be too unkind if you expect them to be saints (well, certainly not until Sunday evening). So while walking on the streets you get those "horn followed by the finger", words of wisdom like "go home you brown m****r f****r", a push here and a shove there but hey, we adjust. After all we are all racists. There are only two kind of people in this world; one - racists and the other - Racists who pretend they are not racist. I mean look at our caste system, what is it if not racism. Riots in the name of religion, killing people over gods; a bunch of people convinced that god is some materialistic being sitting high up there gleefully sniggering at another god and saying "Ha! look, they broke your place of worship and built mine on it. I win! Suck it you loser..", and reward the people who did it. and the latest being Maharashtrian and non Maharashtrian issue so thoughtfully raised and brought to our notice by the greatest patriots our country has ever produced - The MNS. A bunch of benighted fools who want Maharashtra to have everything an independent country has except the formal status of being so. We are racists and so is everybody else. Its just that some have learnt the art of adjusting. Though, there are none who can match the masters.

Anyway, just like the Aborigines in Australia and the Aztecs in the Americas, the race of white men is on a decline and soon the world will be filled with beige children who will grow up in a familiar world without having to differentiate between different ethnicities. This world will be one for them and will have people of one kind. And so the people of this earth will finally be one family; one big Indian family (with a few Chinese thrown in as well).