All Talk and No Action

While reading on various topics of national importance in dailies and business newspapers, I always go through the comments by readers.

I like to see how many people think otherwise and also to understand the topic on hand with various arguments.

The comments come from people of all shapes and sizes, Indians spread out across the globe.

What's interesting to note is that most Indians staying abroad take active interest in various issues pertaining to the country.

Be it Kashmir, corrupt politicians, sensational media coverage on Aarushi or sky-rocketing interest rates, the NRI community often has lots to comment on.

What cannot be ascertained though, is how involved these people were/would have been if in India?

Would they have shown similar interest in e-governance, riots, Kashmir issue, pollution levels and the slackening economy?

While I look at people my age, most wouldn't talk fervently about a Kashmir or the problems plaguing N/E.

Yet, when such topics plop up during conversations with friends working/studying abroad - almost all of them have an opinion on such issues. Most of them follow national events and are actively involved in debate with the Desi Junta.

Now, either they are not well read OR they believe in status quo OR they are plain dis-interested OR I am blind and have missed such souls :-)

I have friends who know more about road accidents in Mumbai than I could ever know. A few cousins are probably more tuned in to Shlokas from the Bhagvad Gita than I can ever recite in this lifetime. Most have strong opinion on our Financial policies !

Not to forget, uncles and aunts who know more about "Sindhiyat" than most of my clan residing here.

So why would an Indian staying in California keep track of MIG crashes or an Indian working in Sydney keep track of Indo-Pak peace initiatives?

What keeps us from participating as a community and solving our problems when we are in the country? Conversely, what changes within us when we step on foreign land?

Reasons I can think of for their participation are -

• Staying away from the homeland, they are plain homesick !
• Residing in a foreign land, enjoying freedom and getting a taste of superior civic sense, makes them aware of what we lack here. Thus, wanting to bring about positive change
• A desire to always be counted as "one amongst us"
• Staying away from the epicentre probably helps them get a detached perspective. And allows them the luxury of such talk

Whatever the reasons, it's sad that we as an intelligent people are "all talk and no action" when it comes to doing our bit for our motherland.