" I DID NOT MEET A SINGLE INDIAN "

The cell phone beeped just when I was about to sleep.All of my family members are against me in this regard,of sending and receiving messages.I, too,by nature dont like it so much,but,now,I use it as it is free fully. Well,I started somewhere and going,nowwhere.I opened the message.It read as follows:
BEST MESSAGE OF MILLENIUM
An American visited India and went back.There he met an Indian friend who asked " HOW WAS MY COUNTRY ? ".
American:its a great country with solid ancient history and immensly rich with natural resources.
Indian proudly asked,"how did you find Indians?"
American:Indians,who Indians?I didnt find or meet a single Indian there.
Indian:what nonsense?
American:yeah,it is nonsense itself.
In Kashmir,I met a Kashmiri.
In Punjab,an Punjabi,
In Bihar,a Bihari,
In Maharashtra,a Marathi,
In Rajasthan,a Marwadi,
In Bengal,a Bengali,
In Tamil Nadu,a Tamilian
also I met
a Muslim
a Hindu
a Jain
a Buddhist
a Sikh and many more but I did not meet a single Indian.
Think how serious the joke is?The day would not be far off when indeed we would become a collection of states as some regional and anti-national politicians want it.
FIGHT BACK,always say I AM AN INDIAN.
The message continued with the request of render of forward it to as many people as possible. Yet it was not a normal message to just forward and leave it like that. It put something to think about. Every single word in that messard was depicting something. The provinces,the religions, the ethnicity and the rare comic saying " I Did Not Find Or Meet A Single Indian", all were significant. Yes, it contained something that all of the Indians have to think. It reminds us of something dangerous of which we are on the verge of experiencing in near future.

It all now reminds of an age, when India was just an independent country and Pandit Nehru was reluctant to "break" the nation on the linguistic basis. He feared that the 'DIVIDE AND RULE' policy of British has already caused a severe amount of damage and breaking of the nation. It may in turn, add much more damage and this is what we are experiencing,the in-fights among the states, interstate disputes and communal riots- all have the equal effect when there is a threat to the peace and stability of the nation. And, above all these, the powerful people, politicians, have a major role in dividing the country. What seems interesting to me is, even though many politicians who have higher power, having been as the members of ruling party, do not do such acts or use their status. Whatever damage has been caused, is due to there petty people, who do errands for very subtle gains.

Many of you might have watched the movie CHAK DE INDIA! The movie is mainly about the ex-hockey player, Mir Ranjan Negi. Whatever is shown in the movie really happened in the life of this great hockey player. If you have watched this, you might have appreciated the part of the movie when The Coach asks the players of The Team to introduce themselves. They simply mention that they are from a province or region. The Coach sends all of them back first and then he mentions that they are playing for India not their provinces. But save one, a player introduces herself as Vidya Sharma from India,at the first attempt itself. The coach selects her as the captain of the team.
This must be the way we have to think. It is in us, the people who want the unity of nation. We can remember the ruckus Tsunami caused in the coastal India and how the whole country responded to it. Everyone collected money and other basic goods and sent them wholeheartedly to the people in need. This must be followed everyday, it should be inculcated in the blood of every citizen, such feelings should not arouse only during the calamities.

Atleast we shall pledge now that we will become true Indians, not confined to our provinces or religion. I pledge and what about you?