Wo ist das? Meine Heimat  ist wo mein Herz wohnt.

That certainly defines a homeland. Different people have different perceptions regarding their homeland. But for me where ever comes a sense of belonging comes your homeland. A place where one prospers, where most of your memories dwell and which keeps pulling you towards itself, is your true Heimat. I beg to differ, a birthplace might not necessarily be a Homeland if you don’t feel connected to it.

“Spare me the political events and power struggles, as the whole earth is my homeland and all men are my fellow countrymen.” Kahlil Gibran

Let’s not get boggled by the philosophical quotes and their even heavier meanings. I come from India; my native land, though it gives me delight to pen down my feelings regarding my country but at the same time there is a sense of anguish that comes along primarily from the negligence of our society and the pitfalls in our system. And off course I won’t employ misplaced adulation just to show how great my country is. Geographically we are big but even bigger are our problems, socio-economic and political. Though, I must say that despite my bitter-sweet relationship with my country, at the end of the day my heart still sings the Indian melody.

I feel fortunate that I have travelled extensively across Europe and got the opportunity of witnessing different lifestyles and cultures however, I would say, Germany has been the best experience so far, with all the language barrier and the adjustment impediments borne out of the former, once the settling process is over, you feel yes! this is where I truly belong. Opinions may vary, I am only sharing my thoughts. I can draw a comparison chart highlighting the pros and cons of life in Germany and India, but frankly as a writer of Indian origin I don’t think I would be fair and just to the topic. Secretly, I would try to hold back some of the vital conflicts and drawbacks in my land just to feel good that life is not so bad after all. Nevertheless, there are some characteristics only found in India that are fascinating and should be talked about.

In India, on one hand, I feel joyous as I am close to my roots and my family but on the other, the grim reality of life and its daily struggle for survival makes me question the credibility of the system called Governance. Are we actually governed? is there any law and order or more so, is the world’s biggest democracy actually democratic or is it just a farce? Each day dawns with a series of new challenges, previous frustrations, the burden of fulfilling the familial and societal expectations and then the hope, things would just be fine someday!

Let’s take a deeper insight into our society and its customs. One rather amusing trait which is very typically Indian is the great, great joint family system, all thanks to it you can never get your own space. Sometimes, I even wonder whether Indian dictionary really carries a word called ‘ space’ in it. Our family system is indeed remarkable it makes you strong, it makes you vulnerable, it makes you feel like pulling out your hair in frustration, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry….it’s totally baffling. But, we feel proud of it. Joint family system comes with its own positives and negatives. In brief, I can say the Indian family system is a great melodrama thoroughly entertaining. We don’t send our parents to old age homes, that shows the beauty of our culture and the deep respect we have for our elders, this is what makes the joint families all the more popular, after all parents are the building blocks of any family. At the same time, I also personally feel, one deserves certain level of privacy which is unfortunately alien to our Indian family system. Literally, you have to beg for privacy. ‘Hello! For heaven’s sake I am not interested in meeting my distant uncle’s distant relatives’….can you imagine, it gets that bad at times. C’mon who cares about such distant relations? Alas! You have neither an escape nor a choice, you have to meet them politely with all hospitality.

Another interesting trait about us Indians is our hospitality. The guest is treated as a shadow of God and you have to please him somehow, anyhow. Believe me sometimes it is a nightmare to be a guest. The host would make all desperate attempts to please and make you comfortable which goes overboard and contrarily you become very uncomfortable and highly displeased. Indians love food and more than eating we love serving it to our guests to the extent, we often indulge in forcing our guests to eat more and praise even more in return. The guest is bombarded with words like “Have some more; why don’t you try this?; Oh! there is hardly anything in your plate, let me serve you some more; I cooked all these dishes with so much of love, now you have to finish them all”….poor, poor guest!! Everytime I become more of a  victim than a guest , I mutter to myself ‘Have mercy on my tummy please’ and to such maniacs of family and friends, I feel like shouting ‘Dude I am a human, I am no giant’ and how in situations like these you wish to turn into Hulk and thrash your hosts.

My story about India would be incomplete if I don’t mention the big fat Indian weddings. Ahh!! They are so exorbitant that once the celebrations are over, you are left nearly bankrupt. Bottomline however is, nay!!we don’t believe in simplicity. When it comes to tying our children to one another as per our wishes, we want to make the surrender day…ahm! I mean the wedding day talk of the town, our parents would go to any heights of expenditure to make D Day forcefully memorable. And again the celebrations last for so long that not only the bride’s and groom’s families are nearly left penniless but the guests too get exhausted both physically and financially (who says, gifts come free of cost, and excessive dancing comes without bodily aches)

The food- India is known for its rich aromatic flavours. High calorie, deep-fried, oily, spicy, rich and fattening cuisine is our specialty.  I am sure we can even turn anorexics into foodaholics and in a month’s time the poor person would be running to a dietician to get a cure for obesity. I have never seen such an elaborate spread on the table anywhere in the world. Indian food though highly unhealthy tastes heavenly. Indians don’t easily compromise on food, it has to taste really good to win our compliment. Unlike Germans we have vast variety of snacks, after all, we can’t be satisfied by curry wurst, Indian heart wants more!

Watch out if it’s really yoga or something else- Despite its global demand and popularity, yoga gurus in India are constantly being put behind bars for their involvement in sex scandals and rapes.

So this was the funny side of India. On a serious note, there is one India that is truly progressive and shining but there is also one India reigned by tyranny of political honchos, the misery and suffering of downtrodden, the profound class struggle between the haves and have-nots, the corruption, the forced patriarchal dominance, the suppression of weaker sex, minority inequality, hunger, feticide, dowry harassment and most jeopardizing of all, the bygone ancestral mentality which we are still holding onto very firmly and, the indifference towards the grievances of common man. I question myself, weather I really belong to this India. No!! Not until we pledge to resolve the afore issues, not until we dare to step forward in defiance of the wrong practices, not until we raise our voice against inequality, not until we stop accepting and handing over bribe, not until there is a sincere call for change. I would rather wait till then…. for a brighter, shinier and newer India, where there are no two faces.So meine Heimat lebt in meiner Vorstellung (My homeland lives in my imagination) but yes! The heart is very much made in India.

P.S- Wishing the Trust7 family, a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Keep reading our blogs, keep posting your queries on our site, we resolve to keep you updated and informed and strive to meet your expectations in an even better manner. Laugh loud, reach for the stars, live happy, live strong! Heartiest wishes from T7.