Fire in the hole

You get into a hole in between. This hole where you have the power to view things objectively and yet somehow feel a sense of identity with one of the sides, which you feel the need to express in order for a larger audience to understand you. And by understanding you, you wish to bring about a change in their mindset, a slow measured change, however infinitesimally small. That sense of identity is, of course, being Indian. And that power to view things objectively may suggest on innumerable occasions you should be criticizing the very fabric of our society. Our dated beliefs, dependence on communities, our deep-rooted prejudice against anything that changes us and challenges our beliefs, our disdain for public welfare and a lack of sympathy for a stranger. But you dont. Thats for kings to do. The kings who have, in their quest for self-actualization and truth, embarked on a journey to be perfectly rounded, objective and scathing in their criticism of non-liberal and non-cosmopolitan views. Kings lose touch with their subjects. They fall into this circle where only fellow kings appreciate their wisdom. The connection can and should never be lost. Hence your identity as an Indian prevails over your quest to become a king. As an Indian, you move to defend, within a certain a realm of reason, the way we are. The solution can never be to change 1.2 billion of us. We start by stemming the rot of a few. We need our kings, no doubt. But a king should never come to rule us. It can only be an ordinary Indian, with all our abhorring flaws. As for you, the person in the hole, it will always be a challenging existence.