Ready to tango?

I have come to realize what makes the US and India so much alike, writes Sunil Lala in Boston Diary.

When I landed in Boston on a cold (by my standards back then) September day in 1991, I felt, strange as it may seem, right at home. I had just arrived after a one year stint in Brussels, and compared to the orderly and proper ways of Europe, Boston seemed refreshingly chaotic, just like India. Most people consider India and the United States to be poles apart, and of course they are right in some ways.

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But in more ways than one, Boston seemed very familiar. Was it the noise? The chaotic traffic on Massachusetts Avenue? Was it those pedestrians completely ignoring the traffic signals? Or was it those occasional car honks I heard? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

As I got down from my cab and checked into the nearest YMCA, I realized that I had left my top coat in the cab. Now, in Brussels of course, the cab driver would have realized this right away, and would probably have followed me and returned the coat to me. In Boston, as in India, I had no such luck. The cab was gone in the blink of an eye, and a call to the cab company to retrieve my coat evoked a hearty laugh. They thought I was crazy. I loved it!

I moved into Boston University's married students' apartments off Commonwealth Avenue – even though I was quite single. A family that was visiting India for three months, sub-let me their apartment – which of course, was explicitly against the apartment leasing rules. The 'chalta-hai' attitude was the norm here. Every weekend, the apartment building's fire alarm went off as families cooked paranthas and pooris for breakfast.

As years have passed, I have come to realize what makes the US and India so much alike while being so different. It is the similarities in our basic attitudes that lie beneath the unruly traffic, our colourful politicians, our naked capitalism, and our can do instinct.

Of course these attitudes have historically been driven by completely dissimilar set of circumstances. In the US, they are primarily driven by almost absolute individual freedom and liberty. In India, it has been the lack of resources and opportunities, and the sheer necessity of being the fittest in order to survive, that has driven the entrepreneurial spirit.

It is also our basic humanity and tolerance towards other cultures that makes us similar. While India has had the curse of being plagued by communal riots and by religious incitement by self absorbed politicians, we are basically a tolerant, secular country at heart.

The decency of the average Joe, to use an American slang, is obvious, as neighbours – Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs – share their day to day triumphs and sorrows, without much fuss. Their faith in democracy is strong, even as their politicians frequently make a mockery of it.

The same is true of the United States as well. Despite a history of racial intolerance, and despite some very obvious exceptions, the American people are, in general, a decent people.

While one often hears horror stories about racial injustices, and a lot of those stories are indeed true, that is not the norm. Average people in the United States are fair minded and the US is a country where the rule of law prevails.

The same rules apply to attitudes towards immigration. America is a nation of immigrants of course, and while there is the occasional hue and cry about porous borders,immigration is accepted as a way of life.

This is especially true in a city like Boston, where the large number of Universities means a vast international student population.Also, a thriving IT industry translates into a large number of computer professionals arriving from other countries.

Our faith in secularism is strong and deep rooted, and has stood the test of time. Again, in both countries, there are pressures from right wing extremist elements to veer us away from our secular path and towards a monotheist society.

In India, it is Hindu outfits like the VHP and RSS (and by extension BJP), and in the United States, it is the so called Christian right. However, in the end, our belief in diversity and in a multi-ethnic society always trumps these narrow, religious ideologies.

It is amazing, that despite their many similarities, India and the US have never been able to become the natural allies that they should be. In the past, it has been due to mutual suspicion, an unwillingness to understand each other's policies and cultures, and of course,the ever present “Pakistan factor”. But attitudes are beginning to change.

Indian computer professionals made a name for themselves a long time ago, in corporations all across America. Now Americans are also becoming more aware of our culture and traditions. When I came to Boston as a student, running into a fellow Indian at a mall was a rare phenomenon.

Today, women wearing colorful salwar-kameez and sarees, and couples asking for “Veggie Sandwiches” at the local Subway are a common sight. Indian grocery stores and restaurants are everywhere. Chai is sold at the local Stop & Shop and at Starbucks.

Similarly, our knowledge of America and American culture used to come mostly from movies. The Internet has, since then, expanded our horizons. Also, as travel becomes easier and cheaper, and as more Indians travel to the US, we begin to see the real America, and not just the dreamland conjured up by Hollywood. Here in Boston, Indians routinely celebrate traditional American festivals such as Thanksgiving.

Mutual suspicion is gradually getting replaced by trust and understanding. The two giant democracies are finally beginning to notice one another. They are starting to take the first tentative steps towards each other on the huge geo-political dance floor.The eyes of the world are upon them. The big question is – will they tango?