1. I use Google all the time for information and statistics but the credit never goes to Google. My fault. But then Google freely picks it up from various authors, none of my fault. The least I can do is to give a courtesy to Google Search.
2. It is widely perceived that Dr. Varghese Kurien created Amul. But Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi recently claimed he did and further to this, he also claims to be carrier of this milk to the doorstep of the current prime minister. In fact you should not be surprised if he says it was he who created Adam and Eve and people here will still believe it.
3. Rapid industrialization and unrelenting doling out of fertile land to industries have left cattle – revered here and hence even killing them is not permitted- without food. The state government still claims they are doing cataract operations on them so that they can have long vision beyond fertile land to find food.
4. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a Congressman. But half of India thinks he was a RSS worker because we now have a Chotte Sardar who compares him to the real Sardar.
5. Majority of Indians think the staff at Comptroller and Auditor General Office (better known as CAG) a Chartered Accountants. Reality is that they are not even graduates.
6. BJP and the rest of India think Sonia Gandhi is a shrewd politician with master strategies up her sleeves. Reality is that she doesn’t even know what you call politics in Hindi and can’t even speak her mind out leave alone making a political plan.
7. A better part of Congressmen think Rahul Gandhi should take up the mantle for Prime Minister. The matter of fact is that India elects its leaders and a family cannot permanently claim to be the monarch of India and thrust a leader on its people like what kingdoms do.
8. Rest of India – barring Kerala – believes people from Kerala speak English well. But on the contrary, it is difficult to find a Malayali who can speak a single sentence without mistakes.
9. Indians – barring Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa and North East – believe all Christian women wear frocks, selects Julie as universal name. Men are always drunk, have Robert as name in perpetuity and uses phrases like Hey Man in all the sentences. You need to look at the septuagenarian Indian Hindu ladies settled in US and UK to change this perception.
10. Gandhians and a few others believe Gandhi fought for removal of untouchability. In fact he fought to defend ManuSmriti – a script written to enhance untouchability - a reason why Ambedkar and Gandhi never got along each other.
11. Average Indians are of the opinion that Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe are the same. The fact is Scheduled Tribe have never been among the untouchables. They were deprived of their basic rights because they were poor and Scheduled Castes were deprived because they were low caste. Government clubbed them together and 90 percent of the benefits went to SC and Scheduled tribes are still in the same condition as they were.
12. People who are in General Category believe Dr. B R Ambedkar is responsible for reservations in India and so most of them don’t respect him nor gives credit to him for giving us constitution. But very few have the idea that his vision was to phase out reservations within a period of 20 years and bring the lower strata of the society with that of the higher one. Successive governments played spoilsport and not only kept reservation alive but increased its quota for vote bank politics and see where we are today.
13. The opposition and Left parties believe FIIs were just waiting for opening up of FDI in retail so that they can just rush in and dislodge all kirana stores the way Mughals did in their prime. The fact is that there are very few who may utilize this because India is not the right destination for them now. A couple of Starbucks or Walmarts will not change India’s landscape and create jobs in hundreds.
14. It is a common belief that Balasaheb Thackerey is out and out anti Christian and anti Muslim. But see the facts. His most trusted driver for decades is a Muslim. He has helped non-Hindu aspiring students with admissions than with Hindus. His elder brother’s son was a hard core Christian pastor who died recently in Jharkhand.
15. Those who have never seen Gujarat believe the state have only two qualities- Godhra and Narendra Modi. But the fact is that the state is the most enterprising place just behind Israel, UK and the US (Gujaratis always compare themselves with big sizes) is not known by many. Two out of three businessmen in this country are from Gujarat.
16. Gujarat is vegetarian place with prohibition in full swing. Reality check. Gujarat has the largest coastline in India and hence most catch of fish are from here. People relish chicken anywhere but their own home depriving their family the nutrition they deserve. But they are all exported. Booze is the biggest past time in the state with 9 out of 10 homes having a mini bar at their home itself. Nowhere else booze is home delivered and that too at a flat 30 minutes of your money back.
17. Egg is non vegetarian? Wrong. In some states it is vegetarian because people who consume these eggs are primarily vegetarian.
18. Modern Indians believe Adivasis have captured forests and destroys them. In fact it is the other way round. The Indian state formed Forest Department in 1960 and captured Forests from Adivasis who nurtured and kept forest and its produce as sacred. Since the state captured it from its aboriginal owners, the forest cover has got depleted by as much as 70 percent and its flora and fauna as well as its animals got into endangered list.
19. Narendra Modi, in his entire career as CM, has hardly spoken in Gujarati, his mother tongue and the language that his audience can understand. He chooses to speak Hindi instead. The reason being he is targeting television cameras and not the people to whom he is addressing at the venue. Most of his speeches are never about Gujarat, the state which he is governing, but on national issues and on nondescript leaders of Congress.
20. Youngsters today believe having an MBA degree is their stepping stone to success. But the fact is that it is tough to do a post graduation in commerce (M.Com) or Arts(MA) than an MBA, the holders of which are now working in menial jobs – unless they got upwards with raw talent.
Typed on Galaxy Tab using SwiftKey with two of my serving thumbs one of which is now injured. Not structured nor edited. Read at your own risk. I thrive on contradictions, bouquets and brickbats. So let it fly.
