Personal

Misplaced Pride?

The company was paying the highest package on campus till that time. It was a giant – one of the few from India which can challenge any other global company.

Interview started with a wrong note. “Are you proud that you are a Bihari?” When faced with unexpected questions (this one became the most expected one afterwards…), in a moment I think about it. It was hardly a matter of pride. Of course I know of the very bright past that Bihar has had. It is the birthplace of many enlightened souls, karmabhoomi (work ground) of many intellectuals and leaders, and had shaped India’s history for many centuries. Present state of affairs was bad, but still ground realities were different and there was certainly a hope. But to be ‘proud’ of the state? I was confused. It was hardly a matter of pride! I was hardly a man who would be ‘proud’ of things that came with the parcel. I may love my state, feel good about it, or whatever, but ‘pride’ was hardly my feeling. I am sure even if Bihar was the most developed state of India, my feelings would have been almost the same.

I was not selected. Campus Placement 2k4 was a journey for me – a mix of endeavour, industry and destiny. One of the many instances where we come to believe that there is a ‘design’ beyond our ‘comprehensions’. Anyways, when I returned back to the hostel and in the evening told my friends from my home-state, that I didn’t say that I am proud of Bihar, some of them were hurt. One of them was vocal about it and criticized me for not being proud of my state. I asked him again, how was that a matter of pride? Do we ‘need’ to be ‘proud’ of our caste, religion, race; or our hometown, district, state, region, nation, continent; or our dialect, language, accent? Or that we are right-handed? Or my gender? Or my blood-group? Do we need to be proud of all the ‘facts’ of my life?

Later on, when I saw regionalism grow beyond the nation, casteism grow beyond religion, or language grow beyond the culture, I was so happy that I had decided not to be proud of each and every drop of dew.