Proud to be Indian

21st Aug 2015 – JFK International Airport New York USA

A rather nondescript building. Crowded, chaotic, noisy....A member of the airport staff flippantly tells me “ sorry Ma'am, there is no wifi service at JFK!”

12th Sept 2015 – CST Mumbai India

People making their way, rather noiselessly [the more prominent of the sounds, was suitcases being rolled along...] towards their bogies, looking for their names on the lists near entry doors of out bound trains. My cell phone shows a notification 'open wifi network available' All I had to do was, enter my cell phone number and Bingo! I was connected to the CST free wifi service!!

[Chhatrapati shivaji terminus(CST) is a UNESCO world heritage site and an historic railway station , which serves as the headquarters of the in central railways. Designed by Frederick William Stevens with influences from Victorian Italianate gothic revival architecture and traditional mughal buildings, the station was built in 1887 in the Bori Bunder area of mumbai to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria. It is one of the busiest railway stations in india,serving as a terminal for both long-distance trains and commuter trains of the mumbai suburban railway.]

And india is labeled a 'third world country'?

The world and we Indians too, easily park the blame for the lack of facilities and amenities in our country, especially the metros, on the 'large uncouth population'. We take for granted the progress we have made, inspite of the 'large uncouth population'. Unfair, isn't it?

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Originally published in 2015