Rainbow Nation was a phrase coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africa after the 1994 elections as the country peacefully and remarkably transitioned into a democracy.  This was to bolster the blending of diverse cultures and traditions to create a colorful and vibrant society. India with its huge geography and 140 crores + population defies any such paradigm. Just consider this. 122 languages adding up to 234 including dialects. Hindi is said to be spoken by a major segment of the populace. If you count dialects like Awadhi and Bhojpuri… and even the tapori slang of the Mumbaikars and the Hyderabadi lingo’s twist and flavor. 6 recognized religions (Christianity, Islam) & including 4 great faiths born in India- Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Add the small Parsee community of Zoroastrian tradition and Jews who sought refuge in India from persecution elsewhere. An ancient civilization that dates back to 6000-7500 years ( historian Tim Dyson).

Today’s India has truly started to churn as a melting pot. This cultural acceptance is being fostered by the job opportunities and economic interdependence of ordinary Indians which has led to mass relocations, which in turn is driving the wheels of commerce. Travel and tourism have led to millions of Indians discovering new sub-cultures and traditions and even taking a liking to their food and apparel habits. INDIA POSITIVE- a story not following the script of the divisive politicians and their acolyte media influencers.     

Food for Thought. Whether the sweet delicacy Rasgulla originated in Puri as an offering to Lord Jagannath or in the State of Bengal does not really matter; as also whether the original recipe of Sambhar can be traced to the royal kitchens of Maratha ruler Sambhaji Maharaj or is a Southern India concoction as considered today. Whether the famous Idli dish originated in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka or as Kedli by the cooks of the Indonesian Hindu kings more than 1000 years ago also does not matter. Today be it Punjabis, Gujaratis and Bengalis are drooling over some delicious variants of the Idli & Sambhar or the Dosa, Uthappam, or Appam. The Rasgulla is a must at large corporate events and weddings as a preferred dessert. The Lucknawi or Hyderabadi servings of the biryani or kebab are hot-sellers across the country. The Chola Bhatura, Aloo Paratha, and Rajma Chawal from up North are the stuff of thousands of Swiggy orders every day down South. The Bengali Doi Maach, Goan, and Kerala fish curries are culinary bestsellers. The very thought of farsan items like the Dhokla Khaman virtually transports us to Gujarat as does Daal-Baati-Churma to Rajasthan.  The delicious Momo –a staple in Leh-Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh – has spread its food-print all over.  A visit to Indore is not complete if you do not sample the fare at Chhapan Bhog (the 56 eateries’ food lane) or taste the night offerings at the Sarafa bazaar.

During a recent visit to Chennai, I was struck by the number of Tea Shop chains across the city- Chai Kings, Chai Waala, and Chai Galli. Although the aroma of filter coffee still fills the metropolis the young Chennai crowd is having their sips of the other beverage also. A young woman from Chattisgarh was attending the order desk and language was hardly a barrier in handling local customers and the delivery boys. At one such crowded joint, I noticed the ubiquitous Mumbai fast food Vada Pav selling like hot cakes.

During a 2-day hotel stay in Chennai, I learned that the Supervisor and the entire Housekeeping staff were from Tripura. Disciplined, polite, and making an honest living a long way away from home. At a reputed South Indian restaurant chain, the entire waiter service staff was from Bihar and spoke the Maithili dialect. One of them told me that he had been working for them for the last 5 years and that he and his buddies were decently looked after.  Other than the specialities the restaurant is known for they had expanded the Menu items to Naan, Paneer Kulcha, and Rajma Chawal. For me, Chennai is the Bellwether of cultural shift and change.

More than 13 million domestic tourists have visited the Kashmir valley this year with 3 months of the season still to go. The hotels and guest houses are full as are the cabs, buses, and Shikaras.  Some of my friends who have returned after a memorable vacation are not just full of the beautiful scenery but also about the warm hospitality from the locals. Travel is good education. It changes perspectives and dismisses prejudices. The North East is now firmly on the Indian traveler’s map and as I have been there multiple times it is an experience to cherish. The backwaters of Kerala, the coffee hills of Coorg, the beaches of Goa and Puducherry, the wildlife sanctuaries, and the tranquil spots of Himachal and Uttarakhand are already attracting hordes. The less visited spots of the tribal hills of Araku (Andhra Pradesh) or the lush forests, icy lakes, and monasteries of Sikkim will soon turn into attractive tourist destinations. Odisha will not remain “ India’s best-kept secret’ for long and with the Governments of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat putting their weight behind scaling up the tourism economy good times are ahead for the tent stay in the Rann of Kutch, the Jaisalmer desert festival and the Kanha Tiger Reserve Park. The younger generation is on the move and they are seeing and finding the Real India. Their passion for long trips by car or bike and for trekking and adventure sports is a good omen.

When one does the ‘Matha Tekna’ at the Golden Temple in Amritsar one is bowing down to show respect to the message of the Gurbani. Then there is the heart-warming concept of the Langar. In Sikhism, the Langar is the community kitchen of the Gurudwara which serves free meals to all irrespective of caste, creed, gender, or economic status. During the Covid lockdown, the Langar was God sent for lakhs of migrant workers and the jobless and the destitute. Putting a Chadar at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah is on the wish list of millions of Indians cutting across faiths.  The Sufi saint and philosopher Moinuddin Chisti is celebrated in the A R Rahman song,’ Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ in the 2008 film ‘ Jodha Akbar’.  The Sai Baba temple at Shirdi attracts millions of devotees every year and is second only to the multitudes that pay respects at the Lord Balaji temple at Tirupati. Just imagine the seismic effects when the Ayodhya temple of Shri Ram is opened to the public. Crores of faithful will line up for darshan. But it will also do wonders for the local and neighborhood economy and will serve the Greater Good. The Buddhist and Jain circuits in Bihar are testimony to India’s rich spiritual heritage. A look at the beautiful paintings at the Jain temple in Mount Abu or the pristine sculpture work at the Meenakshi temple in Madurai gives us a glimpse of who we are as a people. The St Thomas Church in Palayoor Kerala is believed to have been established by the Saint himself as far back as 52AD. The celebration of Merry Christmas in India is not confined to the lighted-up and decorated churches and the Midnight Mass. That Santa Claus caps and little glittering Christmas trees are sold at the city traffic lights a week before the Big Day speaks of the festive spirit which has taken over.

The Soft Power of Indian films, music, and dance has reverberated across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Europe and is now making waves in North America. Dangal has been a huge blockbuster in China. The ‘Naatu Naatu’ dance sequence from RRR has captivated the world. But now in India Bollywood no longer rules the roost. Bahubali 1 & Bahubali 2 did huge business in the original Telugu and other South Indian languages but the Hindi dubbed versions broke all box-office records. Paving the way for the big success of Pushpa & RRR (Telugu) & KGF & Kantara (Kannada) in the Hindi heartlands.  Southern stars like Yash, Prabhas & Vijay Deverakonda are now well accepted and applauded by Hindi film audiences. So much so that many Bollywood biggies do not release their films when a mega South film is about to hit the cinema theatres. The Covid lockdown and the streaming channels also have played a big role in the breakdown of these regional film barriers. Audience tastes are now conditioned to the quality content and performances from Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and Marathi films.  Tumbbad is a stellar example of a classic Marathi movie. Vijay Sethupathi (Tamil) and Fahadh Faasil (Malayalam) have developed a fan following of their own beyond South India. I was not surprised when on a trip to Kochi I saw a corporate gathering at a hotel grooving to the beats of ‘Zingaat’ (Sairat, a Marathi blockbuster). Nor was I surprised when I saw baraatis at a traditional Maharashtrian wedding in Pune doing the rousing Bhangra. People are now opening up to other cultural influences.

 Rabindra Sangeet strikes a popular chord much beyond Bengal with its distinctive rendition whilst singing. But the music is a fusion of Bengali folk music, Carnatic music, Hindustani classical music, and the occasional Western note. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore created a pan India scores much before Independence. More than 100 years later we are still understanding the notes.

For the last 2 decades, many of India’s top cricketers have come from India’s smaller towns. Dhoni (Ranchi), Jadeja (Jamnagar), Shami (Saharpur-UP), and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (Meerut) to name a few. India’s most popular sport is no longer about the metros. And for the fervent fan of the Men in Blue, it does not matter if the winning runs are scored by Kohli, Gill, or Sanju Samson or if Mohd Siraj or Ashwin wins the match with the ball. That a man from Jharkhand is anointed as Thala (Leader) by the Chennai Super Kings fans and is embraced as one of their own is a potent, emotional story. Mr. Naveen Patnaik’s Odisha government sponsoring and supporting both the men’s and women’s hockey teams has resonated well with sports buffs across India.  These impactful undercurrents are not restricted to big sports. A Pro Kabbadi League (an indigenous sport with the scent of our desi soil) was launched in 2014 and attracts full stadiums and a good viewership on Star Sports. It has brought into prominence Indian stars like Maninder Singh from Dasuya, Punjab; Nitin Tomar from Malakpur in UP; Kashiling Adake from Sangli, Maharashtra. Plus professionals from countries like Iran & South Korea. Times are changing.

The gender barrier is falling on all fronts. Sticking to the sports narrative we have medal-winning woman wrestlers from conservative Haryana. Mary Kom (Boxer- Manipur) & Deepika Kumari (Archer from Jharkhand) who both have tribal backgrounds are now pan-India sporting ICONS. Mary Kom has had a successful Bollywood film made about her life and achievements. PV Sindhu & Saina Nehwal (Badminton) and Sania Mirza (Tennis) are household names and brand ambassadors for many products and services. Earlier this year the lucrative and glamorous Indian Premier League for women’s cricket was launched and the first season had good audiences and good TV ratings. Some of the Indian women cricketers are already celebrities on social media.  Top women corporate and business leaders are no longer outliers; many successful start-ups are being driven by women entrepreneurs. It’s still a work in progress but with the tipping point in the not-too-distant future.

In a sense, this can be seen as the quiet confluence of India’s mighty rivers, criss-crossing across our vast land. The Brahmaputra, the Ganga, the Indus, the Narmada, the Godavari, the Tapti, the Krishna, and the Cauvery and their tributaries flow into and merge into the other with the mythical and hidden Saraswati beneath the surface. A myriad of sub-cultures reach out to understand, appreciate, and live with each other. This is not wishful thinking, being naïve, or misplaced idealism. The story of India Positive-around the Idea of India-is not making any headlines but has started happening. It is gradually enriching and reinforcing the national ethos. Just let people be.