Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Stop the comparison please


I was on my way home yesterday evening after work and suddenly notice a tag line on the boot of a Mahindra Scorpio. It read "Indian Hummer".


I don't seem to understand why Indians compare everything to something else. I mean, Mahindra Scorpio is a mean machine; having its own unique character and specialty. It deserves an identity of its own! Why mar its authenticity? Why compare its power to another vehicle. Hummer is in its own category anyways! Anyways there's already a Mahindra AXE which looks lil' bit like the Hummer and also has power, used by the Army

There are lot many things where there are comparisons. Jsut go to google and key in "India's answer to". Lo! you get many posts.

India's very own...so and so.....
India's answer to Wal-mart....blah..blah..blah
India's asnwer to Houdini....blah..blah..blah...
India's answer to Obama...This was an interesing read in a national newpaper recently. There was this poll conducted among public and they have to quote who could be India's best answer to Obama. Mr Ratan Tata won the poll.


Here's another one India's answer to Gelato!!! - Our humble Kulfi it seems. Kulfi is our very own humble dessert made indegeniously. Why compare that to a Gelato?? Both have their own beginnings, own followers...










One may ask what's wrong in comparing with something already successful and proven. Hummer is a proven mean machine. You could say Scorpio is India's Hummer to personify its power. So what are we doing to Hummer in this way? Making it superior?
Well, fine we would like to compare with something that's successful

How about comparing Mumbai terror attacks to WTC Attacks? This is not a celebration to compare! Media screamed with headlines.....

"INDIA'S 9/11...TERROR STRIKES MUMBAI"

Isn't it absurd? Mumbai terror attack had its catastrophy, emotions and sentiments attached to it. Why compare???

Why do we snatch this unique identity and tag it with something else?

Update : The latest headline in India is about the Satyam fraud - being labeled as India's Enron..
India's Silicon Valley, India's Manchester, India's Oscar, India's .....when would this stop?

3 comments:

  1. One thing that festered me when I saw the the news was this comparison with 9/11. I was so irritated that I changed the channel. These editors are so talented and I dunno why they do such cheap things. This comparison thing sucks. Mahindra is one such automobile company that belongs to India. These people instead of being proud are still comparing it. What a shame!

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  2. yup! i feel exactly the same. why do we always look out for stamp of the west in everything we do? do we lack confidence in our own abilities?

    AS
    http://hummingwords.blogspot.com/

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  3. Hi AS,

    The answer is it has been etched in our genes to believe we are inferior; thanks to our freedom struggle. We do lack confidence in our abilities. What a pity!, we don't trust our capabilities as much as others do.

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I'd love to know what you thought :-) Please shoot!