I was in class ten when I first read an essay titled “A Matter of Belonging” by Sheila Dhar, and it left a very deep impact on the way I perceived my Indianness. Although I have tried in vain to get hold of her book titled “This India” (1971), I haven’t succeeded so far in 11 years. While my memory of the exact words is a bit bleak, she ends the essay with a reminder that if you don’t embrace your identity as a citizen of your country, you end up being a very weak citizen of the world, just like a person without a face, a voice or a soul. You have to belong to your roots, and you can’t really shrug them off so easily. I may not be happy with the socio-economic and political scenario of the country, but I am very proud of where I come from and where the promised river of dreams may lead. As we get recounted and reaffirmed as Indians all over again, a small reminder on my door frame tells me that me and my family are in..once again!
Snapshots of my World 
greetings by
http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/calcutta/
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Nice read Frizztext 🙂 thanks for sharing!
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This is a very good blog about pride and belonging. Your sentiments could apply to just about anyone of any culture or nationality. Thank you.
Cecelia
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Thanks Cecelia, that’s how I meant for it to read … I wanted to highlight how it changed my perception of belonging.
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I agree with your thinking in regard to embracing your roots.
Nice post!!
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Thanks Marina for stopping by!
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