The Good Men of India: Not “I love you”, but “Main hoon na.”

I just read this article on the NYT called The Good Men of India, which I totally recommend you to have a read as it’s well written and looks on the total other side which fails to make headlines or the news and remain as untold stories. And well, so well written that you might forgot about my small piece of mind here and this will remain unread as well. 🙂

There is a telling phrase that best captures the Indian man in a relationship — whether as lover, parent or friend: not “I love you” but “Main hoon na.” It translates to “I’m here for you” but is better explained as a hug of commitment — “Never fear, I’m here.” These are men for whom commitment is a joy, a duty and a deep moral anchor.

This is what perhaps that got to me a bit more than the rest. Both my country and the world are disgusted at the stir of news of reported rapes and sexual harassment in the past year following the very tragic rape incident in Delhi, in past December 2012. The rage could be seen everywhere, on the media, on the internet, and the absolutely hypocritical and meaningless candle marches which were for so called change and peace, while most as I said and a known fact, most don’t want to get their hands in the actual need of the hour.

Say aside for my usual, human outrage, I don’t tend to go along the flow for such things, since I’m aware the only thing I can do for my part as of now is be a decent human being myself, and not go around saying what everyone has to do or what has to be done.

But the purpose of this piece is, that most are quick to stereotype and generalize practically anyone with a certain set of attributes from origins to geographical locations to simply personal preferences these days, and with these developments, many of my non-Indian friends out there must be having this thought at least in some corner of their minds, that are we Indians (men) so hungry for sex and we can’t keep our guns in our pants? I’m no hardcore patriot or something, but being an Indian and a decent human being (which I like to believe), this does sadden me. And what I highlighted above reflects this beautifully, the write of which I’m very thankful.

I’d like to think of it as, you know you’re in India when “I love you” is less common, and “Main hoon na.” (Never fear, I’m here for you) makes more sense and is far more alive. That I like to believe, is the real side of the few good men in country (and by extension the world) which remain untold stories. And these people are worth fighting for. 🙂