Indian Double Standards

Double standard – that’s the phrase that describes well we Indians most of the times.
On considerations are many thoughts at the same time. Primarily, the thought is of our relations with the neighbor – Pakistan who has just too much in commonality with the northern part of our nation. We are all hog on improving the relations which have been soured since the time we started to breath freely but with that fresh breath came the pain in the heart (I being born 27 years after the independence/partition – but was kept close to the feelings of the same by my granny and other old hands & hearts in close relations). Second we call ourselves citizens of a modern developing nation on its path to breaking the myriad shackles it’s been caught since time immemorial. Art is being once again been given the highest podium in the social strata. Then we have the corporate India and its vocabulary including social responsibility. With them, the ever self-proclaimed torch bearers of just cause – the NGOs.
After having put all these points in the mind, now consider the news report in today’s ET “NGO shows Pak troupe door for anti-US stance” In Lucknow, a Pakistan based cultural action group (Tehrik-e-Niswan – women’s movement), invited by a prominent NGO (a women NGO) to stage plays in India, has been abruptly asked to go back by the very NGO after its first performance on the grounds that it displayed an anti-US stance. The occasion was a festival “Staging Peace – a dialogue in theatre: A women’s endeavor to create the culture of peace” by the Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia (WIPSA). And, the play staged was “Zikr-e-Nashunida”. The reason is that the play contained some anti-US references and since WIPSA was being funded by American Ford Foundation, they cannot allow this.
Now, the Indian NGOs, who are always ready with the brickbats at any fellow Indian who seemingly bows to the west or at the time when half of the world (recently in case of Iraq standoff) is against west will join them, have showed a very downtrodden attitude by towing along the wishes of their western funding house. NGOs have always had a dubious characteristics and this one instance just reinforces the fact known all along. If it was at the behest of Ford, it talks shame of the MNC, who cannot allow freedom of speech – one just wonders how are the employees in the company treated as – ducks – who are not allowed to speak their minds and hearts?
That apart, where goes the bonhomie that we are aspiring to develop with our “lost brethren”? Is that endeavor under a dictation from such MNC (I recollect the article on EHM – Economic Hit Men – and start to feel that my opinion of that article being a crap was utterly wrong)?

It’s just a case where Art is humbled by the politico-economic interests – I wish I get to hear what Mr Raja has to say on this.

Anyways, the day leaves me with just 4 days before the exams and its becoming trembling to sit with the subject of taxation. Hats off to guys who study it in CA and above all – clear it!