If you ask me this question, I would say yes.
Why?
I have often noticed my friends and colleagues (not all, of course) speaking negatively about the country. On social media, users frequently post negative comments, and many YouTube videos portray India in a bad light. What’s more concerning is that even when something positive happens, people still try to find flaws in it.
People in India need to understand that every country has its own strengths and weaknesses. If something is wrong within our country, we should work together to solve it. Constantly speaking negatively, especially on social media, only puts our country in a bad light globally.
That said, this mindset does not apply to everyone. Many people still think this way, but the encouraging part is that things are slowly improving, and I hope this trend continues.
Let’s understand this issue more deeply.
Belittling Ourselves
We Indians often belittle ourselves through excessive self-criticism, self-doubt, and by speaking negatively about our own country. We sometimes disrespect our culture and lack confidence in our ability to compete globally across various sectors.
You may have seen posts claiming that India is not good enough or cannot compete with major countries in technology, education, defense, healthcare, or other fields. However, we can compete if we move forward with a positive mindset, better planning, and strong determination.
Comparison with the West
We frequently compare ourselves with Western countries whether it’s technology, cars, cleanliness, the economy, culture, cinema, or food and often criticize our own systems while praising theirs.
It’s not that we don’t have problems or that they don’t. But as Indians, we need to support each other, back our government and businesses, and work together to improve the system. We should raise our voices against what’s wrong while contributing to solutions, so we can build a better future for ourselves and our children.
For example, we praise Western cities for their cleanliness, yet many of us litter or spit on roads and sidewalks here. We admire their disciplined traffic systems but break traffic rules ourselves. In many cases, we are responsible for the very problems we complain about. Instead of constant comparisons, we should focus on correcting our behavior.
Seeking Validation
Many of us seek validation from others. We often fail to acknowledge our country’s achievements unless they are recognized by foreign media or praised by global leaders. Ironically, we sometimes appreciate our own culture only after seeing foreigners admire and celebrate it.
Do other countries seek our validation? No because they have stronger self-belief and self-respect.
The Way Forward
India certainly has its weaknesses, but constantly looking down on ourselves and disrespecting our nation will not help. Western countries are more developed today because they have been investing and innovating across education, infrastructure, science, technology, defense, space, and other fields for centuries.
India gained independence only in 1947 after long periods of Mughal and British rule that severely weakened the country. Yet, despite limited resources and facilities, we have come a long way and we continue to progress rapidly toward a brighter future.
My humble request to every Indian is this: instead of making fun of ourselves, let us respect what we have and work together to make India a great nation. There is still a lot to be done, but we are moving forward and together, we can achieve much more.
