The Great Indian Crab Syndrome!

I am sure we have all heard this story, or variations of it; a story which is as old our young nation but one which very poignantly tells us the sad truth about ourselves. Heres’ how it goes:

There is this large container ship sailing across an ocean carrying containers filled with seafood of various kinds classified by species: very nice and expensive stuff. The captain enters the hold of the ship with his mates explaining to them the origin and contents of each container. There is a container with crabs from Mauritius: really huge and sealed tight to prevent its valuable occupants from jumping ship! Then they come to a container holding crabs from Australia: again sealed. Yada yada yada: you get the drift.

But then they come across a container holding Indian crabs and this one unlike the others has been left open. The baffled crew ask the captain “Why isn’t this closed? wont they escape if you leave it open?”. The elderly captain explains patiently that this container contains Indian crabs who have a special nature. “Take a look inside boys, every time one fellow tries to climb out, three other dirty, rotten scoundrels stand ready to pull him back in!”

Basically the story refers to this mentality of malaise that afflicts our collective Indian psyche and it’s a great truth. And there are many moments when each one of us is painfully reminded of how deep this mentality goes through our society where you don’t let other people succeed because you did not or grudge someone his success because you are not!

The first time I saw this mentality playing out was during an inter-college drama festival where a Marathi play where I was playing a lead role was chosen over some others to represent the college at the festival. Instead of being collectively happy and play with the team, some people made it their lifes mission to campaign against what was now the home team. We came second eventually, but the taste of victory was made considerably bitter because of the negativity that ensued for the next 3 years! Like the bitter after-taste of saccharine.

I had come to believe that we have left those days behind us. As a society, we have more opportunities today than ever before: more chances for the less privileged to be seen and heard and show their talents than ever before. However, I have just been dragged kicking and screaming back into the real world: one where fellow Indians still behave like the crabs in the container.

How could that &!*@&!* TV journo call HIM a senior tourer? How many bike-tours has he done? how could he get those pricey TV and magazine contracts and sell all those photographs… Since I haven’t managed to do any of those, and I don’t have a bats chance in hell of doing so, I should spend every moment online, dissing and running down those who managed to do so! I mean seriously!

Back in college, I questioned the fruits of victory that were made bitter by the sniping by the crabs. Now 13 years later: i dont question it. In its place there is acceptance. And a bitter resolve to succeed no matter what.

I could chose to pretend that this syndrome doesn’t exist but that would be tantamount to ostrich-like burying my head in the sand. To change the system one has to understand the system. You cant fight a war without knowing the enemy. And to win and succeed in India, I think we have to become a very special kind of crab: one who while climbing up keeps 2 hands free for fighting the crabs trying to pull him down. Fortunately, I take inspiration from other “special crabs”, those before me who have done the same and built enduring institutions in doing so. For every L K Advani, we have had a Narayan murthy. for every V P Singh or Gurumurthy(played so realistically by Madhavan in the film Guru), we have an Ambani. People who built on their vision regardless of those sniping at them from below. These people built institutions that will survive for long after they are gone, and so will I.

I have a vision too. And I am going to make it. Regardless of the looser crabs fighting their personal battles born of envy on facebook and twitter. Remember: Jitna ooncha bologe, utni hi tezi se aage badhunga: apni manzil ki or.

PS: As I type this, I am in Brittos on Baga Beach, waiting for the waiter to get me the seafood platter to go with my beer! Ironic or is there a connection! 