That’s a stupid statement to make, and reeks of the paternalism you allude to in your message. There are many Indians who want a UNSC seat because they feel India should have one, based on being the world’s most populous democracy, one of the ten largest economies in purchasing power parity, the 2nd most populous country, and generally a force for good in the world. It is of course possible that a few, just a few, Americans see India in the UNSC as a kind of counterbalance to China. But then, even if that’s true, there was never any advocacy of India by these Americans in the past 40-50 years. And Indians’ reasons and motives are quite different from the few Americans who wish to reward or promote India.

The Gunga Din stereotype is misimagined piece of fiction and has little to do with Kipling’s unforgettable classic Gunga Din. A few dozen western film makers, Indian purple in the face “peoples’ power” activists, and their followers elsewhere have understood nothing about Kipling’s character. There’s nothing in the poem that suggests a weak and incompetent person, instead it sketches a courageous character with great heart whom the civilizing colonialist fails to understand. The only time anyone understood the character is Sellers’s Hrundi Bakshi – who incidentally has just been thrown off the sets of “Son of Gunga Din”. I hope Spielberg who is said to planning a remake doesn’t mangle the classic.

Recently, I came across an interesting post on the India Forum that outlines three general stereotypes of Indians:

1) The “Faithful Soldier of the Empire” stereotype. This goes back to the colonial period, when the Raj employed Indian soldiers for their campaigns in Asia and Africa. Typically, these soldiers would come from certain “Martial Races” and they would be rewarded by their colonial masters with all sorts of awards and titles.

2) The “Gunga Din” stereotype. It portrays Indians as too weak and incompetent to accomplish anything on their own, but willing to suffer for a good cause. This also goes back to the colonial period, when the British would use crops grown in India to support their campaigns in Asia and Africa. One good example of this stereotype at work is the World War 2 Bengal Famine.

3) The “Benighted Heathen” stereotype. It portrays Indians as an unwashed mass that represents the antithesis of the “Civilized West”. This also goes back to the colonial period, and comes from decades of British propaganda about Suttee, Thuggee, and Untouchabilitee. For a good example of this stereotype at work, see Rudyard Kipling’s The White Man’s Burden.

The current situation with Obama backing India for a UN seat bears a striking resemblance with stereotype #1.

Forget Prema, Passe, although I do have a Prema Pasam! But I am missing majnu Manju!

You forgot to mention the smelly spices…and also the odd sideways head nod.

How can such a people be part of normal society? I mean lets forget about the security council, lets talk about the human council first…

Evidence or it didn’t happen.