102 years of colonial history.
2,000 years of Indian civilization.
Guess which one we chose to showcase?
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis welcomes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Gateway of India.
Wah!!!
But tell me something.
Mumbai mein aur kuch nahi hai kya?
You had to choose the Gateway of India?
An arch built by the British to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911.
Completed in 1924.
Just 102 years old.
And this is what we proudly showcase to the American Secretary of State?
Arre bhai, seriously?
Did we run out of Indian architecture?
What happened to the Elephanta Caves?
Over 1,400 years of architectural brilliance.
What about the Kanheri Caves?
Nearly 2,000 years of history.
Banganga Tank?
Walkeshwar Temple?
All these monuments existed centuries before the British even dreamt of ruling India.
But no!
We needed the British welcome arch.
Fine.
Forget ancient India.
Let's talk about modern India.
What happened to the Global Vipassana Pagoda?
The Bandra-Worli Sea Link?
Mumbai Coastal Road?
Atal Setu?
Chaitya Bhoomi?
Or even Siddhivinayak Temple?
Are these not worth showcasing?
One represents extraordinary engineering.
Another represents Indian craftsmanship.
Others represent our spirituality, culture and civilisational achievements.
But apparently, nothing beats a British arch when it comes to diplomatic photography.
Wah bhai, wah!
Imagine the irony.
We speak about decolonisation.
We talk about India's civilisational greatness.
And when the American arrives, we take him to a monument built to welcome a British King.
The British came.
The British ruled.
The British left.
And more than seven decades later, their welcome arch is still getting VIP duty.
At this rate, even King George V would be laughing from his grave.
Perhaps the problem isn't the monument.
Perhaps the problem is how we choose to present ourselves.
Colonial hangover, anyone?